Great Haywood

 We set off at around 10:30. 

A last look back at the mooring.

We are at Deptmore Lock. When going down the locks the captain opens the top gate, we swop over and I open the bottom gates. Sometimes, if there's a bridge across or a helper from another boat, the captain works the whole lock. 

Coming up to Stafford Boat Club.

They are based in the old Hazlestrine Arm. 

The signpost is at the old junction for the Stafford Riverway Link. Work is being undertaken to reopen the link down into Stafford.

We have just passed a large mobile home site and the one on the very end had this amazing garden. It has lots of children friendly things. 

Another boater warned us of a tree across the canal but the captain negotiated it with ease. 

Although the railway came after the canals they often follow the same course which is usually on level ground. 

The captain is driving and we are on the aqueduct across the River Sow. 

 

The sign above the door at Tixall Lock. 

And ahead of us is Tixall Wide. When the canal was built, the owner of Tixall Hall only allowed it to cross his land as long as it looked like a lake. It is sometimes called the broads of the canals. 

All that's left of the hall now is the gatehouse. 

Yet another aqueduct over the River Trent. 

Great Haywood Junction where we stopped for lunch. 

We popped across to the Canalside Farm Shop and Café, we thought we deserved it. 

After lunch we moved on through the lock and under the bridge made specifically so that the owners of Shugborough Hall could ride in their carriage to church. 

A perfect end to a perfect day. 

Acton Trussell

 

A different view of the mooring looking away from the pub. 

We decided to walk into the village just to go to the bakery. It's a relatively old village with black and white timbered houses. 

Due to staff shortages the bakers was shut. 

Still, we did a round walk back to the boat and found a butchers selling homemade pies. What's the saying? Man shall not live by bread alone. Well we proved that to be true cos it's lamb chops tonight. 

This is Penkridge Lock. A pub is just by the bridge, one that we have visited before. But not today, we've 5 locks to go through and it's getting hotter. 

Uh oh, it's the M6 getting closer. 

At Park Gate Lock is a boatyard cum marina cum café cum chandlers. You place, you name it, they've got it. 

We've only put this picture of the Moat House in because throughout this trip we keep saying "Where is that posh place where we tried to get supper?" Well, here it is, Acton Trussell. It is in fact a wedding venue and our guide book was old when we picked the boat up. 

After the 5 locks we decided to stop for the night. 

But we didn't take it easy. 

No, out with the soap and the pressure washer to clean the roof. The birds had a field day overnight and the spray from the washer kept us cool. 

As mentioned, scrummy lamb chops with braised cabbage and new potatoes. 

It's not all hardtack and weevils on a narrowboat. 

Monday 27th

 I'm now a couple of days in arrears with the blog, so, sorry about that. 

It's quite amazing in that every time we come along this stretch of canal we always pass youngsters in canoes. And every time they stop to let us pass and shout out "Aye, aye captain." We shouted back about keelhauling them, the usual Jack Sparrow banter. 

At the Hatherton Branch there is a very nice marina. The branch used to connect with the Birmingham Canal Navigation but now only runs as far as the second derilect lock. 

Next warning signs about no mooring for just under a mile. We are passing a chemical plant where you don't stop, especially if you hear an alarm. Get out of the area as fast as 4mph will allow. 

And then Gailey top lock. It was a bit chaotic with 2 or 3 boats going down and a couple coming up but, fortunately, there were 5 volunteers keeping everything under control. We didn't have to lift a finger, everything was done for us. 

Exiting the lock through a couple of tunnels. 

I was quite taken aback. The captain told me to stay on the boat and that she wanted to walk to the next lock. Who was I to argue? 

And here we are moored for the night at Penkridge. Once again in sight of a pub, but only the outside!

The weekend

 Saturday 25th 

Setting off from our mooring we soon passed the old Cadbury Depot. 

Established in 1911, the depot processed local milk into chocolate crumb and transported it via the Shropshire Union Canal to Bournville. 

Saturday's journey was a tale of embankments and cuttings. One of the newer canals it no longer doggedly followed the contours of the land but took a more direct course through the countryside. 

Our first experience of this was the Shebdon Embankment where you sail high above the land below you. 

Just beyond that was the Anchor Inn. Somehow we always seem to sail past and never get to go in. 

I have been advised that we did go in once in 1975. Blimey, that's over 50 years ago! 

Then came Grub Street Cutting with its high bridges. 

Did you see the telegraph pole in the middle of the bridge? 

The trees in the cuttings are magnificent. Like something out of the Lord of the Rings. 

Then came Norbury Junction. The branch canal used to lock down to Newport. 

However, no longer. 

Welcome to Gnosall. 

We stopped in Gnosall to take on water before entering Cowley Tunnel.

It's only 81yds long. 

It used to be 690yds but because of faults in the rock it had to be opened up. 

We motored on for another 5 miles and stopped for our usual steak supper in Wheaton Aston.

Sunday 26th 

Well, what do you know? A smidgen of rain. Well, it was hardly serious rain more like a sprinkling of mist over a fevered brow. 

We are now on Stretton Aqueduct crossing the A5 Watling Street. That road gets everywhere.

Just look at the stone dressing on those columns. Bridges and aqueducts were built as things of beauty. It's a sadness that today everything is governed by cost. 

Here we are looking back towards Brewood, pronounced Brood. It's a lovely town but we really wanted to push on and cover as much distance as we could. 

Today we had our first sighting of a Kingfisher. It was the captain who actually caught sight of the flash of blue, I missed it totally. 

Another lovely bridge and look at the balustrade around the top. All for show and no expense spared. 

Passing the Wolverhampton Boat Club just before we reach Autherley Junction and turn onto the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal. Otherwise known as the Staffs and Worcs. 

Immediately before the junction is a stop lock. As we were leaving the lock another boat tried to turn into the canal. It is a sharp turn and a blind entrance but a toot on the horn gave him enough warning to back out and let us exit first. 

Having spent much of the day on wide canals it was a complete change to experience the narrows. This is a narrow cutting through the rock with only three passing places. Fortunately, noone was coming the other way. 

We stopped about 2 miles further on at Cross Green near the Anchor Inn. 

Sunday night and roast chicken again. A bit more rain but it didn't last long.