Fradley Junction to Stone

Friday evening, and moored up on a two day mooring just metres away from an iconic waterways junction and pub.

This is the junction of Coventry, and Trent and Mersey Canals, and the pub better known to waterways folk as the Mucky Duck. It's a regular haunt of gongoozlers gawping at the boats manoeuvring around the junction, locks, swing Bridge, and other moored boats. Had a pint each that evening in the pub, rude not to.

It's a well used towpath for cyclists and walkers, but pretty quiet in terms of traffic. The mighty A38 aka Icknield Street has been close to the canal but leaves us alone here.

Saturday morning was fine so we decided to walk up to the junction and explore the way we won't be going on Sunday, up to the next village of Alrewas.

Full of quaint cottages like this, and this weekend all their gardens were open for visiting.

From there we went to explore the National Memorial Arboretum,  part of the National Forest and run by the Royal British Legion. Inside there are memorials to all sorts of people who gave their life in the service or protection of others. So everything from the grand centrepiece, listing all the soldiers, sailors and aircrew who have died since the end of WW2, to individual police officers.

This was a memorial to all those struggling with post traumatic stress, and from the GMB I can say there's an awful lot of that about.

Back to Alrewas and the splendid local butcher shop before finally getting back to the boat after 20,000 steps on what was in our diary as a rest day. Phew!

And Sunday morning onto the Trent and Mersey, which we will now stay on all the way to Middlewich, 50 miles away.Not going far though, 3 locks (2 with vlockies) and 4 miles, stopping at Handsacre in time for lunch at The Old Peculiar.

Very nice too, and back for a siesta!

Monday dawned sunny but the forecast was for rain later. Hard to believe:

but anyhow, shame to waste the day, on the move before 8.30am. The plan is to pause at Rugeley as we both have shopping to do. 

So many pubs, only one liver!

Maybe another time..

Shopping duly accomplished,  with a mooring spot found right by the bridge we needed to be near to access the shops. Excellent!

Heading for Great Haywood tonight, just across the hedge from the Shugborough Estate. First, though, we had the Armitage Tunnel. Opened out now into a long cutting, it's still a single channel where boats must take turns. And from our direction the entrance is on a blind bend.. Just as we were about to make the turn, another boat emerged. Sharp braking and a little pause, then we were on our way .

We've been noticing quite a few second clutches of babies around: these are moorhens

At our last lock of the day, I admired the local IWA's effort to get information out into the wild.

And then we were all done , a nice sunny spot next to our aristocratic neighbours. The old parkland are now National Trust and free to roam, so I did that. Beautiful mature trees 

and a quarry or possibly grotto, with cave system.

Some people had clearly gone exploring but I decided against.

Lovely views from the top of the hill. That grayish tower is Tixall and is the gatehouse to a huge Manor house that has now entirely vanished.  The gatehouse is another English Heritage holiday let, I believe. 

I also had a meander by the river Trent, pretty juvenile here, and the pedestrian access to Shugborough. 

Not sure if it's original or a replica, but pretty nonetheless. 

Tuesday and the weather forecast still a mixed bag. Not going far today: past the Staffs and Worcester canal junction, always a busy spot, to fill water tank and drop off rubbish, and a total of 3 locks and 4 miles, as far as Salt, which has a splendid bridge. No idea why although since it's fancier looking towards Sandon Hall, which was being remodelled at the time, oh and demolishing and rebuilding the Entire Village at a more discreet distance, the owner had some spare cash to flash.

We've cruised this length of canal several times but never paused here, so we will go and check out Salt, before eating on board. Cute pub. Not a cheap round though.

And up on Wednesday morning to a blue sky, swiftly overcast as we set off on the last leg of this stage.  Lots of boats on the move, so the two locks were sociable affairs as the varying crews mingled to work the boats through. Between the two we paused at a marina to deal with the black water tank.

I walked ahead from the second lock of the day to look for moorings, as all the boats we passed confirmed that Stone is one huge boat park. Luckily we got the very last of the 14 day moorings heading towards town. Another boat was just mooring up as I came by, and they budged up to make sure we could squeeze in. Thanks guys! Aperitifs with friends at the Swan, followed by dinner at a Smokehouse, splendid plan.