“Botterham Bridge” on the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal, 15th June 2023 (Author’s Collection)
Apparently, in the long ago year of 1785, Robert Burns wrote “the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry” and with a word or two altered over the years both Rudyard Kipling and Noel Coward can lay claim to another quintessentially English saying that states only “Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the mid-day sun”. Thursday 15th June 2023 saw a rather exhausting coalescing of both of these phrases as I badly mis-judged the extent of both the walk from beautiful Bratch Locks to Stourton Locks on the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal and I rather regretted omitting to carry any water or fluids on a walk that seemed to take forever in a boiling sun and I was out on my aching feet by the time I reached Stourton with of course, the return walk still ahead of me.
Throw a dying battery into the mix and legs that were flatly refusing to co-operate with a third of my return walk still to go, and it was quite some walk indeed for this mad dog out in the mid-day sunshine of an English Summer in desperate need of a drink!
Remarkably, considering my phone battery gave up the ghost so soon into my return journey, there are a bumper crop of nearly 30 images that follow as we depart from the beautifully picturesque locks in the small hamlet of Bratch that were originally designed to be a “Staircase” of locks before they were separated into three distinct (Top/Middle/Bottom) locks and a location that still retains the charm of a Georgian era Toll House. Many exhausting miles later I arrived at Stourton Locks where the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal either continues straight on for many miles until it merges with the River Severn at Stourport, or you can tackle the locks at Stourton and deviate away onto the Stourbridge Canal and ultimately England’s second city, Birmingham.
So please rest those weary feet, delve into a favourite packet of biscuits and relax into this pictorial stroll with a mad dog Englishman in the heat of a mid-day sun.
Beautiful “Bratch Locks” and the bottom lock of three — Part 1.
Beautiful “Bratch Locks” and the bottom lock of three — Part 2.
Forward view of the top lock at “Bratch Locks” in full working order!
Perfect representation of this section of the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal heading in the opposite direction to our stroll today. I returned days later to complete this stroll (separate edition coming soon!) and a walk from “Bratch Locks” to nearby Compton.
I adore this view and every time I’ve been to “Bratch Locks” I’ve been fortunate enough to see the horses in the nearby field.
The top lock at “Bratch Locks” and its distinctive Georgian era Toll House.
Return view from “Bratch Bridge” and the bottom lock of three that was originally created as a “Staircase”.
Not a bad view with which to begin our canal walk!
Please say a hearty hello to “Summer Vine”.
Forward view from the bottom lock at “Botterham”.
Reverse view from “Marsh Lock”.
Family of Canadian Geese on the outskirts of Swindon.
A favourite image captured today from “Hinksford Lock” and the beautiful surrounding countryside of central England.
I got a host of cheery waves from the gentleman on board here but he flatly refused to wave when I captured this image!
“John’s Garden” at Ashwood Nurseries — Part 1.
“John’s Garden” at Ashwood Nurseries — Part 2.
Beautiful reflections from “Heart of England Narrowboats”.
Please say hello to “Stoney” and the first of two “Perfect Timing Moments”.
Perfect Timing Moments Part 2 and please say another hearty hello, this time to “Julia”.
A beautiful arrival at Stourton as the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal continues straight ahead and underneath “Stourton Bridge” ahead or left onto the Stourbridge Canal heading to Stourbridge and Birmingham.
I’ve been lucky enough to walk and visit each of the four branches of the canal from here with Stourton and ultimately Stourport straight ahead (where the canal merges with the River Severn), left and the multiple locks of Stourbridge and the graffiti lined canal leading into England’s “Second City” of Birmingham and similarly the 20+ locks and graffiti lined walk into Wolverhampton.
Stourton Bottom Lock (of 4) straight ahead.
View from “Stourton Bridge” and the continuing of the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal through to Stourport and the merging with the River Severn.
Reflections from “Stourton Bridge” and the beginning of our return walk straight ahead. But first, a brief detour.
Return view from the bottom lock at Stourton after a pleasure boater has navigated the lock before heading left toward Stourport-on-Severn.
More reflections from the bottom lock at Stourton.
More reflections from the bottom lock at Stourton and a favourite image captured on a favourite, if exhausting, walk!
The beginning of a long walk back from whence we came.
Thanks for reading. Please feel free to visit my “UK Travel” library here or alternatively, here are my three most recently published articles from this Summer of 2023:
