Salt of the Earth.

 A couple passed us chatting at 0600, and by 0700 the first boat of the day. We supped our tea until 0830 and then stirred ourselves. After breakfast we walked into Great Haywood to get the Sunday paper and back again. We waited for a gap in the traffic and then set off. As we were approaching the Shugborough carriage bridge a lady called from the towpath that she read my blog and kindly said that she learned more from reading it about her local area than form other sources. How nice was that. Thanks very much for reading and your generous comments. There were several people 'wild' swimming in the Trent from the fields on the Shugborough side.

There was a little delay at the lock, but plenty of people to chat to. We were luck enough to get on the water point as often it is a right scrum at the junction, but it all fell into place for us. 

 so no

After dropping off the rubbish too we set off behind the other boat on the water point. I wondered why this family were walking down the tow path with a boat that looked fine. They looked cheerful enough so I didn't think there had been a disaster. It turns out the swan just out of the picture had attacked them and they had got out to avoid him. I didn't see the nest he was protecting though.

Between Great Haywood and Hoo Mill Lock is this old girl. Lily was built at Saltley in Birmingham by FMC for the company in 1914. It was iron composite. It was sold out of the company in 1963 and at some stage it was working as an hotel boat. Apparently it had a fire in 2006 at Blisworth, and damaged the cabin. A good project that will have been knocked back last year when nobody could get to their boats.

Just by bridge 78 are some moorings and it seems that they make/refurbish old travelers vans.

In this part of Staffordshire there was a salt industry up to the 1890's just past the bridge is this area of pits that I suspect is the result of subsidence from the brine extraction.

This is all that remains of the entrance to an arm that fed the Shirleywich Salt Works. The salt was of good quality and had a boost with the digging of the canal. 

It can clearly be seen on this 1880's OS map with a weighing machine at the head of the arm.

Just above Weston Lock was another arm to a salt works and other places. The arm ended just by Ingestre Station.

You can see the brine pit. Coal would have been a cargo brought up by the canal to evaporate the brine, and make the manure. The canal would have been a boost as coal would have been much cheaper when delivered by canal, and transport of the salt away would have been cheaper and easier too.

Bridge 82 is not the normal bridge, but was built to superior standards as it was used by the owners of Sandon Hall nearby.

We didn't go much further and moored up close to this mile post, that is one of the original ones made in Stone by Rangeley and Dixon in 1819. Rangeley and Dixon were a small operation at the rear of the Mansion House on Lichfield Street, and were known for making roller pumps. The company closed down in 1829. We will be here for a couple of days I think. Especially as it seems we have a television picture for the compulsory Sunday viewing.