Up hill and down Dale

Another fine day started with a bit of high cloud and a few boats passed before we had risen from our boudoir. We were off by about 1000 and past the boats moored up at Taft farm, where of course another boat came in the opposite direction. Plenty wide enough here though

The dandelions in the Taft Bridge parapet were adding a nice splash of colour in the sun.

Today is Blossom Watch Day for the National Trust, so to celebrate here is some, just at the Christian Boaters Fellowship mooring by Taft Farm. The greens of the trees are pretty good too.

Our first fishing match of the day this side of Wolseley Bridge. All but one were friendly. Lets hope it last through the year. Whilst negotiating them I missed keeping an eye out for a boat house that is situated in the undergrowth somewhere.

We had a slight wait at Colwich Lock, but then again I think you always do. Sometimes it can be a sizable standby. It was nice chatting to folk as they passed.

And that was it for the day. As soon as we found a spot where the solar panels could see the sun for the rest of the day we moored up again, just over two miles. Helen set to making a pack up and we were soon off again, without the boat. 

We walked back to Bridge 72 and headed down to the Trent. Here we are looking NW towards railway crossing. Once the Colwich Road meets the main road, straight across is the track up to the Seven Springs car park for Cannock Chase.

I thought it would be packed with people but it was great. There weren't even too many bikes zooming about. The track is wide and pebbly as we headed west on the Sherbrook Trail which was signposted. I forget to say that we heard our first cuckoo of the year as we walked along here.

We could of crossed the ford and walked a way on the Staffordshire Way, but kept this side, still on the Sherbrook Tail. (see the marker bottom left). This spot would be a real honey pot in normal times but with no rain for so long the grass is very crispy and COVID obviously keeps some away. There were still several families having their lunch.

The gradients were nice and gentle and there was plenty of heath land to stop you feeling enclosed like sometimes happens, especially in pine forests. This is part of the Staffordshire Way

This was out view when we stopped for lunch at the top of the Cherrytree Slade track

There are so many inviting tracks and vistas that the inevitable happened and we deviated from the Sherbrook Trail. That is a nice way of saying I went the wrong way, but hopes to spare my blushes a little. 

We may have chosen a different route but it was a magnificent day with a nice cooling breeze and less cloudy as the day drew on.

We ended up at the Butts rifle range buildings where there is also a Caravan and Camping site and this colourful feller strutting his stuff. We ended up down Kingsley Wood Road at the bottom of which was an engraved stone giving the reason that the name of the road was for the Secretary of State for Air who opened the nearby RAF Hednesford in 1939. The buildings on the road were built for the married officers quarters. The base was for initial training of new recruits in the technical branches.

We headed back to the Chase by what seemed like a large quarry but frustratingly was blocked from view by man made banks the whole way. We were soon back in the woods, and more or less on our own again. We got back to the Sherbrook Trail as it headed down Abraham's Valley and back to the Seven Springs car park that was already thinning out at 16:00

Back across the main road and onto Weetman's Bridge. It is named after the largest donor to a public subscription to build a bridge, Joseph Weetman of Little Haywood. The bridhe was built by the contractor C.J. Nevitt in 1887/88 and still retains the cobbled surface.

Before Weetman;s Bridge this wooden bridge was built in 1830, and prior to that the ford to this side of the bridge was used, and continued to be used until the stone bridge was constructed.

Once back to the boat is was off with the boots and on with the kettle. The chairs were soon out and we were enjoying a brew with our feet up. After that was washed down we sat a while longer until we felt able to get a glass of wine to continue to sit in the sun some more. My diversion added a little to the route! We ended up doing 8.3 according to Helen's 'Fit Bit'. I don't know whats wrong with a thumb across the map to judge distance. The world is getting to be so demanding of exactitude these days!! A great day that was capped as we sat at the bow when our first kingfisher of the year flashed past.