Sunday 28th August 2011 – Stone to Penkridge

Headed off about 7:30 this morning.  Richard and I ate breakfast in shifts so that we could add some kilometres to the journey.  We stopped at a canal-side farm just before Haywood Junction and bought some fruit and veg for dinner.  We have been motoring along beside fields of cows, draught horses and foals – and front yards with little sitting areas overlooking the canal.  Some of the narrowboats tied up “at home” have little garden sheds and tables and chairs on the bank.  Someone even had chooks in a little cage.

Fishing is popular along the canals

Turned off the Trent and Mersey Canal onto the Staffs and Worcs Canal at Haywood Junction.  The Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal (to give it its full name) runs from the River Severn at Stourport in Worcestershire to the Trent and Mersey Canal at Haywood Junction.   James Brindley was the chief engineer of the canal and it was also part of his ‘Grand Cross’ plan for waterways connecting Hull, Liverpool and Bristol. The canal opened to trade in 1772. It was a commercial success mainly from trade created by the ‘Potteries’ (the towns where ceramics were manufactured making up modern-day Stoke on Trent).

Soon after entering the canal we crossed a little aqueduct over the Trent River (that’s pretty cute) and moored just before another over the Sow River where we walked into Milford for lunch.  Knowing where to stop is a bit of a problem.  

As it says, 'Aqueduct over the River Sow'

From the canal, it’s a bit hard to work out where things are.  We have a booklet which tells us that ‘such and such’ is after Bridge ‘X’ but it’s still a bit of a lottery.  If you pull in too short you end up with a long walk as happened today.  If you leave it too late there may be nowhere to berth (they may be all taken) and you end up a long way past where you want to stop which means a long walk back.  With operating locks and walking to ‘town’, we’re getting plenty of exercise.  Just as well the food was good at the end of our walk.  Fortunately, in most cases, the pubs are right on the water with mooring not too far away.

Watching other narrowboats go by is an interesting pastime.   Lots have flowers and vegetables growing on their roofs.  One clever trick is to put a bag of potting mix on the roof.  Put some slits in it and plant the vegetables in the slits.  Quite a lot of the boats have wood fires (firewood stacked on the roof).  Swans and cygnets regularly come up to the boats.  I guess they are looking for something to eat.  Many of the cygnets are as big as their parents.  They are indeed ugly ducklings.

We moored for the night just short of Penkridge where we plan to go to the market in the morning – Bank Holiday Monday.