To Worcester and beyond
This morning was clear and bright for our departure form the haven of Stourport Basin and adventure on the turbulent River Severn. We cut ourselves loose at 07.45 and descended the two pairs of staircase locks, and entered the river at 08.30. The waster was as calm as the canal which pleased me no end and we opened up the throttle for the first time in five months heading downstream for Worcester. The three locks between Stourport and Worcester are all larger than anything encountered on the canals but are operated by lock keepers. We passed through each one on our own and arrived in Worcester before noon having seen one other narrowboat, a plastic launch (or yoghurt pot) and a man rowing.


Here we climbed the two large locks into Diglis Basin and the start of the Worcester and Birmingham Canal.
From here to the centre of Birmingham is only 24 miles.
And 56 locks.
The Tardebigge flight of 36 locks is generally considered to be the longest flight in Britain but we are in no hurry to tackle it yet. So we pottered up through Worcester and moored up for the night opposite a sports centre. Not often do we get a football match to watch from the boat at eventide.


Waiting on the River Severn below Diglis Locks