This trip hasn’t turned out as planned. With flooding on the Trent causing an about turn at Alrewas with flood levels meaning the flood gauge was submerged, followed by a reroute down via Knowle and Hatton locks only to hit a stoppage at Bascote locks. So we turned again and are returning to Fazeley via Birmingham.

We found a good mooring in Birmingham and sightseed for a day – we’d recommend the National Trust’s Back to Back cottages. Then we were joined briefly by Mary and Laurie for a quick trip down Farmer’s Bridge flight, mooring at Aston.