After the hard work of Hatton Locks, the short and lock free cruise to Kingswood Junction/ Lapworth (where the Grand Union and Stratford Canal meet up) came as a pleasant change.

A brief stop in Shrewley for provisions (the village is on top of a long-ish tunnel, and completely invisible from the canal. The canal and the village wouldn’t even know the other existed if it wasn’t for the canal navigation guides.

We diverted into Kingswood Basin on the Stratford Canal to pick up some water (there’s a prime candidate for “slowest water tap on the system” if ever there was such a competition), and watched entranced as a Goldcrest tried to make out with his own reflection in the shiny steel case of the pump-out machine control box. Spent about 15 minutes before getting (even more) frustrated and going elsewhere.

Then back onto the GUC for 200 yards or so to moor up right immediately opposite The Navigation at Lapworth, a well known canal-side watering hole – the fish pie comes highly recommended…

Meanwhile, the next boat up had an unleashed whippet, giving the Captain an excellent opportunity to practice his whippet-baiting skills. It’s a hard life.