A really rather splendid day.

It was about a quarter to nine when we pulled pins and left the good moorings at Weston.
Our erstwhile travelling companions had moved out an hour before us, though! They wanted to get water at Great Haywood, and hoped that an early arrival would avoid the queues. As it turned out they didn’t need to, there weren’t that many boats about.

Passing Weston Wharf

Alongside the wharf is a short arm to the north, now filled with the work boats of Canal and River Services but it’s original use apparent from the name of the lane leading to it, Salt Works Lane.

Never as extensive as that in Cheshire, Staffordshire had a small salt production industry. It was well established in the hamlet of Shirleywich by the middle of the 17th century, and the opening of the canal helped exporting of production from evaporators nearby. The wharf and adjacent arm were constructed for loading the salt, and presumably for unloading coal to fuel the brine tanks.

Filling Weston Lock

There’s a proposal in the pipeline to build a new marina in the meadows just below Bridge 78…
…somewhere around here.


Hoo Mill Lock

We didn’t need to stop for water ourselves, but we could have done, the service wharf was completely empty. Instead we turned right under the towpath bridge, crossed the two aqueducts carrying the old mill stream and the main Trent channel, and arrived at Tixall Wide at a quarter to eleven.

Our destination, behind What a Lark at the edge of Tixall Wide.

We joined George and Carol for lunch, then later enjoyed a glass or two with a splendidly-prepared barbeque courtesy of George the Barbeque King.

Too hot to sit in the sun…

All in all a very good day.

This morning we bade our friends farewell as they set off to continue their trip up to Chester then back to Great Haywood before handing WaL back to Dave and Lisa. Enjoy the rest of your trip guys, and thanks for a great few days.

Locks 2, miles 4.