Sunset over Cannock Chase
Busy as usual at Great Haywood Junction
Arriving at the wide
We’ve had some fine weather these last couple of days, clear and frosty nights, calm and sunny days.
Frosty morning across Tixall Wide.
The mail is coming to the handy Post office in Great Haywood, so I guess we’ll be here for a few more days. It’s a good place to lay over for a while, plenty of good walking and the shops in the village are only 20 minutes away.
Shugborough Park is close by, and there’s an enjoyable 4 mile circular walk along the towpath, through the park to Great Haywood, then back along the canal.
Shugborough Park
Triumphal Arch, built to commemorate George Anson’s circumnavigation of the globe in the 1740’s.
It was on this voyage that he captured a Spanish treasure galleon, the cargo of which ensured financial stability for the family for the next 300 years.
Shugborough Hall
The park is linked to the village across Essex bridge, allegedly built in 1550 by the Earl of Essex so that Queen Elizabeth I, visiting the house, could ride to hunt in the woods along the river.
Essex Bridge
Unfortunately now surfaced with 20th century tarmac!Another bridge, wide enough for horse and carriage, was constructed a little further downstream, followed by an iron bridge crossing the canal.
Carriage road, leading to the river crossing.
Only the abutments of the river bridge now remain,
But the iron canal bridge is still intact.
Today I set to and got all the logs we’d collected recently sawn to length, I’ll split them into stove sized bits as we go.
Charles and Ann went off into Stafford so we dogsat Molly. She and Meg get on tolerably well, in fact they spent most of the afternoon asleep. Molly was glad to see Mum and Dad back, though.
Locks 1, miles 1½
2 comments:
Hi Geoff n Mags,
Thanks for looking after Molly. Your blog always has so much info. Fancy QE 1 riding over that bridge!
You're very welcome, she's a dear. Any time.
Post a Comment