Bentley Bridge to Wombourne: A Trip of Two Halves

Our journey from Bentley Bridge to Wombourne was, in true narrowboat fashion, a very mixed affair — equal parts laughter, drama, and soggy resilience.

Boat Tag with Mike and Helen

It started well. We spent the first stretch playing a cheerful game of boat tag with our friends Mike and Helen, weaving along the cut in good spirits. The high point came as we passed under a bridge with a name that couldn’t have been more fitting — Catchems Bridge — with us firmly in the lead. Mike and Helen fell further behind as they took a detour to explore the lesser-used Bradley Arm, and bag another location on their list of silver propeller challenges.

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Bang, Crash, Wallop

Then came the moment that turned the day on its head. As we went to turn right off the main line onto the branch for Netherton Tunnel, we suddenly lost all steering and went straight into the wall. Bang, crash, wallop. The culprit, once we investigated, turned out to be a pair of tracksuit bottoms wrapped tightly around the prop.

Thankfully we managed to clear it and get safely moored up before Mike and Helen caught up with us — we called it a night right there, while they carried on through Netherton Tunnel and moored on the other side.

Down the Picturesque Delph Locks

The next day brought better fortunes. Mike kindly helped us down the Delph Locks, which are genuinely picturesque thanks to the water run-offs alongside them. Paul took on horse duties, towing little Miss Waka Butty across the pounds by hand — a proper old-fashioned bit of boating.

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Dodging Showers to Stewponey and onto Wombourne

That, it seems, marked the unofficial end of summer. From there it was all about dodging showers for the rest of the trip down to Stewponey, onto the beautiful Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal and onto Wombourne — the stunning spot at the bottom of Bratch Locks — where we moored up ready for next weekend’s boat gathering with the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal Society. We were very fortunate on this final part of the trip to have the grey days brightened by the sighting of two colourful Kingfishers.

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A trip with a bit of everything: friendly competition, an unplanned collision with laundry, some proper old-school horse-towing, and a scenic finish in the rain. Just another week of narrowboat life.