A Cathedral of trees, a slow lock at Wheaton Aston and shopping at Brewood.

 On Tuesday evening it looked like someone further south was getting a drop of rain… it didn’t reach us though.

We set off 0n Wednesday morning at around half-nine. Leaving the mooring at Little Onn the canal plunges straight into Rye Hill Cutting, not deep but roofed over by arching trees. Beautiful with the sunlight through the leaves.

We didn’t stop at Wheaton Aston having topped up the tanks at Norbury and the cupboards at Gnosall. But we did make a brief stop at the services below the lock. Then we joined the short queue for the lock.

Turner’s Garage maintains it’s reputation of selling the cheapest red diesel on the network…

Yep, 68.9p!

It’s a good job the queue was short; with both of the top ground paddles almost completely bunged up it takes ages to fill, even with a centre gate paddle.

Finally getting away from the lock we cruised on, intending to moor near Stretton Aqueduct where the canal cross the A5 but where we like to pull in was occupied by work boats so we pushed on a little further, stopping opposite the static caravans between bridges 16 and 15 for the night.

Stretton Aqueduct

The moorings at Brewood were busy that night, but by the time we’d moved up on Thursday morning there was space for us. Gnosall, Wheaton Aston and Brewood all have good moorings within easy distance of the village centres, but they’re all in cuttings and are gloomy and damp even in the summer. We tend to avoid staying overnight, but broke the rule on Thursday as the predicted rain blew in by lunchtime. Two trips up to the Co-op and collection of mail at the Post Office (now conveniently also in the Co-op) and we were on the move again yesterday morning. Not far though, less than an hour and we were pulling up on the fine, open moorings between bridges 8 and 7.

Avenue Bridge no. 10 carries the old carriage road to Chillington Hall.

With the canal crossing Chillington Park, the Giffards were able to dictate the design of the bridge, hence the decent width and the elegant balustrade.

We’ll stay here for the weekend, then on Monday we’ll head to the end of the Shroppie at Autherley Junction, turning left there to head north on the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal.

Out this morning before the rain…

Locks 1, miles 7