The Stroudwater Canal Part 2.

Hi Folks.

This morning I woke after a wonderful nights sleep. Paddy was walked and I am pleased to say he is his normal self once more, there seems to be no more runny tummy thank goodness.

Just after breakfast I saw a bow coming past the galley window and realised it was Gwilym on Manchuria, he was off up to Sharpness. After checking e-mails and Facebook I made us a packed lunch. Today was the day we were going to do our walk up the other side of the Stroudwater Canal.

We set off with packed lunches, cameras, etc and headed up the towpath to the swing bridge, which we crossed over to walk the other part of the Stroudwater Canal, which is under restoration towards Stroud itself. The first section up to Whitminster road bridge is still in use as lineside moorings and access to Saul Marina. From the bridge the canal towpath is overgrown, but a footpath cuts the corner and re-joins the canal at Whitminster lock.

Here at the l0ck we noticed these lock gates dated 1996. It seemed strange to us that they had been fitted then and basically left here to rot, especially as they are not actually serving and practical purpose, being that they are left open and just a couple of yards beyond them the canal is dammed off. From this point the canal has been removed as part of a field, but the towpath still runs alongside the River Frome, and at the lock the canal will be re-routed into the river for the next section. The canal ran parallel to the river for a short distance before it crossed it, at the same level. This next photo was taken from the bridge which crosses the river just upstream from the original junction, and this is the River Frome. Some of the footpath was more like a jungle, this did not bother me much because I was wearing trousers, but Keith was in shorts so he found it a little more difficult with thistles etc.

We carried along the towpath until we arrived at the A38. Here looked like there could have been a wharf which is very close to the village of Frombridge. From the A38 the canal disappears until after the M5. As our map didn’t extend any further than this point we decided to give up tracing the canal any further, especially as one footpath we tried in the general direction, came to a field with an electric fence which we didn’t fancy crossing, and although it was marked as a footpath from the road, there was no stile or gate giving further access. There were also cattle in the field and if there had been a bull, he may not have been to impressed with us crossing his field. There was a time when farmers put a notice on the gate saying if a bull was in the field, but this does not seem to happen anymore.

We decided to retrace out footsteps back to the brick bridge where we sat under a huge Oak tree and had our packed lunch. After lunch and a bit of rest we carried on and met a couple walking their 2 dogs near Whitminster lock and we got chatting to them. They have a boat in the marina, so Keith asked about the canal from this point and they explained that it did originally border the field, but as could be seen the farmers over many years had ploughed away all but the towpath which now runs alongside the river, and they confirmed that the restoration will in fact take the river from this point to the original crossing junction.

We took a slight detour on our way back and visited Whitminster church of St. Andrews. It has an unusual double tower. The actual site of the church dates back to 1086, but no part of this church is older than the 14th century. The church was made bigger in 1842, to include a north aisle and the tower was restored in 1844. It is one of only a few churches in Gloucestershire to retain a traditional Stoup (A stoup is a vessel containing holy water generally placed near the entrance of a church). It is a beautiful little church. By the time we left the church we were both feeling a little foot weary, so by the time we got back to the boat we were happy to sit down and put out feet up with a coffee and a Mars Bar.

This evening is going to be spent in front of the TV with my feet up.

To see the Fauna I photographed today please go to my webpage Canalside Flora and Fauna.

Chat soon xx.