Turley Locks, the first locks we ever did!

 Sunday 7th August 2022 near Shebdon.

An early start to get through the five Turley Locks. Opposite us was a very large dairy herd contentedly grazing the grass, which up here is still green!

The engineer for the Shropshire Union Canal (or "Shroppie") was Thomas Telford, and he didn't follow the contours like his predecessor James Brindley, Telford drove the canal in straight lines making cuttings and embankments. Many of the cuttings are heavily overgrown, makimg us think of the film "The African Queen" as we looked ahead.

Very pleased to see that this jolly fellow is still there below Turley locks! He always makes us smile and has clearly been decked out for the Jubilee celebrations.

The Turley locks were hewn out of solid rock by hand, incredible to think of the work involved. These were the locks on which we first cut our narrowboating teeth when we did our three day "Helmsman's Course" in October 2009.

Despite the rock, trees still manage to grow on both sides of the canal. We called this one the "Medusa Tree", tenaciously hanging on to the edge of the rock. Goodness only knows what it can root into.

This notice at the top of Turley locks amused us. Nothing may have happened on 5th September 1782, but something certainly did happen on that day in 1946 in Wimbledon - just ask R's Mum and Dad!

These buildings at the top of Turley Locks have a long history. Originally a Lengthsman's cottage and stables for the horses, it has been occupied by a Wharfinger, Game Keeper, Shoemaker, Boatman, Horse Keeper and Estate Workers. At times the stables have also been used as a Parish Hall, Meeting Room, Sunday School, Reading Room and Polling Station. Now it has all been renovated as a very attractive private house. What stories that house could tell!

Mr Telford's cuttings have very steep sides and land slips are common. This latest one closed the towpath when a large slice of the cutting slipped down, sadly bringing all the trees with it.

From the embankments you can see for miles. The hill in the distance is the "Wrekin", which rises from the surrounding flat land to 1,335 ft above sea level.

This was Cadbury's Wharf at Knighton where milk was unloaded from narrowboats and chocolate crumb dispatched towards Birmingham. The wharf is no longer used but the site behind now makes - of all things - Bird's Custard!

A little further on we moored up for the afternoon and night in a lovely shady spot. A combine harvester was working until well after dark in the huge wheat field below.

Today: 8 miles, 5 locks and 4.1 hours (including power).

Trip: 343 miles, 222 locks and 186.9 hours.