Thursday 27 November 2014 Rugeley

Firstly I should have posted this one yesterday, we met this young lady near the old RCR offices making her way down the canal on her paddle board. I admire her confidence with no lifejacket and normal warm clothing, she is obviously not expecting to take a dip, she is even listening to her Iplayer.

Last night the weather was more than murky when we went to bed and I suspect it turned to fine drizzle as we suffered Japanese water torture with water dripping off a tree onto the roof for half the night. This morning it had all gone. First job was back to Midland Chandlers for the bits I had forgotten and then we set off. The lock was against us so someone must have slid by this morning, but we didn’t hear them.

Just below Shutt Hill lock is this metal post on the off side, it looks as if its been machined and not just any old lump of metal. There was probably another bridge here at one time which might have a bearing on it.

The RCR offices and workshop are a sorry sight on the side of the canal following the fire at the beginning of the month.

I am not sure what this car owner has done to upset the local bird population, but these two where definitely taking revenge on his car. 

At Deptmore lock the bywash, that is for excess water to flow round the closed lock runs under the old lock cottage, I wonder who is responsible for that considering the number that have  collapsed on the Napton flight.

I posted the other day about the Coventry Canal Co. markers which are concert, the S&W used cast iron ones to show the boundary of their land ownership.

A big thank  you to all who sent me information about the barn at Tixall and pointing me to the Tixall web site There is some great information on there including about this round house. I photographed it to prove the chimney still works after being rebuilt.

Tixall Wide had a few more boats moored there today but some of the reflections were stunning.

Back to Great Haywood junction where we left the Staff & Worc canal and rejoined the Trent & Mersey canal turning sharp right. Its nice to do Haywood and Colwich locks with no queues, but the bottom gate on Colwich lock really take some closing now, they were better during the summer but I think some people will struggle now.

We stopped at Taft Bridge to fill with diesel, we have used much more for heating than propulsion this time. Slightly undecided as to whether to shop here of carry on into Rugeley for the night, but as the mist was forming fast we felt in may be more comfortable on slightly higher ground.

We crossed the aqueduct and tried to moor but couldn’t even get close enough to jump off so carried on for another couple of hundred yards to moor opposite the bungalows. Today’s Journey 13 miles, 6 Locks, 2 Canals, 1 Junction in 6 hours.