Bonny had by this time well and truly found her sea legs, so to speak. She took her position on the roof right at the bow, rather like a hood ornament. She hardly slept during the day - there were just too many intriguing smells wafting past and occasionally the maddeningly exciting sight of a squirrel leaping from tree to tree, just out of reach, above her head.
So we drifted on at 3 mph, lockless now, at until mid afternoon when we reached Norton Junction, via the Shelmore Embankment. In the Nicholson Guide this is described as 'The Mighty Shelmore Embankment'. Mary and I were just a little cynical about how mighty an embankment can be, imagining some sort of largish ditch by the side of the canal. However we were put in our place as the land fell away on one side and then the other, revealing views reaching to The Wrekin (a large hill near the Welsh Border) on one side and woods on the other that seemed to sink into the ground so that we were level with the treetops. Mighty indeed! Norton Junction proved to be an ideal mooring spot as it was not only very attractive but had a shop, tea room and pub! So tea and ice creams followed by a pub supper was the order for the rest of the day.
The last day of Mary's cruise came all too soon as we left Norton Junction (I had already decided to stop here again on my return journey) for Market Drayton where she had left her car. This leg of the journey really raised our pulses as we entered the innocuous sounding 'Woodseaves Cutting'. This was an amazing engineering feat in the 18th century, where 'navvies' (navigators) cut straight through the middle of a hill for a mile and a half using only hand tools and animals. Obviously they didn't want to do any more than absolutely necessary, so they only cut enough room for one narrowboat - just! The cliff sides of the cutting towered above our heads and we brushed vegetation on both sides of the boat. As we penetrated further the trees met above us and so it felt like navigating a giant green tunnel. We rather expected to see Amazonian creatures swimming below and perhaps Tarzan swinging above! What really brought the sweat to the brow was the possibility of meeting another boat, as there were only occasional passing places dug out of the cliff. However the flow of the universe was merciful on this occasion and we passed unimpeded, both of us as high as kites when we reached the end of the cutting unscathed.
From there it was a straight forward run into Market Drayton via the impossibly picturesque Tyrley flight of locks. Finding a mooring in town was remarkable easy but it was a little harder to say goodbye to my sturdy crew as I walked with Mary through town to her car. It is amazing how fast everybody seems to travel when not on the cut. Even the pedestrians seemed to be moving at top speed and as for the cars, well, I was very pleased to retreat back to paradise after a pit stop at Netto's for essential supplies.
I then had a decision to make. So far the journey had felt like quite hard work as we were working to Mary's timetable and so had to reach first Penkridge and then Market Drayton by certain times. I had passed several places that I would have liked to stop and explore had we had the time. I also found cruising with no locks actually more tiring as I found standing in one place, hanging onto the tiller for hours on end quite a strain. Whereas if there are regular locks, one has a chance to stretch one's legs and use different muscles. So I decided that, rather than continuing on and struggling down the Adderley and Audlem flight of locks - 20 locks in all - only then to turn round and climb them again, I would instead turn at Market Drayton and amble back.
Pictures and Part 3 to follow...
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