Great Haywood to Rugeley (Trent & Mersey Canal)

Snowy Brewood

We have had a good Winter on the Narrows, although it has been a tough Winter with snow and high winds and the Beast from the East visiting us! Trust our first Winter on the Narrows to be one of the toughest Winters for a while, but never mind we survived!

Snowed in at Gailey

Josh & |Kelsey at Owl Sanctuary

We were on the Shropshire Union canal going up as far as Norbury Junction and then heading down the canal onto the Staffs & Worcester and up to Gailey and Penkridge.  I worked over the Winter in Bristol again and went from either Stafford or Wolverhampton station and it worked well.

Josh working hard!

Kelsey helping out

Kev chugged around a bit and we had our friends John and Sharon to stay between Christmas and New Year, we also met our Audlem family on New Years eve and had a lovely meal together.

My great niece and nephew Kelsey and Joshua stayed with us for 10 days recently and we had a lovely time with them taking them out and about and getting them to help with the locks.

My work is now finished and so we are now setting off on our trip, we made our made up the Staffs & Worcester canal to Great Haywood and that’s where our trip begins.  We are planning to do the Coventry and Ashby canals this year and also some of the Trent & Mersey and make the rest up as we go along.

In Haywood lock

Colwich Lock

We set off from Great Haywood and it was very damp and drizzly and chilly.  We got to Haywood lock which is not very deep so soon through there and on our way along the canal to Colwich lock.  We were told by a boater that it was very muddy there and how right was he, it was horrendous.  

There was a boat waiting to come up, so the chap helped me with the lock and soon we were on our way again.

On we went and after a while, we were at Rugeley where we moored up.  Rugeley is very good for shopping as there is a Tesco, Morrisons and Aldi not far from the canal.  We went up into the town and got some supplies then chilled out.

Sharon & Smugs

John, Sharon & Smugs

Saturday – We stayed put as our friends John, Sharon and Smuggler the dog were visiting us and it was a lovely sunny warm day.  They got the train from Gloucester and we walked up to the station to meet them.  We had a lovely day together catching up, eating lunch and drinking wine and Gin.  After a siesta, we went for a walk along the canal, back to the boat for a cup of tea then in the evening they got the train back.  We had a really nice day together and hopefully when they are out on their Summer cruise, we will meet up again.

Going through Rugeley

Sunday – Today we moved a couple of miles down the canal, still in Rugeley to the water point to fill up and then we moored opposite there.  No sun today, overcast and not so warm again.  It is supposed to warm up this week, lets hope the forecasters are correct!

We moored up and then watched the Grand Prix and then went for a walk and did a bit of geo-caching.  We are staying here tonight and then off along the canal tomorrow.

Moored at Rugeley