Making towards the junction of the Trent and Mersey and Staffs and Worcester canals at Great Haywood we left Stoke-on-Trent into the beautiful Shropshire countryside which was blessed with wall-to-wall sunshine and the wonderful blue skies. This is what we certainly signed up for.
Locks of Meaford passed by with just a little trouble at the top lock when the exit gate would not close. Fishing about with the boat hook would not find the offending item fouling the bottom of the gate, but fortunately there was three guys watching my efforts in the morning sunshine and responded to my suggestion of a combined tug at the gate with good humour.......much to my delight the combined muscle power overcame the blockage and the gate opened to it's proper place.
"Thanks guys" and we were on are way towards Stone. I love this stretch of canal with it's gentle green countryside which gives way to the canal town of Stone. After passing through the famous lock next to the 'Star' pub which is the birthplace of the Trent and canal, we found a rare vacant mooring place in this popular canal stop. A little early to moor but we grabbed the opportunity to do some shopping at the nearby Morrison's supermarket and have lunch and few beers in the 'Star' beer garden.
Following morning found us having another 'pit-stop' at Aston marina to use their pump-out machine, a dirty job, but somebody has to do it - me !!
Turning towards Great Haywood we found a Canal and River Trust 'hopper' boat blocking our way. It was trailing a rope from the bow and had obviously broke free from the rotten piece of wood it had been to tied to on the non-towpath side of the canal. I toyed with the idea of climbing onto this rusting hulk and using the boat pole to move it back onto it's mooring, but this was accompanied with some risk of jumping into the water on the other bank and then struggle to climb back onto our boat. You never get brownie points for being a hero so I called Canal and River Trust emergency number and they said they would send a 'team' out to sort it. In the meantime I nudged the bow of 'San Serriffe' against the side of the hopper and gently pushed it out of the way.
Turning onto the Staffs and Worcester canal at Great Haywood we made for one our favourite overnight mooring spots - Tixall wides. Tixall wides as the name says on the tin suggests is a wide expanse of water being almost lake-like in places, an idyllic place to moor. Late afternoon was gloriously sunny, made even more glorious by a visit from our granddaughter Sophie together with her boyfriend, who both live locally and a great opportunity to see them, especially for our hound Suzy who squealed with delight as one of her favourite people seemed to just materialize walking along the towpath.
I woke VERY early the following morning at 4.30am and the sun was even then shining through the 'pigeon box' portholes on the roof. Grabbing my camera and Suzy's lead we both went for an early morning walk. Tixall wides on some summer mornings lays a mist just above the water especially if the night has been cold and the sun gives a warmer temperature just above it. It really is a beautiful sight and well worth an early start to see this 'middle earth' beauty. It is gone by 7am and the world returns to normal without a hint of it's previous visual magic........
Early June is the time for Swan Cobs to become very territorial and aggressive.We witnessed a canoeist abandon ship as a testosterone fueled white ball of spitting anger jumped onto his craft and attempted to pull it to bits with it's snapping beak - glad 'San Serriffe' is made of steel !!
Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal is a pleasant cruise as you pass through the agricultural back-drop of gentle countryside. Passing through the village of Acton Trussell you arrive in the large old town of Penkridge. A good place to stop for shopping or perhaps just a break for a few hours, we decided to do just that. Visiting the 'The Boat' a canal-side pub next to the bridge that takes the main road over the canal. Two steaks perfectly cooked to 'rare' were obtained for the £12 bargain price of a 'two-for-one' deal. If for any reason you are passing 'The Boat' - don,t !! Stop and have a steak or two.
.Moving towards the West Midlands we stopped for water at Gailey Wharf and dump our waste in one of the large 'Biffa' bin facilities available there.
Passing Autherley junction where the Shropshire Union canal heads off in northerly direction towards Chester we soon passed the next junction of Aldersley that takes a route through 21 locks into Wolverhampton and the Birmingham Canal navigations.
Fortunately we were continuing on the Staff and Worcester and left the 'Wolverhampton 21' for another time - we have done them in the past and it is very hard work. Next few miles is overgrown with large trees and is a little short on visual stimulation and we decided to overnight at Compton where pioneering canal engineer James Brindley designed and constructed his first lock. Compton has just about everything a boater would need............ Shops,Supermarket, pubs and most importantly for us a Laundrette. We have a small washing-machine on board 'San Serriffe' but washing and drying bed-sheets in the confines of a boat is problematic to say the least. So off to watch sheets spin around and around for an hour or two, oh joy, I love this job.
Next few miles needs you to work a few locks with the delightful names of 'Bumblehole' and 'Bratch' . Bratch has a lock-keeper during the summer and seems a little tricky with three locks in a\ strange configuration, but with the help of the lock-keeper they are in actual fact very easy. One boat up and one boat down is the rule of the day in this group of three locks with impossibly short pounds (gaps) between them.
Passing through Whittington of 'Dick Whittington' fame we arrived on the outskirts of Kidderminster where the canal opens onto a large shopping centre where you could spend days doing serious shopping if that was your inclination. We settled for a trip to Tesco which is literally a few yards from the convenient nearby canal mooring.
We decided at a late hour of the afternoon to continue out of the Kidderminster suburbs and find a mooring. I noticed one absolutely perfect place next to a pub called 'The Watermill.
It had just one mooring next to a manicured grass area. Manager said we were welcome to moor for the night so we had a few 'sun-downers' in the beer garden next to the boat and slept the sleep of the just and innocent (ish) afterwards.
Staffs and Worcester terminates at Stourport a few miles further on at the River Severn - our next journey. You are more than welcome to join us............
Locks of Meaford passed by with just a little trouble at the top lock when the exit gate would not close. Fishing about with the boat hook would not find the offending item fouling the bottom of the gate, but fortunately there was three guys watching my efforts in the morning sunshine and responded to my suggestion of a combined tug at the gate with good humour.......much to my delight the combined muscle power overcame the blockage and the gate opened to it's proper place.
"Thanks guys" and we were on are way towards Stone. I love this stretch of canal with it's gentle green countryside which gives way to the canal town of Stone. After passing through the famous lock next to the 'Star' pub which is the birthplace of the Trent and canal, we found a rare vacant mooring place in this popular canal stop. A little early to moor but we grabbed the opportunity to do some shopping at the nearby Morrison's supermarket and have lunch and few beers in the 'Star' beer garden.
Following morning found us having another 'pit-stop' at Aston marina to use their pump-out machine, a dirty job, but somebody has to do it - me !!
Turning towards Great Haywood we found a Canal and River Trust 'hopper' boat blocking our way. It was trailing a rope from the bow and had obviously broke free from the rotten piece of wood it had been to tied to on the non-towpath side of the canal. I toyed with the idea of climbing onto this rusting hulk and using the boat pole to move it back onto it's mooring, but this was accompanied with some risk of jumping into the water on the other bank and then struggle to climb back onto our boat. You never get brownie points for being a hero so I called Canal and River Trust emergency number and they said they would send a 'team' out to sort it. In the meantime I nudged the bow of 'San Serriffe' against the side of the hopper and gently pushed it out of the way.
 |
| CRT hopper bars the way on the Trent and Mersey canal. |
Turning onto the Staffs and Worcester canal at Great Haywood we made for one our favourite overnight mooring spots - Tixall wides. Tixall wides as the name says on the tin suggests is a wide expanse of water being almost lake-like in places, an idyllic place to moor. Late afternoon was gloriously sunny, made even more glorious by a visit from our granddaughter Sophie together with her boyfriend, who both live locally and a great opportunity to see them, especially for our hound Suzy who squealed with delight as one of her favourite people seemed to just materialize walking along the towpath.
I woke VERY early the following morning at 4.30am and the sun was even then shining through the 'pigeon box' portholes on the roof. Grabbing my camera and Suzy's lead we both went for an early morning walk. Tixall wides on some summer mornings lays a mist just above the water especially if the night has been cold and the sun gives a warmer temperature just above it. It really is a beautiful sight and well worth an early start to see this 'middle earth' beauty. It is gone by 7am and the world returns to normal without a hint of it's previous visual magic........
 |
| Tixall wide. |
Early June is the time for Swan Cobs to become very territorial and aggressive.We witnessed a canoeist abandon ship as a testosterone fueled white ball of spitting anger jumped onto his craft and attempted to pull it to bits with it's snapping beak - glad 'San Serriffe' is made of steel !!
 |
| Swan attack. Staffs and Worcestershire canal. |
 |
| A few beers at 'The Boat' Penkridge. |
 |
| Gailey Wharf. |
Fortunately we were continuing on the Staff and Worcester and left the 'Wolverhampton 21' for another time - we have done them in the past and it is very hard work. Next few miles is overgrown with large trees and is a little short on visual stimulation and we decided to overnight at Compton where pioneering canal engineer James Brindley designed and constructed his first lock. Compton has just about everything a boater would need............ Shops,Supermarket, pubs and most importantly for us a Laundrette. We have a small washing-machine on board 'San Serriffe' but washing and drying bed-sheets in the confines of a boat is problematic to say the least. So off to watch sheets spin around and around for an hour or two, oh joy, I love this job.
Next few miles needs you to work a few locks with the delightful names of 'Bumblehole' and 'Bratch' . Bratch has a lock-keeper during the summer and seems a little tricky with three locks in a\ strange configuration, but with the help of the lock-keeper they are in actual fact very easy. One boat up and one boat down is the rule of the day in this group of three locks with impossibly short pounds (gaps) between them.
 |
| Bratch Locks - Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal |
 |
| Kidderminster. Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal |
We decided at a late hour of the afternoon to continue out of the Kidderminster suburbs and find a mooring. I noticed one absolutely perfect place next to a pub called 'The Watermill.
It had just one mooring next to a manicured grass area. Manager said we were welcome to moor for the night so we had a few 'sun-downers' in the beer garden next to the boat and slept the sleep of the just and innocent (ish) afterwards.
Staffs and Worcester terminates at Stourport a few miles further on at the River Severn - our next journey. You are more than welcome to join us............
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