Just as we were getting ready to push off three boats came past! But we let go and followed them. There was just one above the lock when we arrived, and when we go to the second lock the first two had stopped at the service that was once the town wharf!
Second lock of the day and Helen puts her back into it after helping the other boat down.
I like the juxtaposition of the original 1770's Longford Bridge with the much newer M6 bridge in the distance. The stretch of canal from Penkridge to Acton Trussell has the motorway running close by that somewhat detracts from the supposed rural idyll as you pootle along.
Teddesley Hall was moved into by the Littleton Family in 1754 after they had had it built. In 1812 the title passed to a great nephew who changed his name to Littleton, but in 1835 became a Baronet and chose his name as Hatherton! In 1930 after the death of the the 3rd Lord Hatherton it finished as the family seat. In WWII it was requisitioned by the War Department as a POW camp for around 200 Germans. After the war it was taken on by the Health Department to become the regional headquarters of the Health Board, but was never carried out. In 1953 it was demolished. This was Park Bridge and you can now see some of the original balustrades that had been hidden by infilled bricks.
It is not only acorns that are in abundance this year as the holly has masses of berries on it. Scientists say these mast years are the reaction of trees to predation. The idea is that the trees keep the production of fruits low many years and this then keeps the populations of their fruit eaters low too. Then in the mast years there is so much fruit that there is more fruit available than the scavengers can manage so more of the fruit can grow. One result of the mast years is apparently an increase in Lyme disease as there are mice and rats to spread it!
The next lock is Park Gates and this was a entrance to the 2626 acres of parkland that went with the Hall. There was still 1000 acres left when the hall was demolished in 1953, but was largely sold off too.
Acton Trussell was in the Domesday Book and Acton Moat Bridge is named as the canal took part of the moat of an old moated house. Two sides of the moat are still extant and the old farmhouse is the pub part of the very large luxury Moat House Hotel.
Stafford Boat Club must have one of the best setups there is. It seems they started up in 1964 and they managed to restore the Hazelstrine Arm that was built to service a brickworks that opened in the mid 1800's and closed after WWII. By 1976 they were down to three members but a recruitment drive saw them climb to the set up they have now.
The river has been following alongside the River Penk and around Baswich there are the Radford Meadows run by Staffordshire Wildlife Trust. These flood plain meadows are a resource to prevent flooding and are also a habitat for many endangered species of birds plants etc. The flooding brings nutrients for the lush pasture when it dries in the summer.
This signpost is by the Stafford Riverway Link. This is where an arm off the Staffs. and Worcs. to Stafford was constructed in 1816. There was a short narrow 'basin before an iron trough aqueduct over a small watercourse that led directly in to a lock that took the boats down to the River Sow. The locks were the same dimensions as on the main canal. Boats then turned left, up stream for about a mile when they turned into a short arm that took them to a wharf near Green Bridge in the middle of Stafford. It looks like it was disused in 1930's. It would be a nice little addition to the network and bring trade into Stafford too. I hope that it isn't too long before it comes about. River Canal Rescue are based on the industrial estate on the other side of the canal.
Work excavating the basin and the footings of the lock house have obviously started and no doubt the pandemic has put things on hold.
Milford Bridge is a lovely turnover bridge constructed to James Brindley's design. Not quite as beautiful as those on the Macclesfield but makes a good stab at it. Soon after this bridge there are some nice sharp bends to get the canal across the River Sow Aqueduct, stone built by Brindley.
The flood plain of the Sow has not been built on and has been given over largely to wildlife with rushes reeds and water.
The last lock of the day, Tixall Lock, and the rain is coming down. I hide under the bridge whilst Helen closes up. There is still a crane on the old waharf opposite the house on the offside. The house reminds me of some found on the North York Moors. Must be getting home sick.
Rather than a photo of the gatehouse, the only part of Tixall Hall remaining, I would give you a picture of The Wide (or Broad). Stories about this are that the Lord of the Manor only allowed the canal to be built through his Capability Brown designed so long as it was wide enough to look like a lake! Another story is that it made use of an existing lake that was the lake the Izaak Walton learned to fish. You pays your money and takes your choice!
After crossing the River Trent (it looks very different to at Trent Falls, or even Keadby), we come to the end of the Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal and the bridge at Great Haywood that is often the scene of great confusion as people come from all directions and then some trying to get on or off the services wharf to the right. This is a junction on several rings so hugely popular, but today we were on our own. We even got a mooring before the lock so we were 'quids in'.
Once secured we were back in the warmth of the boat and had a bowl of tomato soup. Sometimes nothing else will hit the spot like tomato soup! Once fed it really bucketed it down but has since be dry, but looks like been a damp and cool evening.
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