Through Rugeley

Today was better than yesterday, and on a different planet to Monday, so we decided to move on a bit.
I’ve not been idle these last three days. Not far from where we moored on Saturday was a felled tree, just down the bank from the towpath. So we moved up to moor alongside, and the chainsaw was deployed to good effect.
I got a fair bit cut on Sunday, then some more yesterday between showers. My saw is electric, a 14” Ryobi, and I had to make up an extension lead to reach the most distant bits. I won’t have petrol on board, gas is enough of a potential risk.
So we’ve now got quite a bit of wood on the roof, should last us a couple of weeks.
I got some other minor jobs done inside while the rain lashed down all day Monday.

This morning we pulled pins soon after 9 o’clock, into our only lock of the day, Woodend, after 5 minutes.

Meg had hopped off the bow as I was sorting out the mooring lines, and couldn’t get back on at the stern before we moved off. So she had to follow us to the lock.
Unlike a lot of boat dogs (Lucy and Meg on No Problem spring immediately to mind) our Meg isn’t too happy with this arrangement.

Come on, Dad.
Woodend, as the name implies, is at the end of Ravenshaw Wood, which seems to have dumped it’s full complement of leaves into the canal over the last few days.

Leafy in Woodend Lock
For nearly a mile, while the canal skirted the wood on the left bank, we had to clear the prop with a burst of reverse every couple of minutes.

Near Kings Bromley Wharf there’s a new mini marina appeared on the offside, with a useful dry dock under a poly-tunnel at the back.

New Moorings
The Trent valley is well known for it’s power stations, using the ready supply of water. Further downstream they come thick and fast, here they’re a bit rarer, but there’s one at Rugeley.

Rugeley Power Station in the sun.
We stopped in the town for a visit to the handy Morrisons near Bridge 66, then chugged on, now heading more north-westerly, crossing the Trent on Brindley’s Aqueduct.

Over the Trent.
The river is a bit swollen up here, but further downstream the floodgates at Sawley and Cranfleet were closed yesterday.

Just after the new by-pass bridge we were caught up and overtaken by a guy who must have had somewhere to be…..

Man on a mission.
There’ve been a few boats about today, but now the holidays are over there’s a swing towards private boats. Only one hire boat spotted today, NB Patricia from Stone.

We pulled over about a ¼ mile short of Taft Bridge.

After a fine but cold day, I reckon we’re going to have a crispy night.

Here’s something I didn’t know. The owners and developers of Mercia Marina near Willington are from the Thorntons Chocolate family. Sweet.

Locks 1, miles 8