Above Wallbridge lock in Stroud

On my way back from a visit to the town centre, I walked down to Wallbridge lock and then along the towpath in an easterly direction towards Brimscombe. This view is taken just above the point where the Stroudwater Navigation changed to become the Thames and Severn Canal.

There is a current large re-development programme for this 6 mile section of the canal, which so far has reached to the end of the water you can see here. In the next few months the work will start clearing and dredging the infilled canal from here on to Brimscombe, including the re-routing of the canal necessitated by the building of a by-pass over the original route.

The water level here is several feet below its intended depth and is slowly dropping, as so little water is flowing down the canal here. But the recent repairs to the dock at Cheapside wharf seen on the left has shown us what potential this regeneration will offer to the town. Above the dockside, this old building is in dire need of help but is stuck inside a developer's scheme and until the plans are finalised we won't know what will become of it.

I like reflections, so I took a few pictures here, despite the mists having lifted to only reveal the low lying cloud cover. The sun was trying to break through but I couldn't wait for the blue sky. A coot was chatting away to its mate, as well as looking for food on and below the water, whilst also seeing off a pair of ducks which had flown down onto the water a few minutes earlier. I'm glad the coot dived just as I took this as it at least provides a little action in the picture.