Another catchup…..

Thurs 3rd July

We cruised the 7.6 miles to Norbury Junction on Thursday, our intended stopping point for tonight, through cuttings and over embankments typical of the Shroppie.  Miles and miles of agricultural farms and not a lot else.  We spotted the Wrekin on the horizon, but it was too misty and indistinct for a decent photo.

Cutting

Knighton Wharf with factory behind which was first opened by Cadbury in 1911 as a centre for processing milk collected by boat from Shropshire farms.  It was blended here with sugar and cocoa to make raw chocolate and then returned to Bournville to be turned into the chocolate we know today.

As it must have been in those days, full of working boats unloading countless churns full of milk – but all quiet now, just the boats, empty and forlorn.  I thought it was quite poignant, the boats just waiting in hope of trade returning to the canal.

The tiny Anchor Inn at High Offley – just the one room with the beer that used to be brought up from the cellar in jugs – not sure if there are beer pumps now as it’s years since we passed at the right time of day to call in.

Bridge 39, in Grub Street cutting – with the redundant telegraph pole, left over from the days when the phone line marched along almost the whole length of the Shroppie.  We looked, as we always do, for the strange, monkey-like creature which is said to haunt the bridge since a boatman was killed here in the 19th century, but no luck today!

Moored at Norbury Junction, we called RCR out to have a look at the domestic alternator which, although charging ok, has been doing strange things for the last few days.  They were here within the hour, but unfortunately they couldn’t fix it, so we await a new one, hopefully tomorrow afternoon.  We shall be here until at least Saturday, and possibly longer if they can’t fit it then.  Oh yes, and, funny old thing, we went for lunch in the pub, the Junction Inn.

Norbury Junction, busy as ever

7.6 miles and 0 locks