On the Coventry Canal

 Another early start to minimise travelling in the hottest part of the day. Straight after leaving our overnight mooring we ascended the only lock for the day. This took us up to the Junction where a left turn took us off the Trent & Mersey and on to the Coventry Canal. 

Approaching Junction Lock at Fradley

Entering Junction Lock

Immediately after the junction there is a very small swing bridge that gives pedestrian access to a few houses near the canal. Not that interesting, but there are few other points of particular interest on the canal. It is  very rural only passing through the outskirts of 3 small villages.  The scenery is quite attractive but this is  difficult to show in a photograph.

Looking back at a following boat and typical scenery

One of the small villages mentioned is Whittington where a carved stone marks the boundary between the Coventry Canal and the Birmingham and Fazeley canal, a  complication arising because different sections of the canal were built by different competing canal companies. You can still see the effects as the Coventry Canal sections have bridges identified by a number whereas the Birmingham and Fazelley bridges have names, a difference that has not been harmonised in the past 200 years.

Moored in Hopwas

We arrived att the small village of Hopwas at 12:15 and will spend the night and much of tomorrow here. Lucky that we did not continue as the weather would have been uncomfortable - rain plus overheating.

Today's Statistics

Distance: 8.74 miles
Locks: 1
Swing Bridges: 1
Time: 3 hours 55 minutes