The Tardebigge Lock Flight.

Saturday 8th July 2017 at Tardebigge.
M, who had set her alarm for 4:45, was awakened at 3:00am by the sound of pop music coming from the farm on our right. R thought the farmer was probably playing it to soothe his cows, which is common practice. M thought "Fine, but wouldn't Classic FM have been more soothing?" By 4:45, when M got up, it was a truly lovely early morning, quiet and still.

At 5:45, R "pushed off" while M walked ahead to set the first lock of the flight. M didn't get back on board for the next three and three-quarter hours, the time it took us to do the flight.

Lock 29 is Tardebigge Bottom Lock, the first lock of the day. A boat had come down the flight late last night and so we were lucky in that every lock on the flight was set for us (except a couple that were leaking and filling up) - so we had a "good road" as the old boat people would have said.

This pretty cottage, reflected in the water near Lock 31, is a "Landmark Trust Property", available as a holiday let.

Beautiful "mares' tails" in the early morning sky.

M was tempted to follow the footpath sign across this field of ripening oats. A sign on the gate warned to "Beware of the Bull" but he was not to be seen. Perhaps he was hiding in the oats, waiting to pounce on any passer by.

We have seen a number of ham radio aerials as we cruise the canal, but this cottage had by far the most comprehensive collection we have seen.

Rosebay Willowherb, one of M's favourite wild flowers, looking splendid in the sunshine.

Lock 43 is halfway up the flight. We make a good team with M walking ahead to set each lock while R deals with the lock that MM is in - including waiting patiently for the lock to fill - and so taking a brief rest!

Overlooking Lock 50 is Tardebigge Reservoir and from the embankment there were panoramic views down the locks and across the countryside to the distant spire of Bromsgrove Parish Church and beyond. You could see for miles.

All the way up, we had only seen a couple of joggers or early morning dog walkers but no other boats. Finally, two locks from the top, we met a hire boat coming down and cheerful greetings were exchanged.

Lock 57, the last lock but one, is next to the old pumping station that used to supply water to the summit pound.

Finally at 9:30, after three and three-quarters hours' very pleasant "toil", we moored up just below the top lock, lock 58, where there are good moorings with rings. We did walk up to check above the top lock, but the moorings there were not so nice so we decided to stay where we were for today and move through the last lock tomorrow.

The rest of the day was passed reading, writing up this blog, chatting to other boaters and generally relaxing as well as giving MM a well deserved wash. A super day all round.
Today: 2 miles 29 locks and 4.4 hours.
Trip: 108 miles, 137 locks and 92.7 hours.