Norbury Junction and the Shrewsbury Canal.

Monday 8th August 2022 at Norbury Junction.

Another beautiful morning. Apparently another heat wave is on the way, but at present the weather in this part of the country is perfect.

Again we left early and immediately found rows of moored boats along the canal for miles. We don't remember there being so many in-line moorings when we were last here in 2016. Perhaps the local farmers have decided that farming narrowboats is more profitable than farming the land. Who can blame them?

Unique on the waterways is this very short telegraph pole built within the bridge; a throwback to an earlier communications age. It is the subject of many postcards. M was very surprised to see cars driving across the bridge as she didn't realise that it is still in use as a road bridge.

Norbury Junction is where the Shrewsbury & Newport Canals once joined the Shropshire Union Canal.

Sadly the S&N Canal was abandoned in 1944. There is an active restoration group but it is in the very early stages and, with 34 locks to rebuild, will not be a swift process despite the fact that there are lengths of the canal still in water.

This couple of hundred yards of the S&N Canal is all that now remains leading away from Norbury Junction. Now it is used as private moorings. We imagine it would be a lovely waterway to cruise when (if) it's restored.

On the opposite side of the junction is a very good Café and Chandlery. A chance for second breakfast - with chips!

Today: 3 miles, 0 locks and 1.5 hours.

Trip: 346 miles, 222 locks and 188.4 hours.