And so to Droitwich Spa...


Because my shoulder was still sore the next morning, I was elected to drive the boat for the rest of our trip into Droitwich. This was interesting because until now I have only driven the boat for about fifteen minutes in total, along a simple stretch of canal and beneath a stone bridge. Today was a bit different; the canal was narrow because of the thick reeds growing either side of the canal, it was also quite winding and there were five barge locks to navigate. These were the wider barge locks, double the width of a narrowboat, so one gate would be opened, I would drive the barge through the narrow entrance, then once the lock was filled, drive out through the one open gate at the far end. There were also oncoming narrowboats to contend with, as well as lots of twists and turns, including some sharp turns directly below a bridge. It definitely got me concentrating, but in all I was happy with the way it went. Unfortunately I don’t have any photos because I was a bit busy, lol.

Droitwich Spa itself is a charming historic town defined by its rich salt deposits and from Roman times it became a major centre for salt production, and in the Victorian era it was a spa town where people bathed in the highly saline brine waters, apparently ten times saltier than sea water. There is still a brine spring running today. And I'm besotted with the autumn foliage here.



Apart from the salt history, there are lots of extremely old buildings in town. We came across the Old Cock Inn and couldn’t resist going in for a drink.




 It seems it was licensed in the 10th Year of Queen Anne 1712. There is so much history all around in this country, and so many cute little crooked houses. You can buy the little aqua one in the middle. 

We have a great spot in the canal right in the centre of town for the next few days while we explore the area. After that we move the boat to a nearby marina for a couple of weeks.




Comments

  1. Pete & JudeOctober 31, 2025 at 3:52 AM

    Rhonda, Val and Pete x2,
    What great times, places and sights you are all having. The photos Rhonda are typically stunning and particularly the late Autumn colours captured so well.
    I (Pete) have been reading all your blogs, a bit spasmodically I admit and was certain I left a comment weeks ago (maybe didn't push send!). Anyway, well done Rhonda on keeping a fantastic travelogue of the adventures of Southern Cross and the four intrepid boaters.
    Having done only a limited narrowboat experience, we can at least well understand the surrounding beauty and calmness of slowly gliding down the canals. The photos and blogs have captured it all so well and great reading of all that the four of you have done.
    We look forward to more and enjoy your shore leave and the extra elbow room for a few weeks.
    Our hugs to you all, Pete & Jude

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    Replies
    1. Europe Trip 2025November 6, 2025 at 4:37 AM

      Thanks for reading and for your kind comments. It's been a wonderful trip so far and the places we have seen and lovely people we've met have all added to the experience. Im glad you're enjoying the photos . Xx

      Delete
  2. Neville CannOctober 31, 2025 at 11:00 AM

    Well done Skipper. Quite a challenge in such confined spaces. Sorry to hear the catalyst for this experience is your troublesome shoulder. Hope you can find some relief away from the loch duties. Those autumn leaves are truly exotic. Reminds us our time in Estonia and children playing ‘sand castles’ in the leaves. Beaut pictures. Now for the car trip.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Europe Trip 2025November 6, 2025 at 4:43 AM

      Thanks Neville. It's really pretty here in autumn. and we're loving the Cotswolds too. I'm working on the shoulder, and hopefully it will be ok for the rest of our trip. I've always regretted that we didn't get to visit you and Helve when you were living in Estonia that year, it sounds like a beautiful country. xx

      Delete

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