Southern Shropie (SUC) and Staffs and Worcester Canals to Cross Green

Leaving Tyrley we spotted this little boat in the permanent moorings, I guess around 15ft long X 4ft wide, it would be interesting to see how she handles!

There are quite a few narrow sections on the SUC, usually in deep cuttings where the canal has been carved out of the solid rock.

Once you break out of the cuttings it's back into farmland, mainly crops in this area.

Corn

Stacking them high!

 Passing the Premier Foods Wharf again with a close-up of the sign on the overhanging verandah.

Another of the tall bridges on the Shropie, this one with a disused telegraph pole in the centre.

We moored at Norbury Junction for the night, it had only been another 2 hour (or so) cruise, we finished just after lunch after a relatively late start. Plenty of moorings at this time but they did fill up as the afternoon drifted on.

Norbury Junction

Took a shot from the junction bridge of the old Newport Branch (now disused). You can see there is a covered dock built over the canal in the distance.

After picking up fuel in Norbury Junction we headed off to Gnosall Heath, another short run of a couple of hours. No problems with moorings here either although there is always plenty of good moorings to be had most of the time anyway. Time for a stroll into Gnosall to find a tea room which, strangely enough, was closed on a Wednesday, so we picked up a few things from the supermarket and it was back to the boat.

A little further on and an overnight stop at Wheaton Aston in heavily wooded moorings. First time we have stopped here so we went for a wander and Wheaton Aston seems a very quiet place with a pub and an off licence, a Co-op Supermarket but that's about it. All this on a very long High Street. Nearly back at the canal we passed this lovely Tudor style home in great condition.

Didn't need fuel here but diesel was under 70p domestic, but we did need water, there are three water points here, all seemed very fast filling.

First time we had stopped at Brewood for a few years as well so it was off to have a look around with a short five minute walk into the square to find a lovely little town centre. Speedwell Castle was the first thing that caught our eye when we got to the town centre, built in the eighteenth century apparently from the winnings off a race horse.

 

There are a few bistros and other assorted shops that kept Rachael's interest for an hour or so. I was particularly interested in the butcher where we bought some great local pork sausages, quiche and I haven't tried the pasties yet. We needed to pick up some extra groceries for our visitor due in a few days. We are starting to see more and more rain and overnight here it poured but the next morning was fine again for our three hour cruise to The Anchor Inn where we would meet our visitor for a few days stay on the boat. 

This is the last leg of our trip on the Shropshire Union Canal. We cruised away from Brewood in bright sunshine but it soon became overcast. We made our way passed the Wolverhampton Boat Club with its old crane out the front and passed through the stop gate. Less than half an hour and we were going through the stop lock at Autherley Junction after climbing across a hire boat moored on the lock landing by the owners (there's a hire boat depot here).

We turned right on to the Staffs and Worcester Canal and all was going well until the last half

hour of our cruise when the heavens opened. After a few minutes a nice wide road bridge came up where I stopped until the rain had passed. We managed to finish our days cruising mooring up 50m from the front door of The Anchor Inn.

We had a few days stay in the moorings here where we ate too much and were chauffeured across to Stafford for a shopping day and a full day at Shugborough Estate (read more about the estate here) near Great Haywood.

The Anchor Inn, Cross Green

The Anchor is a lovely pub inside, typically English, the food was pretty good. It was a Sunday of the Bank Holiday Weekend so we made a dinner booking and when we got there at 6pm it was humming, lucky we did. It turned out to be a great weekend despite the inclement weather but at least we're getting more rain now and Serafina gets a regular wash, which leaves me to do a touch up here and there instead of the whole boat.