Great Haywood to Wolseley Bridge (Trent & Mersey Canal)

Wednesday 8^th to Friday 10^th July

Wednesday we caught the bus to Stafford, it was okay and everyone on the bus was wearing masks including us.  The shops we went to were quiet so it was a stress free trip.

Picking & Testing the Raspberries!

Haywood Lock

Thursday we did jobs in the morning then in the afternoon we went up to the farm shop and picked some raspberries, unfortunately the PYO strawberries won’t be ready for a couple of weeks but there were lots of juicy raspberries, obviously we had to try one or two just to make sure they were edible!

Waiting at Haywood Lock

Gatehouse at Shugborough Hall

Shugborough Hall

Coming to the foot bridge

Today (Friday), we are moving on.  The rain had actually stopped and the sun was trying to come out as we left our mooring and headed to Haywood lock.  There was a boat coming up so once they had come out of the lock we went in and there was a couple more boats waiting to come up so that made life easy as I had help from the people on those boats.

We chugged on along the canal with views of Shugborough Hall which used to be owned by Lord Lichfield and his family but is now owned by the National Trust. 

Nice Canalside Cottages

Nice Bright Morning

We went on through little Haywood and then came to Colwich lock. It was empty so I filled it up, opened the gates and Kev brought the boat in.  We shut the gates and opened the paddles the other end of the lock and down the boat went.  A boat was waiting to come up so we went out leaving the gates open for them.

In Colwich Lock

Nice Carving on the Canal

On along the canal we went passing a lovely sculpture of a woodpecker, very impressive and good use of a cut down tree.

We then came to Wolseley Bridge and moored up just before the bridge. We are staying here for the weekend now.  

Just up the road from here is a garden centre and a small nature reserve so tomorrow we will be heading up there for a visit and will take a picnic as the River Trent runs through the reserve and it’s a nice lunch spot with benches dotted along the river bank, so let’s hope it’s dry and the sun is shining.  Also just up the road is a garage with a shop and post office so Wolseley is quite a handy place to moor.

Moored at Wolseley Bridge