Norbury Junction to Handsacre (44 miles, 16 locks)

Thank you to everyone who came and supported the Norbury Canal Festival last weekend despite the weather.  We had a great time and were introduced to many new traders we wouldn't normally have crossed paths with, as the Shropshire Canal is new territory to us.  We even got to be in the paper!  Stafford Newsletter

Turning back onto the Staffs and Worcester Canal at Autherley Junction

After the event, we moved off that evening to moor overnight in Gnosall.  We desperately needed some foody bits and quite fancied a takeaway after a busy weekend.

Reilly and Lister enjoying the view from the stern of the butty

Then each day, trying to avoid the wind, we made our way to Great Haywood in order to trade for the weekend.

Back through the narrow bits

The Roundhouse Gift Shop at Gailey

Passing the pub at Penkridge

Dusk in Great Haywood

Shugborough Hall at Great Haywood

Tea Junction ~ our friends Tracey and Ray run this and travel around like we do, all year round

Leaving Great Haywood this morning at 7am, we dropped down the lock and had a glorious quiet journey to Rugeley, where we could do a proper shop and some errands in town.

This evening, we have been able to do a bit of work on the butty and relax before our 10 day journey back to Foxton for the next Bank Holiday weekend....

Brewood to Norbury Junction (11 miles, 1 lock)

After a day walking into the village of Brewood and then some more jobs on the boats, we set off in the beautiful sunshine along the Shropshire Union Canal.

Gorgeous gorgeous.....

View from Avenue bridge ~ very ornate balustraded bridge leading to Chillington Hall

Avenue Bridge

View of Avenue bridge on the approach to Brewood

'Just nod if you can hear me...'

Another Comfortably Numb on the outskirts of Brewood ~ good taste is all I can say!

Brewood

We passed by Brewood, where we had walked to the previous day (6 mile round trip!) to visit the shop.

Treelined cutting making the journey quite magical

We moored overnight at Wheaton Aston and tackled the lock in the morning, followed by the waterpoint and facilities.  The lock is the only one in 25 miles of the canal.

Cowley tunnel ~ 81 yards long and unlined showing the rocky ceiling

Coming into Gnosall Heath and our mooring for the next 2 nights

A visit to Stafford on the bus the next day, and we found this remarkable old building

Richard picks up the butty as we head out of Gnosall.  I like to moor in front of the motor, so that the elum (rudder) doesn't get damage by other boats trying to moor

Leaving sleepy Gnosall behind

Old watermill, now a private house

We arrived at Norbury Junction a couple of miles after setting off from Gnosall, no distance at all really.  Filled up the drums with diesel and topped the tank up as the diesel is quite cheap at 59p a litre at Norbury.  

The finished castle scene and lettering to give Echoes a bit of identity

So you find us moored up on the eve of a potentially huge festival, hoping that the weather behaves and the crowds arrive............