We decided that we have had enough of locks for the time being having negotiated 113 of them since leaving Stourport last Friday!
We pootled along behind 3 other boats for some 5 miles until we found some moorings that we had highlighted on our Nicholson's guide some years ago. It is an idealic setting with a huge poppy field between us and the 16C church of St Nicholas.
After a torrential rain storm we wandered up to the village of Radford Semele passing the company that Keith used to work for, Ricardo. In this village is the Midlands Technical Centre with the emphsis on vehicle systems engineering and driveline and transmission systems. Good to see the old name again, after all, they are providing Keith with one of his pensions!
The village, of some 2,000 people, contains, at present, a number of picturesque cottages, mostly timber-framed with brick nogging and thatched roofs, dating probably from the early part of the 17th century. St Nicholas Church, a Grade II listed building, caught fire on 16 March 2008 and all that remained was the tower and shell of the building.The fire was initially not considered suspicious, However since there is evidence that there was a break in on the night of the fire, it is believed to have been arson, following failed attempts at several other churches nearby. The church has since been restored and was reopened on 15 May 2013. There is said to be a priest hole inside so we will investigate that tomorrow when we attend morning service.
From there we went on to investigate the White Lion pub. Unfortunately on Thursday 2 February 2006 the pub caught alight and the pub was ruined causing over 2 million pounds worth of damage. In January 2011 the pub reopened. Talking to the bar staff there is also a priest hole in the cellar that is reputed to join up with the one in the church. You never know what you are going to discover when enjoying the delights of the English canals.
So it was back to the boat for a meal on the fore deck.
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