After the last email check with the pub’s wifi, we set off around 9am.
A short run of 2 miles and 2 locks brought us to Kidderminster and the last stop to top up with food. M & S food hall was next to the canal and provided us with the last extras needed.
3 more locks and 3 miles and we were in the Stourport Basins. Filled up with water because we could, disposed of some rubbish and wound our way through 3 basins, 2 sets of staircase locks and we were in the River Severn.
Turned right, found a short term berth and stopped for lunch. Met up with a couple we had followed and helped through locks (2 of them, 4 of us, so we were faster) most of the way down the previous canals and saw in the beer garden of last night’s pub. There were 2 volunteers with the Canal and River Trust who operated the staircase locks and helped us through. Between the 2 sets of locks was a very tricky turn in a short distance. Looked reasonably easy from inside the top lock, but was much more difficult than it looked. With bit of back and forth, we managed.
2 lock keeper controlled locks and a bit over 8 miles and we reached the Droitwich Canal. Had to do an almost 180 degree tuen to get into the canal and there was the first lock straight away. Big, heavy double lock gates, allowing 2 narrowboats in at once. Only us this time. The Droitwich Canal has only recently been restored and open for traffic. 3 locks and 2 miles and we decided it was time to stop for the night. Sometimes you just have to stop in slightly less convenient spots.
We saw the Droitwich Canal in the centre of Droitwich and were surprised how the river fell down to a weir to the left and the canal itself turned right-ish. At that point we were glad we were just walking to the pub not trying to avoid the weir.
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