Tixall Lock

I was rather warm last night so we decided to turn the stove off, it was actually so warm we didn’t notice I hadn’t shut the front slide fully.
This morning a boat rattled by before we were about, I suspect the same boater left the bottom gates on Penkridge lock. There was just enough drizzle to mark the windows as we left but that is all the rain we saw and we even had some sun shine.

As we waited for the lock this duck was having a quick wash and brush up. Last time we were this way someone had attached “No Mooring” signs to these wooden posts as they are the only convenient thing to moor to while using the services. Someone has kindly driven the white stake in and left for boaters to use. This was looking back into the lock while I waited for Diana to join me, she has insisted on doing the locks today. I have a feeling that last time we came this this cross was the location of the small cut out of a fisherman. In Suffolk we have a house in the clouds so it was nice to see this miniature one in someone’s back garden. The river Penk and the Sow were both in flood between the canal and Stafford, this happens most winters. We stopped for a bit at the site of the “Stafford Riverway Link” they wouldn’t need to do much more to reach the river today. They are making good progress with the mooring basin, I don’t know when they plan to connect to the canal. We continued on our way mooring for the night just above Tixall Lock as we thought below may be a bit soggy.

We have started a new series of maps today as you can only put 10 layers on Google Maps but the old ones are still available HERETodays Journey 10 miles, 6 locks in 4½ hours