Our 2025 circular trip to London begins!!! starting at Shardlow

Our plan this year is to travel on a circular route from Shardlow on the Trent & Mersey Canal, turning onto the Coventry Canal, the Oxford Canal, onto the River Thames leaving at Brentford and head back on the Grand Union Canal and finally back on the River Soar to the River Trent.  Fingers crossed, all should go to plan, subject to water levels as it has been a very dry Spring.🤞

Shardlow Heritage Centre

Our journey begins at Shardlow. If you happen to moor or visit between Easter and the end of October on a weekend or bank holiday, it is worth a visit to the Shardlow Heritage Centre.  It is manned by very knowledgeable volunteers and looks at the history of not only the Inland Port Canal history  but the village too.  The reproduction of the living quarters from an old working narrowboat is excellent.

Alrewas

The weather has been superb over the last week, so we have made good progress. We enjoyed the cruise on the Trent and Mersey Canal, filling up with fuel at Shobnall Marina at Burton-On-Trent (good value and very friendly), and through the quaint village of Alrewas through to Fradley Junction (3 locks manned by friendly volunteers) where we turned onto the Coventry Canal.  There are C&RT facilities at the Junction and a great cafe too.

Whilst cruising through Tamworth, we moored just after Sutton Road Bridge, where there is a handy little snicket with a 10 minute walk on the main road to Sainsburys , B & Q, Poundland etc. 

We moored overnight on the Atherstone Flight, between locks 5 & 6 (max two days visitor moorings), which is handy for shops, the railway station, pubs and take-aways.  Top Lock was manned by volunteers and they have facilities here for rubbish, elsan, book swap etc.  As always on the canals, you don't see a boat for ages and then at bridges bends and facilities, it is really busy and this is exactly what happened at top lock! 😆

Between locks 9 & 10 Atherstone Flight

What a wonderful time of year to cruise, there are so many baby ducklings and fluffy goslings with their doting mums to see.