Tardebigge the Longest Lock Flight in the UK

We left lock 17 after 2 days rest to go about 11 locks up in readiness for the big push up the Tardebigge locks.


Pretty lock side cottage is at Atwood flight.

BW “carnt” spell.








Stoke Prior with village facing the canal







Look at all these hire boats at Stoke prior waiting for their temporary rookie crews to go out and cause mayhem on the cut. Bless em!!!!!






The Queens Head pub near the bottom lock of the big flight.

The bottom lock No 29

On our way up

They don't come much smaller than this boat. We think it was the slow mover culprit that held everybody up for the first hour up the locks.

We didn’t know there was a canal arm up this flight. Still we would have never had known they were cutting the grass around us if they hadn’t put up the sign. Jobsworth BW management!!!!!!





Still on our way up

Deserted pub near the top, so no quick beer.

At last the top lock. Note the old telephone cable brackets under the bridge

The top lock is double the depth of all the others. It was originally a strange hydraulic caisson affair but it only lasted 2 years before it was replaced with a normal lock

The top lock No 58 and 5 hours later. It was slow at first but things got moving once the slow coach pulled in for lunch.

The plaque commemorating the birth of the IWA at the top of Tardebigge

The plaque commemorating the plaque above and correcting the date of the first meeting.

Pleasant moorings at Tardebigge.