Stourport Safaris

With Andrew now away for 10 days, the boat will mark time here at Stourport, and I will go a-wandering in the area. Saturday morning and I headed for the riverbank South of town, past the basin and locks.

The path was in good shape and well used by locals. I came to a row of cottages, just as pretty as when we had admired them from mid-stream.

10 minutes walk from the town centre, but completely secluded. And their own moorings!

Here's a pic showing why you can't moor just anywhere: the banks rarely let you get in close without active management.

I came to a nature reserve before long, with a large reedy pond at its centre.

Anything that doesn't have its feet in water is starting to feel the drought.

Ah! Breakfast!

Back into town for shopping. Delighted with half price cargo shorts with proper pockets: it will be good not to be putting my only other pair on wet from the washing line.

Lunch on the stern deck, and visitors:

Or, possibly, conducting a performance?

Later on, they'd melted:

Come the evening, it was marginally fresher so I went rambling. Stourport really, really needs to address traffic calming. The whole place seems to be an encouragement to boy racers, and some racers who should be old enough to know better, while pedestrians take their lives in their hands to cross roads. So I went to see how far out I had to go to achieve a shady spot with acceptable noise levels.

So the Bird in Hand it is. 5 and 14 day moorings. Let's hope there are still spaces when I get up there tomorrow.

Oh, and a giant ladybird came by:

Sunday morning and up at 7am. Walked up, still room. Walked down to the basin, had a hot, longish shower. Ish, because I had seen, going in, that there were 2 boats getting ready to unmoor.. what if they were thinking the same as me?

By now it was 7.40, the first boat was in the lock and the second waiting: but above it there were three boats coming down and 1 waiting to unmoor! Before 8am, unheard of! I got moving behind boat no. 1 and tootled along for the 15 minutes or so to my hoped-for spot. Yes! Just on the 14 day mooring too so no need to move.

The boat behind me then suddenly came to life and moved off, so I hauled the boat back into their spot: taller shade, and indisputably in the 14 day section.

And sat down with a coffee by 8.45am!

Tootled around the boat and had a siesta as the mercury climbed. Come 6pm it was a little more comfortable so I went a-wandering, along the towpath a little, and then out along the old railway track.

 I was soon on a high embankment, passing the time of day with the crowns of 100 year old trees.

And crossed the R. Stour on a high bridge, looking down at a pub: but not thirsty enough yet: onward.

A little further on, I circled round to the Hartlebury SSSI and nature park. Will try to get back to explore further as it looks really interesting.

 A steep track off the hill soon led me  to our mooring, rather more urgently, the Bird In Hand .

Rehydration required! A pleasant hour with friendly locals, then back aboard.

Tomorrow is forecast hotter yet:

So not much will be happening, I expect.