As the weather has turned decidedly wintry, this morning it was time to move on whilst canal was still clear of ice to top up the water etc.
We'd had a hard frost & a dusting of snow overnight but the canal still ice free as we left at 9am.
The water tap at Autherley was frozen but a bowlful of hot water soon sorted it & the tank was filled plus a 5 gallon container I had bought at Norbury in readiness for this weather.
Lock cottage at Autherley
We moored up just after the junction & walked to Morrison's to top up the cupboards, it was bitterly cold & Morrison's was very busy so it was a relief to get back on board.
Mark got us underway whilst I stowed the shopping & made coffee & sandwiches, we had hoped to get as far as Gailey but the plan was scuppered as we passed under Coven Heath Bridge to be met by a mini ice floe & a chap on the bridge telling us that it got worse further along. He wasn't wrong, the ice ahead looked fairly solid so we called it a day. Not long after we had stopped a boat passed us & ploughed on through the ice, maybe they had to be somewhere. It was only the 2nd boat we've seen on the move today.
We're now snug & warm by the fire, we have enough supplies to see us through the next week or so but if there is a bit of a thaw we shall probably move on as I'm planning (weather permitting!) to head up to Scarborough for the weekend on Thursday & the nearer I am to Penkridge the easier my journey will be.
Tomorrow we are going to get some exercise by walking along a bit of the Monarch's Way to Pendeford Mill Nature Reserve, if we're not snowed in.....
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