Armitage to Handsacre - Trent & Mersey Canal

Armitage Tunnel

Very Narrow and Rocky

Going under Road Bridge

It was a glorious sunny morning as we set off along the canal and we soon came to Armitage tunnel which had its roof removed years ago, it is very narrow and there is room for only one boat and you should send a member of your crew ahead to make sure nothing is coming the other way, there was a boat in front of us so we followed them through, they were lucky as they didn't send someone ahead and it was clear, if we had done that, there would have been a flotilla of boats coming the other way!

Local Shops Mooring

The Plum Pudding

Passing the Armitage Toilet Factory

We went through the narrow tunnel and under the road bridge and out into the sunshine and on our way.   We chugged past the Plum Pudding Italian restaurant, we were tempted to stop but resisted, but will do so on our return, past the moorings for local shops and also the Armitage toilet factory under another railway bridge and moored up at Handsacre just before The Crown pub which is right on the canal.

Me and our Visitors

We had some lunch, then went for a walk up the road to the Butcher/Bakery, it is a really good shop and was very busy, we bought a few things then walked back down the road and in the driveway of one of the houses was a car covered in artificial grass, it was advertising their business, looked very strange, that’s what happens if you let the grass grow under your wheels!!

Michael's Fish Bar

The 'Green' Car!

Having Fish & Chips

We stopped in The Crown on the way back for some refreshments.  We took our shopping back to the boat then walked back up to the post office as we needed to get some cash and forgot to get it on our first walk.  I then received a text from Sharon to see if we were on the boat as they were up at Great Haywood where their boat is in the marina there and as that is only a few miles from us, they were going to pop over and see us.

Moby Dick!

They arrived late afternoon and we had a drink and a catch up, Kev and I were having fish and chips for tea from Michaels Fish Bar next to the Crown pub so John, Sharon and Smugs said they would join us.  We all had haddock and chips and they were delicious, some of the best we have had.  It was a lovely sunny evening so we sat in the front of the boat to eat them. 

Yum Yum

We saved Smugs some chips and he really enjoyed them, well we couldn't leave him out.

The Crown Inn

We watched the F1 qualifying and then it was time for John, Sharon and Smugs to go back to the marina and their boat.  It was really nice to see them again, a lovely surprise visit.  They will be heading out on their boat for their summer trip in a couple of weekends and coming down this way so we may meet again on this trip and if not this time, it will be in the not too distant future I am sure.

We are staying here tonight and also tomorrow, then heading off on Monday.

Moored at Handsacre

Rugeley to Armitage - Trent & Mersey Canal

Leaving Rugeley

Under Another Bridge

When we got up this morning, it was spitting with rain but not very much so we set off along the canal under a few bridges and stopped at the water point to fill up. Once full, we went across to the other side of the canal and moored up. Just a mile and a half traveled today!!!

In the afternoon, we went out for a walk as the rain stopped and it dried up.  We did a few caches.

We are staying here tonight then moving on in the morning.

Moored at Armitage

Wolseley to Rugeley - Trent & Mersey Canal

Wednesday 6^th June

We have decided to stay here again today so in the morning we thought we would walk to Taft Farm for a change, we will be stopping there by boat tomorrow as they sell diesel but they also sell free range pork and eggs so we walked up to the road and down the lane and after a short walk we were at the farm, the lady who usually serve us diesel was there and she went and collected us some eggs, you can't get fresher than that, we had a good natter with her, she is a really nice friendly lady.  Her husband is also a boat safety examiner, so handy to know for when ours is due in a few years time. We also bought pork steaks, pork chops and pork and Stilton sausages, they were frozen but fine for us. We walked back to the boat and chilled out.

Thursday 7th June

Off We Go

Coming to NB Dexta

Getting Diesel

Coming to the Aqueduct

We are on the move today, just a few miles to Rugeley and the sun was shining as we set off along the canal, around the corner under the bridge and moored up alongside NB Dexta the diesel boat, the lady we saw yesterday saw us and came and served us with diesel.  Last night for tea, we had the Stilton sausages and they were absolutely delicious, some of the best we have had, so we asked her if she had any more and we were in luck, she had a pack so sausages bought and diesel tank full, we said bye bye and went on our way.

The Bloody Steps

We chugged on along the canal, over the aqueduct and past the bloody steps and on a bit further and then we were at Rugeley where we moored up.

We needed to do some food shopping so we spent the afternoon shopping and I got my hair cut. In the early evening we walked over to Tesco which is very near the canal to take our recycling.

We are staying here tonight then moving on tomorrow, not far though!

Visit to The Wolseley Centre Nature Reserve, Wolseley Bridge

Tuesday 4^th June

Garden Centre & Wolseley Centre

Down we go!

River Trent

We are off up the Wolseley Centre Nature Reserve today, so we packed a picnic and set off up the road.  We walked past the Antique/Craft Centre and Garden Centre and went into the nature reserve, it is a really nice place and is alongside the River Trent, they have made lots of paths and a broad walk and there is one bird hide.

What a lot!

We had a good walk around and walked along by the River Trent.  In the field opposite there was some geese and lots of babies, they then went in the water and the babies had to launch themselves off the high bank, it was funny watching them sticking out their tiny wings and jumping, some rolled down the bank, others jumped then fell head first into the water but they all made it safely, we counted about 36 youngsters.

The Broad Walk

Lovely Flowers

As we were walking on the broad walk , we met the old chap who we have met before when we have visited in the past, he comes here most days and knows all about the place.  In one area of the reserve below the broad walk they have made some habitat for bank voles, we always look for them but don't always see them, but today we were lucky, they were very active and running around all over the place and I managed to get a few photos which is quite difficult as they are very quick.

Bank Vole

Another Bank Vole

We then walked around a bit further, stopped off at the bird hide, then went into the field by the River Trent and sat on a bench and had our lunch.  It had been quite overcast, but as were sitting there the sun came out.  There was a family of ducks on the water edge and they were diving down in the water, nice to watch.

Ducklings & Goslings

There was also a few geese families, don't think they were the ones we saw earlier as there wasn't so many of them, we had some duck food so we fed them and all the goslings and ducklings were running around together.

Picnic by the River Trent

We then walked back around the reserve and we did a couple of caches.  There was another cache which was outside the reserve on a path which led off the car park by the garden centre so we went to find that and after a lot of rummaging in the undergrowth Kev found it.

We went in the garden centre, had a wander around then had a coffee in the cafe.  We then walked back to the boat.  We enjoyed our visit to the nature reserve, it's a great place to spend a few hours and well worth a visit.  We are staying here again tonight then moving on a bit further tomorrow.  It was a lovely sunny evening and a beautiful sunset, hopefully more of the same tomorrow.

Beautiful Sunset

Great Haywood to Wolseley Bridge - Trent & Mersey Canal

Today, we are leaving Great Haywood and chugging on a couple of miles.

Passing Shugborough Hall

It was not so sunny this morning as we set off along the canal but it was dry.  We passed through Little Haywood where we walked to on Saturday and then we were approaching Colwich lock.  There was a boat coming up the lock so I went down to give a hand.

Picture Frame on the Water!

Approaching Colwich Lock

We kept pushing the gate to open it but it wouldn't go, it looked as if the lock was full but just couldn’t open the gate, then the chap on the boat went to check that the bottom paddles were fully shut and found that they hadn't shut one properly so he closed it, the lock filled fully and the gate opened.  As he went past me, I said to him I don't know you just can't get the staff and he laughed and said no you can't as it was his wife who hadn't shut the paddle fully!

Kev brought the boat in and I emptied the lock and down he went, there was a boat waiting to come up so I left the gates open and we went on our way.

Leaving Colwich Lock

We chugged on a bit further and moored up at Wolseley Bridge.

In Colwich Lock

In the afternoon, Kev did some tidying up and we then just chilled out.

We are staying here a couple of days as just up the road is a Craft Centre, a Garden Centre and a small Nature Reserve so we are off up there tomorrow and are going to have a picnic there, in the nature reserve  hasten to add, not the garden centre!

Moored at Wolseley Bridge

Meeting John, Sharon & Smugger at Great Haywood - Trent & Mersey Canal

Saturday 2^nd June

General Store at Little Haywood

We are staying put today and it was another sunny warm day.  We went for a walk along the towpath to the village of Little Haywood where there are a couple of pubs and a General Store. We went in the Store and it's part of someone's house, very quirky and well stocked with general provisions.

Here They Come!!

We bought an ice-cream and a drink and walk back to the canal and sat on a wall to eat our ice-creams and have our drink.  We then walked back to the boat.

BBQ Cooking

Cough Cough!!

Early afternoon John, Sharon and Smugs turned up, it was lovely to see them, we helped them moor up then we had a coffee together.  Kev and I went up to the Farm shop as we needed some tomatoes.

Cheers!

Grubs Up

Early evening Kev lit the BBQ and we cooked pork steaks, chicken kebabs, burgers and sausages and John made flat bread and for dessert we had bananas stuffed with chocolate and hot fruit salad all cooked on the BBQ. We all sat in the front of our boat and enjoyed the food washed down with a jug of punch that Kev made and very nice it was too.

I'm waiting for a Sausage

John & Sharon

The BBQ still had some heat in it so we put the kettle on to boil .  Kev and John took Smuggler for a walk while Sharon and I did the dishes when the kettle had boiled sat in the front of the boat.

It was then gin tasting time and we spent the rest of the beautiful sunny warm evening trying several gins, we had Whitley Neill Quince, Sibling Autumn, 6 O'Clock, Gin Lane 1751 and Co-op London gin and they were all very nice.

Smugs in the Dinette

During the evening Smugs had enough sitting outside so he asked to come in and made his self very comfortable on the dinette!

Mist Over Shugborough

Once the sun had set and it was getting dark, the mist starting rising over the fields in the Shugborough Estate which looked quite eerie.

It was then time to go in, so we said good night and would see them again in the morning.  It was a lovely evening spent together eating, drinking and catching up, really good to see them again and spend time together.

Sunday 3rd June

Musicians at Work

When we got up the sun was shining again, we walked up to the Farm shop to get a few things as we are moving on tomorrow.  When we got back to the boat, John and Sharon aka Brahms and Liszt (well they were last night!!) were sat outside playing music.  They are in a band and have a concert in June so was doing some practice.  John plays the cello and Sharon plays the violin.

They are heading into Great Haywood marina today as they are leaving it there for a few weeks while they go back home so late morning they untied and headed up to the marina.  We are going to meet up with them one more time this afternoon at the Farm shop for an ice-cream, then tomorrow morning we will head off down the canal and they will head off on the bus to Stafford to get the train back home.

Great Haywood (Above Lock) to Great Haywood (Below Lock) - Trent & Mersey Canal

We are moving down below Haywood lock this morning but we wanted to stop at the water point on the way so we set off along the canal at 8.30am hoping to miss the crowds but there was three boats there and it was full so we waited under the bridge until one of them left and we took their place.

Moored at Water point at Junction

Last Night's Beautiful Night Sky

The water point is on the junction with the Staffordshire and Worcester canal so it is usually busy here and this morning was no exception with boats going in and out of the junction and hire boats coming back to the base at the junction.

Passing Staffs & Worcs Canal

Coming into \Haywood Lock

Once we had filled up with water and got rid of rubbish we set off along the canal and came to Haywood lock where there was a queue, couldn't believe it this time of the morning, we hovered alongside a moored boat and eventually it was our turn, it is only a shallow lock so we were soon through there and went under the bridge and moored up.  The views are really nice down here overlooking Shugborough Hall.

Under The Bridge He Comes

View of Shugborough Hall From Our Mooring

We had a walk up the towpath to the Canal side Farm Shop and Cafe, had a wander around the shop and then had a coffee in the cafe sitting on the terrace by the canal then we walked back to the boat.

It has been a lovely sunny day but its gone overcast now but hopefully we won't get any rain.

We are staying here now for a few days and hopefully tomorrow John, Sharon and Smuggler will be joining us so looking forward to that.

Moored Below Lock at Great Haywood