Shardlow

 Having looked at the timings for previous journeys on this route we realised that our normal 3 hours a day travelling time was too low to get back to our marina when we planned.  So we decidied to have a longer jorney than usual today to build in some leeway for later.

Waiting to leave Stenson Lock

Sharing Swarkestone Lock with "Copperkins"

View of Weston Lock

We set off at 9:15 and descended Stenson Lock, the largest on the whole of the Trent & Mersey canal being 12 ft 4ins deep and double width.  It is followed by 3 more locks only slightly less deep spread at 3 mile intervals.  Finally there is the 4ft 5 in Shardlow Lock which takes one down into the historic village of Shardlow which 200 years ago was a major inland port.  Some of the old warehouses and pubs remain.

On the IWA stand at the Festival there was much discussion of the identity of a lock shown on one of the IWA canal in winter themed Christmas Cards.  The photo here clearly shows it to be Weston Lock taken from the same point.

Apart from the locks there is little of interest to see on the canal though the scenery is attractively wooded in many places. Denise saw her first kingfisher of this trip though sadly I missed it.

4.5 hours, 5 locks,   8.87 miles