Alrewas
Alrewas and Lichfield
We had been deliberating over our route for a few days but eventually a decision had to be made and thankfully we made it before we set off, rather than waiting until we reached Fradley junction. It was an easy enough trip to Fradley and we had the benefit of having a volunteer lockie at the last lock before the junction. He asked us which way we were heading and adjusted a sign that is on the bottom gates so that the keeper at junction lock knows which way the oncoming boats are travelling. We were going straight on so by the time we reached the next lock, it was ready for us. Below the lock, we made use of the services before setting off again with the hope of finding a mooring at Alrewas.
It didn’t seem to take too long to reach our destination, despite the fact that we had worked through seven locks to get there and we tied before the road bridge above Bagnall lock on the edge of Alrewas village. Showered and changed, we walked into Alrewas and had lunch at The Bank coffee house.
On Wednesday we caught the bus and went to the Cathedral City of Lichfield and what a beautiful place it turned out to be!
On our travels we often muse about places that we might like to live in. Lichfield has just shot into the number one slot of that particular top ten chart! We had a fabulous lunch at McKenzie’s restaurant and then returned to the bus station to catch the bus back to Alrewas.
Another sunny day awaited us when we awoke on Thursday and once ready, we walked up through the village to the National Memorial Arboretum. The only fly in the ointment is the crossing of Ryknild Street, now the A38 which is a busy dual carriageway. With a bit of patience, we made it across the road, there and back. The Arboretum is a fine place with many different memorials to a great number of individuals, regiments and conflicts that have taken place over the years.
Friday morning was yet another blue skied event so we got up, untied and dropped down through Bagnall lock and then took on water just above Alrewas lock. We then dropped down on to the river section of the canal, although by comparison to the other rivers that we have travelled on it would have been difficult to know that we were actually on a river at all. After Wychnor lock, we hit the long straight that runs parallel to the A38 (Ryknild Street) and after the little kink at the end of the street, tied up outside Barton Turn marina. This was just a stopping point so that we could check out whether we could moor inside for a few nights.