Friday 21 June 2019

Thursday 20 June 2019 Day 55: Tixall Wide to Kings Bromley Marina, T&M


Our view in the morning sun. The Tixall Wide Gatehouse (all that remains of a former stately) is owned by the Landmark Trust and one can rent it from GBP480 for 4 nights - not bad. The Americans we met down near Kinver had stayed in it for a week before renting their boats. Fantastic they said.


We tried to cast off a 9.15 but were somewhat hampered by this swan who wanted a feed in return for letting us depart.


Pulling out to commence the last little bit of our journey along the Staff&Worcs Canal


However the mute swan was not easily giving ground


Last view of Tixall Wide


Crossing the Aqueduct over the Trent. You can see she'd run a banker during the rains


Coming up to Great Haywood Junction


We had to hover before the junction whilst a boat out on the T&M was performing a 360o turn with another boat pushing rudely through to get onto the waterpoint.


When the coast was clear, L performed a perfect righthand turn onto the Trent & Mersey, applauded by our acqaintances on Wea.rytired who were moored up on the corner.

After working down through Haywood Lock we cruised passed the Shugborough Estate




and passed the occasional folly in the park


The very pretty Colwich Lock


A truly bucolic scene





Told you there are lots of Canadian Geese. According to the Royal Bird Society there are 6,000 and something Mute Swan nesting pairs in England and there are 57,000 pairs of Canadian Geese!!!!




The CRT boys hard at work, not in the pic is the man on the sit upon lawnmower - they only have 2,000+ miles of towpath to mow!



Power station at Rugeley hard to see through the misty drizzle now falling


Not even on the canals is one safe



Odd place for a narrow boat




We moored up for lunch just before the aqueduct over the River Trent, which is still running fairly full.  The section of river we have to traverse further down only opened again yesterday afternoon.


Going through Rugeley and the sun was shining again



Out again, into green glades




 Through Handsacre


Gleaming emerald in the sun


We travelled a mile and a half further on


And moored up just before Kings Bromley Marina at 4.40pm

10 miles, 2 locks, 6hrs 25mins


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