Taking the lid off.

The weather was fine on the evening we arrived so we went for a stroll  to the Shugborough estate.

Over the Trent by the Essex Bridge across the River Trent just after its confluence with the River Sow.

It was a lovely still eveing and we could hear owls and the munching of the munching of the bullocks in the field as the sun set behind the Hall.

The Temple of the Winds was built in 1795 and is octagonal and closely resembles a temple of the same name in Athens. It has been used as a banqueting hall a gambling den and a dairy in its long life.

The next morning was again nice and still allowing the mist to linger a little until I had woken up to make the tea.

In the morning we had our BSS survey with Steve Heywood and passed fortunately. We set off quite late in the afternoon and the rain had started to fall gently. It wasn't too warm either so Helen ducked back inside after we had completed the Lock at Great Haywood.

The Shugborough Carriage Bridge is ornate as it carried the hall's traffic to the church and towards Little Haywood on the none towpath side.

Colwich lock looks pretty good in the drizzle, but is very photogenic when the sun shines. It is a shame the West Coast Main Line passes just behind the lock cottage.

This three arched bridge replaced a nine arch one that had been damaged and repaired with timber. It was constructed in 1800 by John Rennie to carry the London, Holyhead stagecoach road.

The trees on the section after Wolseley Bridge and alongside Bishton Hall have lovely beech trees that were just going over. The River Trent is close by at this point.

There is nothing left to see of Brereton Basin, and this OS map of 1921 shows it just a few years before it closed in 1924. As you can see a plateway or tramway led up hill to the south west, up to Bereton Pit. The Brererton pit opend in 1851 but there way several in the immediate area that predated it. The 3/4 mile long tramway was built around 1811/15 and was originally horse drawn and crossed Brererton Main Road via a crossing in 1882. By 1900 it passed below the road in a tunnel. This probably coincided with when it was converted to steam driven. The loaded wagons lowered on a single wire by gravity and was powered back up by a steam winch at the colliery. It was known as the Ginnies Plateway as the wagons used to carry the coal were known as ginnies. I think the basin was bought by the Cannock Chase District Council in the 1980's, but it looks like the land has not been developed and is still wooded. Brererton Colliery closed in 1960 which coincided with coming on stream of the newly sunk Lea Hall Colliery that final came on stream about this time. Brererton pit was poaching on the seams of Lea Hall mine by then. Lea Hall Colliery was directly opposite the old basin. The new pits output was taken by conveyor directly to the new power station that was built next door.

An aerial photograph of the Lea Hall Mine and the Rugeley Power station. Lea Hall mine was started in 1954, the first dug by the National Coal Board, and coal started to be produced in 1960. Rugeley A was opened in 1963. The pit produced more than 1 million tonnes every day but closed in 1991 as did the power station. When I was at school we had a 'field trip' down Lea Hall mine and I loved it. I have often thought that if I hadn't gone to sea I might have gone into mining somehow. Similar things in a away I think.

We didn't even stop for water  after the Ash Tree boat club and pub, but continued onwards to Armitage 'Tunnel'. Nothing was coming so we were able to go straight through. I can't remember ever having to stop for other traffic here.

The Rugeley End of the Armitage Tunnel around 1890-95. It is a little myustery as to why James Brindley cut through the bed of Keuper sandstone rather than just deviate a little. Maybe due to the Hawkesyard Priory people been reticent to accommodate a canal on their land.

Poor picture of the Rugeley End of the tunnel when a van crashed into the canal 13th March 1971. It clearly shows how little rock would have to be removed. In January 1965 about a 10 yard section of roof near to the Rugeley end of the tunnel fell in. The canal was drained in February to allow the fall to be removed. The arched roof profile in this section had become a square one. At this time it was found that a narrow crack extended from the recent fall to the entrance suggesting further falls, and on the face of the tunnel further cracks were found. The tunnel was closed to boats and pedestrians. Nothing happened until March 1971 when it had been decided to remove the roof of the tunnel that was only 10' of rock and soil. The plan was to have two stoppages for the canal March 1st  to April 4th ans then November to February 1972. The road would have to be diverted too.

The tunnel in 1971 as it was being opened out. Once the canal was drained to facilitate the work it was found that the bed of the 'tunnel' was also cracked, so this was repaired at the same time. Due to complaints a schedule of open and closed for passage times was to be agreed.

In August the tunnel was largely opened up and the alteration of the road bridge alignment was taking place, and causing severe disruption. This photo was taken after the canal had been re-watered but before the hand rails had been installed. The road bridge is at an angle across the canal so in its self seems like a tunnel.

Despite the roof being taken off the tunnel a 16 year old boy on an hire boat banged his head as the boat entered the tunnel at the Plum Pudding end, and was killed in July 1979. By 1982 continuing subsidence, and expected future level changes resulted in The National Coal Board footing a £450,000 bill to raise bridges and banks, and stop leaks due to the water table raising along the length of the canal on the embankment the other side of the tunnel towards, Armitage. At the tunnel the new road bridge/tunnel was expected to drop significantly so a plan was devised to raise it by building an embankment and then shifting the bridge body on to it. With the closure of Lea Hall Colliery, the last in the area in 1991 the effects of subsidence should be less over the years in future.

We arrived at Kings Bromley Marina after they had all gone home so we tied up on the fuel berth, with permission, and I got a taxi to take me to Lichfield to get the train home. Bright and early the next day I set out with the car and was back at the marina in good time for their opening. We then filled with fuel and were then shown our berth. It is always with a tinge of sadness that we pack up, especially after a short years cruising due to COVID. I don't think that we were thinking that we wouldn't see the boat for months though. With a little luck we may get to see her next week and check if she is still afloat or what the inside is like. Then there is the planning for April!