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.