We set off late morning with the captain at the helm and the crew doing the laundry (rain was forecast). The canal is very straight with cuttings and embankments rather than locks or meanders. The countryside, while not flat, is certainly not as bumpy as Warwickshire.
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| Grey skies over Staffordshire. |
There was one lock (and no more until Market Drayton, 17 miles away) at Wheat Aston after which we stopped for water. Hireboats with various pirate flags were moored opposite the pub - what else to do on a drizzly bank holiday. We did meet this one on the move however, with music and drinks and about six people crammed in the bow deck area.
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| The embankments have these tall,narrow and most elegant bridges. |
The rain continued on and off (mostly on). The trees are just starting to leaf, obscuring our views but it is still very pretty. We saw this kingfisher who just sat on his branch while we motored past ogling at him. He didn't seem bothered at all.
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| The kingfisher is there, he's just rather small! |
We went over the A5 Watling Street on a short but rather fancy aqueduct. Our old straight canal going over an ancient straight road to make a perfect cross.
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| The Stretton Aqueduct. |
Much of the canal continues to have a concrete ledge, limiting mooring opportunities. However, we found a lovely stretch with pilings between bridges 21 and 22. The towpath is muddy but its beautiful and quiet. Lovely!
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| Our mooring :) |
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