Retracing my steps and heading south - Staffs & Worcs and Trent & Mersey

From the Shropshire Union Canal I went back onto the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal (Staffs & Worcs) retracing my earlier journey in order to avoid going through Birmingham again on the way back. The canal was still as lovely as it was the first time. I think this one ranks amongst my top three favourites.

Mooring in Penkridge

By now the wheat fields are golden

A narrow overgrown passage

I also visited Stafford along the way, mainly to do some shopping. I had no idea what to expect, but I found it to be a really lovely town, so spent a few hours there. 

Pedestrian zone in Stafford

Church in Stafford

Shop in Stafford

Lane in Stafford

I then reached Great Haywood Junction again, where I joined the Trent & Mersey for a third time. The last time I turned left here (north) to go to The Potteries. This time I turned right (south). The best thing was that I had the opportunity to visit the brilliant farm shop at the junction again. Their strawberries were still excellent even in August.

I have now done most of the Trent & Mersey in three different instalments. This canal also ranks as one of my favourites. I went as far as Fradley Junction, where I joined the Coventry Canal.

The lovely Trent valley again

The river Trent right next to the canal

At one of my overnight moorings here I had my first experience with having a mooring pin pulled out of the ground. I was tired at the end of a long day and it started to rain so I wanted to moor up before having to do more locks. The mooring was less than ideal. The pins went in too easily into very soft ground and I did wonder if they would hold, but I couldn't be bothered to find another spot in the meanwhile pouring rain. Well they did hold until the next morning. As I was having breakfast a boat went by (not even fast) and suddenly I found myself looking straight ahead at the opposite bank. A slightly scary moment. I pulled the boat back, hammered the pin back in and hurried up to get ready. As I was about to leave, the pin got pulled out a second time. I won't moor again in places like this!

When I reached the locks at Fradley Junction, there was a long queue of boats ahead. I had somehow managed to get right into the middle of a flotilla of 11 boats all from one boat club, who were going out cruising together for six whole months! That's all very nice, but it must have taken them all day to get all the boats through the locks here. Fortunately I turned off their path after the first couple of locks onto the Coventry Canal, which starts here.

Queue at the locks

Pretty Fradley Junction

The Coventry Canal is where I picked up Willum last year, so this felt very much like going home now. I will be covering the Coventry Canal in the next post.