The Final Countdown: Day 10

There was a lot of rain in the night and it was still pretty overcast first thing this morning.  However the forecast said it would cheer up, so it was after 11am when we headed out for a walk.  We went along the canal to the junction, then down past Haywood Lock to Essex Bridge over the Trent, the gateway to Shugborough Hall.

It’s not that long since we were last here, but of course the seasons have changed so we had plenty of autumn colour.  We walked past the house and over a bridge, then along a path opposite the house to another bridge.

We didn’t really want to see the whole mansion again, but fancied another look at Patrick Lichfield’s apartments — so we went in and were allowed round the rope to bypass most of the house.  There’s no photography in the apartment, which seems somewhat ironic.  Then we walked back up the canal to the farm shop where we had lunch of Staffordshire oatcakes.  It was really busy, probably because it’s half term.  Walking back, we went past the boat partly because I needed a few hundred more steps, and partly to get a view of Tixall Gatehouse.

0 miles, 0 locks.  (60 miles, 41 locks)

The Final Countdown: Day 9

It’s always great to see Catherine, Nigel, and Matthew, and yesterday evening was no exception.  We last saw them in Chester, so we were also interested to hear how Grace was getting on at uni there.  It’s even better when no-one has to travel further than a few boat-lengths down the towpath to get home.

This morning we set off about 8.30, with Adrian walking down to Filance Lock and finding a boat just coming out.  We went onto the service point above Penkridge Lock to fill the tank and get some washing going.  While we were there, a boat went down the lock and we followed shortly afterwards.

As we had a boat ahead, the next few locks all needed turning.  The M6 makes its presence felt, and before it goes over the canal you can both see and hear it.

At Park Gate Lock, Adrian set the lock filling and then went to the chandlery to get some coal.  They had only two bags left so we got them both, along with some more logs.  They delivered them to the lock side so they could be stowed on the well deck before we went down.

At Shutt Hill Lock, a dog walker on the towpath said his dog had found a tiny kitten, which appeared to be living in the hedgerow.  There was no sign of it after it had disappeared down a hole.  We’d been planning to stop above Deptmore Lock, but it was a lovely sunny day and we were making good progress so we decided we’d carry on.  Of course coming round the corner to the lock we found ourselves in a queue!  There was a boat coming up, one ahead of us to go down (a different one from the boat we knew about), and then another arrived behind us.  The views from the lock are great.

We made our way round Baswich and Stafford, having lunch on the move.  The wind got up a bit, but it was still pleasant enough.  Tixall Lock is a toddler at only 4ft-something deep, compared with all the others which are 9 or ten feel deep.  The cottage is pretty too.

We wanted a mooring at Tixall Wide, which always looks rather special.

In the wide itself, the wind was howling across, making waves on the water.  We picked  spot where we have views both sides.  It has calmed down a bit, thankfully.  Tomorrow we might have a day off, having done all of 5 hours today!

9 miles, 7 locks.  (60 miles, 41 locks)

North again: Day 19

Another sunny start to the day, and the promised showers haven’t really materialised although it has been pretty windy.  We got a wash load of towels going before we set off.  When we were ready to go, once the rinse part of the cycle had started, I went to get the forward fender and found there was a hole in the towpath right next to it.  When I say I found it, what I mean is that my foot went down it, and I had one very muddy boot.  The canal is very pleasant along this stretch, with the Trent alongside.  Just after Wolsey Bridge there was a long line of geese; a little further on there was an even longer one, I reckon about 40 of them, many of them the gosling crèche.

When we got to Colwich Lock a boat was just coming out so we could go straight in.  The cottage alongside has a very colourful flower garden.

At long last, the ground paddle has been fixed, so it no longer takes ages to fill.  A boat arrived to come down while we were rising, so we didn’t have to shut the gate either.  In an effort to take photos of different things this time, there’s a nice little row of cottages in Little Haywood.

At Haywood Lock there was a boat going up and one to come down before it was our turn.  And there was a queue at the top, with three more waiting to come down.  As we approached the junction, a boat appeared out of the reeds; it seems he’d just come out of the Staffs and Worcester, so was a bit further over than he might otherwise have been.  Once he was out of the way, we made our turn through the junction bridge.

We continued to Tixall Wide, looking for a mooring.  It was quite busy, but there were a few spaces we thought might be long enough, so I did a complete 360 in the wide to return to one of them.  The edge wasn’t the best — but then a man on the boat ahead, Ziggy, said they were just leaving if we wanted their space.  He also said he was a blog reader, which was nice.  We shuffled along and got tied up.  Since then, all the other spaces have filled up.  At lunchtime we walked back to the Canalside Cafe for oatcakes for lunch, and bought some sausages for dinner from the farm shop.  This afternoon, Adrian has had a call to attend, while I’ve been cleaning my muddy boots.

4 miles, 2 locks.  (123 miles, 78 locks)

To Crick: Day 5

We had a non-moving day planned today, so had scrambled eggs for breakfast.  The eggs were from the farm shop, and had pristine while shells.  The yolks were very yellow too.

After breakfast we washed all the dust off the other side of the boat, cleaned the windows, and did a few other jobs, then set off for Shugborough Hall.  We walked down to the junction, past Haywood Lock, and across Essex Bridge which crosses the River Trent.  A horse followed us over.

Shugborough Hall is a National Trust property, and was the home of the Anson family.  

Perhaps the most famous Anson to live here was the photographer, Patrick Lichfield.  His apartment is also open to the public, but no photography is allowed.

We walked up to Park Farm and the walled garden, and on to Hadrian’s Arch at the top of the hill, seeing the entrance to Shugborough rail tunnel on the way.

We had lunch of a sausage roll in the Mansion Tea Room, then followed the path round the back of the house, where the formal gardens are.

Then we found the Chinese House, and the Cats Monument.

It’s been a rather overcast and chilly day.  Back at the boat, I spent the afternoon making another episode of my podcast, while Adrian has been reading.  The geese have been shouting at each other, as seems to be their way at the moment.  We might have to light the fire again this evening.

0 miles, 0 locks.  (19 miles, 18 locks)

To Crick: Day 4

The mooring between Burston and Sandon was a great one — probably at least half a mile from any meaningful road, and the trains in a dip.  Plus we were all on our own, which was nice.  This morning was a bit misty to start.  After breakfast we washed the towpath side of the boat; we’d thought about doing it yesterday, but the sun had made the steel far too hot.  The dry weather and the sort of towpaths we’ve been moored against has made everything very dusty, and we got a load of grey dust off the boat.

We set off at about 9, and knew Sandon Lock was likely to be against us as a hire boat had already gone past.  Another arrived as we were going in, but then a boat also arrived below so we could leave the gates open.  After Sandon Lock we met a whole procession of boats going the other way.  On the approach to Weston, the church spire is very evident.

Weston has a bridge on a bend with moorings both sides, so I was creeping round very slowly when a Black Prince hire boat came flying round the corner, and had to do a hard reverse to avoid coming straight into the side of us.  Hopefully he’ll approach blind bends slightly more cautiously in future.

Weston Lock just needed topping up before we could go down.  In contrast to the large number of boats we’d met above the lock, below it we passed no-one — until we got to Hoo Mill Lock where a boat was coming up.  We went down, passed Great Haywood Marina, and made the right turn under the junction bridge onto the Staffs and Worcester.

Strangely, we’ve never done this end of the Staffs and Worcs in this direction in this boat.  We’ve done it the other way a couple of times, and we have on occasion just popped in to Tixall Wide for the night — including a memorable evening with Marilyn, David, and Jaq in 2017.  It’s always with slight trepidation that you approach the Wide, because it’s a popular spot and moorings tend to go quickly.  In fact there was plenty of space, so we picked a spot with a gap in the towpath hedge so we have a view both ways.  Once we’d tied up, we walked back to the junction, disturbing a heron from the towpath.

We had lunch at the canal side cafe (Staffordshire oatcakes, of course) and spent some money in the farm shop.  This afternoon, we’ve been enjoying the views and the quiet; Adrian has been preparing for a meeting this evening, and I’ve been batch cooking for the fridge and freezer.

7 miles, 3 locks.  (19 miles, 18 locks)

Wending to Wales: Day 7

A beautiful sunny and warm day from start to finish.  We set off at 8am, through Whittington and out into the countryside.

We passed Huddlesford Junction and Streethay Wharf, and then the section along by the A38.  On the approach to Fradley Junction there’s an enormous new housing estate on the former airfield.  As we approached the junction, a boat pulled off the water point and its crew swung the bridge.  Adrian jumped off to close it, but it turned out the boat in front was just turning around.  When he was out of my way, I quickly turned left onto the Trent and Mersey, so I was no longer in his way.

Adrian walked up to the Middle Lock, which was full and with the top gate open.  But as nothing appeared to be coming down the lock above, he turned it and I went in.

As we rose, a boat was coming down the lock above at last, so we conveniently swapped locks.  At Woodend Lock a boat was about to come out, and there were four boats waiting above, so there were numerous people to do things.  We carried on through the woods, then at Handsacre there’s a willow tree which has a boat-shaped hole in its branches.

Armitage is always a trial because if all the narrow bits, including next to the Armitage Shanks factory.

There were pallets of loos piled up in the yard.  At the Armitage Tunnel, Adrian got off to check the route was clear, as it’s only a boat wide.  The first part is still a tunnel because of a road going over, but after that it’s been opened up.  It’s still impressive that they cut through all the rock though.

We had lunch on the move as we approached Rugeley, then stopped for shopping.  We had the pick of moorings as there was almost no-one there, and a big Tesco is just by the canal.  We did a big shop, as the fridge had become almost completely empty.  It was 2pm when we set off again — me getting us under way while Adrian stowed all the shopping.  It’s quite a long way, through pleasant countryside and woods, to the next lock at Colwich, which is one of my favourites; I just think it’s a contender for the Prettiest Lock award.

There was loads of mooring space along by Shugborough Hall, but we carried on up Haywood Lock.  There was a space or two above too, but we’d decided to try our luck at Tixall Wide, so turned under the junction bridge, once a Viking hire boat had made it onto the water point.

We noted a possible space just before the proper wide bit of the wide, but as it turned out our timing was impeccable.  A boat appeared to have just turned around in the wide, and we assume he’d just left a space which was plenty big enough for us.  We looked a little further on, as we do like the view of the gatehouse, but there was nothing so we swung around (taking a photo of the gate house on the way), and slotted into the space.

Since we tied up, at about 4.30pm, a couple more boats have gone past and I guess at least one of them was disappointed at not finding a space at all.  Just the other day we were thinking about this mooring, because back in 2017 we came here to join Marilyn and David, and Jaq, who’d saved us enough space, and we had a great evening together.

19 miles, 5 locks.  (95 miles, 42 locks)

North West Passage: Day 8

Another nice sunny day. We set off at about 8.15. The stretch from Hopwas to Fradley Junction always seems to take much longer than it should, and today was no exception. The canal was busy, and we also stopped off at King's Orchard Marina for good priced diesel -- 61p per litre domestic. On the way, we had a brief chat with Al, who was waiting for a hire car at Huddlesford Junction. It was nearly 12 when we got to Fradley, and Adrian got off to swing the bridge, and take some photos of me turning left at the junction.

We were now on the Trent and Mersey, and the next one mile and three locks took the best part of two hours, as we had a few boats in front of us. After that, the number of boats around seemed to drop dramatically. At Armitage, we passed the Armitage Shanks factory; normally there are pallets of loos waiting for distribution, but there seemed to be very little in stock today, so I was unable to take the bog standard photo and make the bog standard joke. I did like the sign on the perimeter fence, though.

At the former tunnel at Plum Pudding, Adrian walked ahead to make sure nothing was coming the other way. It's very narrow, hewn out of rock, and thanks to the road over head, virtually is a tunnel again.

We carried on through Rugeley and over the aqueduct over the Trent. After that, Cannock Chase looms up ahead.

Colwich Lock is one of the prettiest anywhere, thanks to the lovely cottage alongside.

We went up Haywood Lock, then at the junction with the Staffs and Worcester turned left under the Junction Bridge.

The reason was that we'd arranged to meet Jaq and Marilyn and David who were moored at Tixall Wide. There was a space almost big enough right next to them, and no sooner had we tied up that there was bubbles and nibbles on the towpath.

Marilyn then provided us with a very nice dinner, accompanied by huge amounts of laughter. That explains why this blog is so late! Tomorrow we'll turn and head back to the Trent and Mersey.

21 miles, 5 locks. (94 miles, 42 locks)