Visitors, brief encounters and first sightings.

We’d intended to leave Rugeley on Saturday morning, but a text from KevinToo convinced us to stay. He wanted to come over and see us, and bring his mum Sheila. So we just moved down to a mooring near to Bridge 66 to make it easier to get to us.
We had a lovely couple of hours catching up before they had to head back home. Good to see you both, and thanks for the goodies!

We’d had a knock on the side of the boat on Friday evening, it was Annie off Dreamcatcher who we met on the Llangollen a year or two ago just saying hello, then a boat pulled up behind us, looking very smart in new paint was City of Durham, an ex-hire boat now owned by Nick and Ann. Oddly enough we met them the first time in the same spot… We caught up with the news for a few minutes.

So, after our visitors had left we decided to push on anyway, just for an hour to moor near Taft Wharf.

Our first ducklings, about a dozen of them.

Leaving Rugeley along Brindley Bank, just before the right turn to…

…the aqueduct over the River Trent.

Lambs I could actually get a picture of!

The river will stay close on the right bank now until Stone, then we’ll see it for the final time in Stoke. It’ll be no more than a large stream there though.

This morning it was quite a bit colder, no sun and a chilly wind blowing from astern. We were away at just before ten, though. We’ve got to press on, Meg has an appointment to see the vet in Stone early on Tuesday morning. As she’s permanently on steroids she has to have regular blood tests to make sure the drugs aren’t damaging her liver.

Dave Freeman has been busy, it looks like he’s finally started on the new boat he’s been promising his wife for a while…

I was thinking of waiting till we got here to fill with diesel, but instead topped up in Burton. A good job, Dexta, Will’s diesel boat, is out on the bank.
They’ll not be selling fuel from there, I guess.

Heading up the Trent Valley 

Bishton Hall, now a private school

Colwich Lock was our first today, and we caught up with another boat there. Not too bad though, another was waiting to come down so their were plenty of hands on the gates. Until it was our turn of course, when there wasn’t another boat in sight!

Heading towards Great Haywood Junction, Shugborough Hall is over on the left. Lots of pleasant walks around here.


There was plenty of room on the Shugborough straight and also above Haywood Lock, but we weren’t for stopping there today.

Great Haywood Junction.
A left turn here takes you south to the Black Country on the Staffs and Worcs Canal.

A brief pause at the service wharf to drop off rubbish and we were heading up past Haywood Marina to Hoo Mill.

Having left the earlier preceding boat at the marina, we now picked up another who’d just left the same place! Nobody coming down but these locks are quick to fill and empty.

Near Hixon we passed City of Durham, Nick and Ann will be turning around this afternoon to head back to Haywood Marina.


Up the attractive Weston Lock, past Weston Wharf now surrounded by new housing as it spreads outward from the village.

There’s about an hour to cruise to the next lock at Sandon. Salt Bridge is having some brickwork repairs under the arch.

Into Sandon Lock. This was the only one we didn’t have to empty first!

We pulled in just above the lock. I was thinking about going a bit further out to Burland, but it’s less sheltered there.

Into Stone tomorrow.

Locks 5, miles 10¾