Dimmingsdale to Stourport-on-Severn (Friday 16 May -23 May) - 30 locks, 21 miles, 11 hours

What a mixed bag of weather, we have had gorgeous sunshine, followed by torrential rain, thunderstorms and hail.

As we left Dimmingsdale at the end of last week the sun was glorious we were supposedly heading for a two week heat wave which was reduced to 5 days!!! Still 5 is better than none.

This is what English summers are supposed to be like, anyone for cricket!!

We headed down the Staff and Worc canal through the unusual but beautifully kept locks at Bratch.

These locks used to be a traditional staircase flight, but the locks have been shortened to create small pounds in between the locks, thereby reducing the amount of water lost.  Luckily the flight is manned so you have the nice lock keeper telling you which paddles to open when.

We had a few more locks to get through but the sun was shining as made our downward journey along the canal, T-Shirt and sun glasses day :-)).

We moored up at Ashwood Marina, which was a real test of Rods driving skills, as we had to reverse in through the narrow entrance down the marina to our mooring spot.  We were then off for the weekend to see Mike and Liz.

The forecast for the week was pretty dire so we cruised on Monday which was still warm but more overcast than we had seen in the last few days.

You see some great sights outside the houses backing onto the canal.

This stretch of the canal is pretty but a bit claustrophic, as it weaves its way round the hard rocky out crops and the expansive wooded areas - would have to say it is not my favourite stretch of canal but it is very pretty in its own way.

We past the junction for the Stourbridge canal, which connects you to the Dudley canal and into Birmingham.

Look out Stourport here we come.

We didn't move on Tuesday as the weather was forecast for rain all day, I headed back to the house to start some decorating and Rod spent the day fishing - it didn't rain at all!!!  Why do we even bother to look at the forecast :-)).

I spent Tuesday and Wednesday at the house and made some good progress with the decorating the lounge.

We managed an hour or so on Thursday evening after Rod finished work, and managed to get to a lovely spot that opened up a bit, just before Kidderminster. We did unfortunately get caught in a thunder storm at a lock, I actually got wetter from the spray off the road above the lock than I did from the storm.

Friday we set off reasonably early hoping to get to Stourport before the heavy rain came. 

The canal continues to be dominated by height

As we went through one of the locks, there was a cave cut into the rock this was apparently used for stabling the horses over night.

Not sure I would fancy having my house sitting on top of the tunnel going over the canal!!

As we headed out of one of the locks there was a wren nesting in the brickwork, you can't really see the nest but you can see the hole, and you will just have to trust me re the Wren :-).

We had been advised to moor at York Street and then walk down to the basin and the river moorings to check for availability.  We made it to Stourport fairly dry.  There was plenty of mooring on the river, but a few boats had just gone by our mooring, but most of them were heading for the lower basin for a boat festival.

So we decided to risk it.  We were helped down the two sets of staircase locks and then we were on the river Severn.  Not quite as wide as the Thames but still pretty expansive.

I have to take my hat off to the rowers they have been out in all weather, true dedication and commitment.

We only have a short stretch to do on here before we turn onto the Droitwich, and the levels are well in the green so we are hopefully not in danger of getting stuck here - us and rivers really don't go together!!!

(M 655.5, L547)