Twenty four miles past and the pain finally got to a back room grumble. It was there but my knee no longer wanted to explode, something just stabbed me in the kneecap from time to time.

Before this point I was wondering if I had got my distance calculations wrong. I had read I was supposed to go through the Shrewley Tunnel and so far nothing.

Finally the tunnel came into view with a little relief on my part. I now knew where I was.

The chap on the barge had said to me the tunnel was wet, a lot wetter than he expected and I half expected the pedestrian tunnel to be the same. The entrance was not particularly welcoming.

The tunnel had a step incline and I decided not to pedal in the dark. When I got to the other side I was surprised to find a set of step stone steps.

I know found myself picking up my bicycle and hauling up the steep flight of stone steps something I had not planned for or envisaged. I was glad to get to the other side albeit only to find after the steps there was a step incline up to the road.

The effort was worth it. I had come up but I had to get down. I crossed the road and headed down a dirt track down to the canal as blazing speed with no pedaling required. A brief moment of bliss before the work started again.

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