Brrr… Chilly, init!

-5° last night left us with a frozen canal. The bright sunshine soon cleared the frost off the grass but didn’t make a lot of impression on the ¼” of ice on the water.


Cold outside, roaring fire inside.
Meg and I had a walk up to have a look at Teddesley Park, a little way up the canal.

Across Teddesley Park
The hall is no more having been demolished in the 50’s, but the stables and service blocks, once wings of the main structure, are still in use, just visible to the right of the picture.
Teddesley Hall was built in the 18C, and was the home of the Littleton family until 1930 when the death of the then heir left it empty. It was taken over by the army during WWII, and was a POW camp for German officers, then reverted back to the family, before being sold along with the remaining 2,796 acres of parkland in 1953.

Teddesley Hall, courtesy of Matthew Beckett, ‘Lost Heritage - Demolished Country Houses of England'

It wasn’t known for it’s visual beauty, in 1789 it was described as 'rather deficient in the usual graces of architecture'.

We made the short cruise into Penkridge at around midday, taking it gently through the ice.

Icebreaking
Up Penkridge Lock, a visit to the sani-station for water and the usual “offices”, then we pulled in on the visitor moorings in the middle of the village.

Meg and I kept our appointment with the local vet, then had a walk along the towpath and back before stoking up the fire and sitting down to beef casserole and jacket potatoes.
It’s supposed to be very cold again tonight, the open water we made on arrival has already frozen over.

Locks 1, miles ¾