She loves milk tray

A windy and autumnal ( as us English like to say ) day. No locks and hours of cruising, what could be better?  Chocolate, maybe?  in 1911 Cadbury opened a factory at Knighton next to the Shroppie where milk was supplied by motorised barges from the local farms. Cocoa and sugar were also supplied by barge, blended together to make raw chocolate and sent to Bourneville, again by boat, to make the famous finished delicacy. The last boat load carried from Knighton was in 1961, but the canal side buildings still remain. See photo.

Beyond Knighton is a massive cutting which took 6 years to complete and still suffers land-slips to this day. Because of the cutting depth bridges tend to be magnificent. The A519 goes over a double arched bridge, the middle arch supporting a very small telegraph pole, not now in use. The bridge has been reputedly haunted by a black, monkey-like creature since the 19th century.

The cutting eventually leads into Cowley tunnel, but blink and you'll miss it, even at canal boat speed. It is unlined and cut straight through sandstone, but the very deep cutting seems to go on forever. We eventually have moored near Lord Talbot's wharf, where milk was collected for Cadbury's. It has been an overcast day with a chilly wind, but we have made excellent progress almost along the Welsh border, but fortunately no passports required.