Rugeley to Penkridge

Mon 28th May  Rugeley to Tixall Wide

Our Rugeley mooring

It was cloudy to start with.  James paid a last minute visit to Aldi before we set off, cruising initially past lots of gardens.  We crossed the Trent on an aqueduct, and soon had views of Cannock Chase to our left.

Cannock Chase

Pink Hawthorn

Heron

We stopped at the Taft for a cuppa with Julie. Peter was attending to a workman who was up in their loft, and there were family members on a visit.  Their wooden boat Maid of Oak is up for sale, and there have been some positive enquiries.

Moving on from there we passed Bishton Hall and Wolsey Bridge, where we saw a family of swans attracting attention as the cygnets took refuge on the backs of the adults.

Bishton Hall

Swan family

We came to Colwich Lock, and found a lock queue. This is the first lock for many miles, and often several boats arrive in a short space of time. On one occasion there were twelve boats in front of us. This time there were only five.

Lock Queue

Colwich Lock

We passed Shugborough Hall, and bought some fudge from a boat called Timewarp

Shugborough Hall

Shugborough Hall footbridge with the fudge boat beyond

Fudge BoatTimewarp cruising past us later

At Great Haywood Junction we turned left onto the Staffs and Worcester Canal, and almost immediately crossed the Trent again.  At Tixall Wide there were very few places to moor. One boat had anchored in the middle.

Crossing the Trent

Tixall Wide

We continued round the first curve and found some very pleasant moorings where we stopped. The canal wasn’t quite as wide here, so we called it Tixall narrow, although it is still wider than most canals.

Tixall narrow

2 locks, 6 miles

Tue 29th May  Tixall Wide to Penkridge

Just before dawn

Our first job was to phone Middlewich Council to find out about facilities for the boaters at the folk festival.  They were very unhelpful. Middlewich Narrowboats, who ceased trading late last year, had the only elsan facility in Middlewich. The nearest one is in Wheelock, three hours away by boat.  James asked if any other facility would be provided, such as a “lavender boat” or even just an available manhole. Nothing had been arranged.  We therefore have decided to go up the Shropshire Union Canal to as close as we can get to Middlewich, and hire a car. It is not the same as having the boat there, but it is plan B.

When we set off we had a lock very soon, Tixall Lock, before crossing the River Sow, and following the attractive Sow Valley.

Tixall Lock

Sow Aqueduct

Sow Valley

We met Richard and Jackie Sanders, on Mad Hatter, coming the other way, but there was no time for more than a quick greeting as we passed. There is a good example of a snake bridge at Milford, designed to enable horses to cross the canal without unhitching their ropes.

Milford Bridge

The canal takes a turn to the South, going past Stafford, following the River Penk, and we noticed the river valley was flooded after all the rain at the weekend.

Flooded Penk valley

Stafford Boat Club

Deptmore Lock

A pheasant taking off from the towpath

We arrived at Park Gate Lock, where a boat was going up in front of us, and another boat came down. When it was our turn, Hazel cast off, and then couldn’t get either forward or reverse gear, as the lever appeared to be stuck in the upright position. James couldn’t move it either, so he pulled the boat into the lock using a rope. Two RCR men appeared as if from nowhere, and after ten minutes, had isolated the problem, and removed a broken spring from the lever mechanism.  They had been in a van, and watched the events unfold. Usually we have to phone up for an RCR engineer. Now it seems you don’t have to – they appear automatically as soon as you have a problem! 

Park Gate Lock

RCR men

The broken spring

By now it was very hot, and we were pleased to find some shade in the next wooded stretch of canal.  Teddesley Park Bridge is fairly ornate, as it used to lead to Teddesley Hall, once the home of the Littleton family

Shady canal

Teddesley Park Bridge

We passed under the M6 which then accompanies the canal for some way.  Through Longford Lock we found Ultreya moored up, but Chris and Diana were not around. We sent them a text in case they were returning to the boat but we guess they are on grandparent duty somewhere as it is half term. We are sorry to have missed them.

M6

Longford Lock

Ultreya

Our final lock of the day was Penkridge Lock, and we moored a short distance further up, after a brief visit to the facilities to fill the water tank etc.

Penkridge Lock

We indulged in some ice creams from the convenience store close by. It was very hot. Hazel hung out the washing.

The forecast is for rain, so we won’t be boating, otherwise we would have stopped earlier.  We discovered from the couple on Ramble On that Penkridge Market is on tomorrow.

6 locks, 9 miles

Wed 30th May  Penkridge

We did no boating today, as showers and thunderstorms were forecast throughout the day.

We walked down the hill to the shopping area of Penkridge, and visited the market. All we bough was a punnet of strawberries, but there were lots of clothes stalls, fruit and veg, bakers, butchers and antiques.

We returned to the boat, and saw Mad Hatter arrive, BCF people we have only met is passing. We invited them on board Gabriel for a cuppa and a chat.

Richard and Jackie Sanders from Mad Hatter

Mad Hatter

Moored in Penkridge

No boating today

Next: dodging forecast thunderstorms as we continue down the Staffs and Worcs Canal to Autherley Junction, near Wolverhampton, where we turn right onto the Shropshire Union Canal. We are hoping to be in Gnosall next Sunday.