On to Great Haywood marina

Wednesday 27^th September; Shugborough to Great Haywood marina

It was cloudy and dry as we set off this morning, well before 9.  A boat was already coming down Haywood lock, making for Rugeley to sit out the coming weather.  It would be raining at 11, they said, and gales this afternoon.

Coming in to Haywood lock

This is another lock where the balance beam of the top gate is held together with a bolted metal framework.  It’s a funny place for a notice about Wolverley lock though, that’s 40 miles away.

Haywood lock is only little and it wasn’t long before we were up and passing the lovely bridge spanning the Staffs & Worcester at the junction.  We turned into the marina a few minutes later, and tied up on the wharf to find out where our berth would be for the next couple of weeks.  Moored nearby is a familiar boat – What a Lark.  I took the photo as we moved round to our mooring, with Aylestone, who we had met yesterday, taking our place at the wharf.

It’s a very convenient berth for loading the car.  WIth nobody watching, Dave positioned Bonjour perfectly to reverse gently into place without even brushing sgainst the pontoon.  He quickly arranged a taxi to Rugeley station and at 11 set off to fetch the car from Gayton.  Time for me to make some coffee and crack on with the cleaning.   After lunch Meg needed a walk, at least once we had overcome her initial fear of the pontoon surface! She hates anything that isn't solid, and this is made of the small green squares which are so good otherwise.  I put down doormats and towels, but it wasn’t till she saw me open the gate to carry the rubbish out that she jumped off.  She was absolutely fine after that.  We walked down to Tixall Wide - always plenty of space when you don’t want it!

On the way back I stopped to have a look at Fearn’s Fenders who were moored at the junction and fancied a dog lead, but had no money with me.  Back we went to get some – it’s quite a long way on foot from the canal to the marina, a good quarter of a mile.  I’d got so hot on our walk that I foolishly left my waterproof on the boat and, naturally, the rain started on our way back to the canal.  Bright new dog lead purchased, we speed-walked back – stopping briefly at the Farm Shop, where I had noticed the Snugbury’s ice cream sign outside!  They are already gearing up for Halloween and had a display of pumpkins at the entrance, which a lady had stopped to photograph.  She should have walked round to the field where they are grown, by the the corner of the marina!

Scarecrows too

We got a bit wet on the way back to the boat but not soaked.  It wasn’t long before Dave returned with the car and soon we were enjoying our ice cream.  The rain didn’t last long, so he went out to check the engine hole and then we did a bit of packing.  But the rain returned as dusk fell and the wind really got up during the evening, buffeting us about a bit.

1 mile, 1 lock

On Thursday we finished packing up and left about mid-morning for the long journey home.  We waved to the canal far beneath us as we joined the M5 and looked out for boats on the Tame Valley aqueduct and later the Warwickshire Avon, but no-one was on the move.

We haven't seen a lot of bird life on this trip, bar the usual mallards, moorhens, swans and Canadas, the occasional heron and a fair few robins singing their sweet autumn song.  But in the middle of our trip we watched a few swallows feeding up on their way south for the winter, and a few days ago there weere a few house martins.  Yesterday at Tixall I saw a large group of martins also feeding up, but couldn't tell whether they were house or sand martins.  I hope the ubiquitous pigeons and blackbirds will leave enough of the abundant haws and other berries for the winter thrushes which will be arriving before too long!

Trip stats

85 miles, ¾ furlongs and 35 locks.

Narrow canals - 68 miles, 1½ furlongs, 22 narrow locks.

Broad canals - 16 miles, 7¼ furlongs, 13 broad locks. 

Braunston Tunnel (2042 yards long), Newbold Tunnel (250 yards long) – a total of 1 mile, 2¼ furlongs underground.  Swing bridges at Stretton Stop (Rose Narrowboats) and Fradley junction.

Waterways – Grand Union and Northampton Arm, North Oxford, Coventry and Trent & Mersey.