Bright and breezy.

It’s been a fine day today, but the cool wind has taken the edge off, somehow.

Our neighbours, the longhorns, seemed a little unsure about the forecast.
They needn’t have worried, although it clouded up a bit this afternoon it stayed dry.

More Canada goslings, the first we’ve seen since Manchester, aka Goose Central…

Sandon lock was our first for today, and we had to fill it as the only boats we’d seen so far were going in our direction.

Sandon Lock
That was all to change though, as boats leaving Great Haywood started to appear.

The village of Salt lies to the south of the canal, and has a fine bridge carrying a minor road connecting the settlement with the main A51.

Ornate brickwork on Salt Bridge. Why I don’t know.
The village was listed as “Selte” in the Domesday Book, an Old English word for salt pit or salt works. There’s no record of salt production here, so it probably dates back to the unrecorded early days of the settlement.

Through Weston we were warned off by a stressed cob, desperate to keep these noisy, smelly intruders from disturbing his dam…

The old boatyard here, once surrounded by fields, is now hemmed in on three sides by new housing.


We arrived at Weston Lock just as a boat was leaving, and with another waiting to come up it was a fast descent. Then there was another long pound to the delightfully named Hoo Mill Lock.

Hoo Mill Lock
Once again we met boats coming up. It must be a Bank Holiday!

We pulled in on the 48 hour moorings just before the main road bridge at Great Haywood, opposite the farm shop. I went for some fresh veg and other stuff, then tried without success to get a TV signal. neither the aerial nor the dish gave us a satisfactory result. nothing at all on DTV, and only German channels on the dish. Odd, never had that before.
So we decided to move on a bit, past the junction with the Staffs and Worcs Canal, down Haywood Lock and moored on the straight section looking out across to Shugborough Hall.

Great Haywood Junction

Shugborough Hall across the park.

It’s busier down here than the official moorings. Probably folk wanting to stay put over the Bank Holiday, which means a longer stay than 48 hours.

Locks 4, miles 6½