We’ve been feeling a bit overwhelmed by all our to-ing and froing and exciting adventures over the past two or three months. Our next fixed commitment is to visit the dentist in Kendal in the second half of June. With Firecrest still being super shiny, we aren’t ready to leave our beloved boat unoccupied on the cut so we’ve booked a few nights into Shobnal Marina, at Burton. As its only 21 miles away and we’ve almost 21 days to get there, we are in meandering mode.
Through Colwich lock with its beautiful cottage, I wonder what it would be like to live in a cottage lock side,
Over the Brindly Bank Aqueduct
Which crosses over the River Trent, which is now quite a significant River and in need of some wide flood plains
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And around the corner at Brindly Bank Corner. This particular spot is also infamously known as the Bloody Steps, (obscured by trees on the right.) after the dead body of Christina Collins was hauled up them. In 1839, Christina was a young woman travelling as a passenger to London. At Stone she made a complaint at the canal company offices that the crew were harassing her, but she continued her journey. By the next day she had been raped, murdered and thrown overboard. Two of the crew were found guilty and executed, a third was deported. The legend was used by Colin Dexter for one of the Inspector Morse stories.
I always look forward to this next little stretch because the owners of narrowboat Dancing Sheep, have a family of mannequins inhabiting their garden. Each time we see them, they are up to something different. This time they were campaigning to Fund British Waterways, a national campaign to highlight the urgent need for funding to keep this precious resource maintained, safe and accessible. https://waterways.org.uk/waterways/sites/fund-britains-waterways-overview
There is a link to the petition on the website
We had a night in Rugeley as there is a very convenient Tesco, canal side, we also took a bus ride into Lichfield for a bit of a wander, it’s a lovely city and I’m sure we’ll do it again. After Rugeley comes Armitage, which, thanks to the Staffordshire clay pits, was known for making clay pipes. In the 1850’s the small pottery had moved on to making sanitary ware. In 1867, the congregational minister Rev Edward Johns bought the business which went on to become Armitage Shanks. Athough the company is now based in Dubai, toilets are still made here. Sadly like many factories backing onto the canal, it’s not a particularly pretty site.
But the canal is lovely here, under its canopy of big trees
Unless of course you are wanting some sunshine on your new solar panels
Through the Armitage tunnel…. which is missing its top half. This is where I get off and walk ahead with my red and green stop go boards
There’s some lovely old woods around here, sadly some were sacrificed for the building of HS2, which has been abandoned. Much as I hated the destruction of the landscape for its route, and to some extent I questioned its necessity. I was not for abandoning it. Too much had been spent and we’ll never get back those ancient trees or hide the scar its left.
the rhododendron avenue survives though
And onto Fradley junction with its flight of 5 locks and helpful volunteers
