Penkridge, Staffs. & Worcs. canal Tuesday 25th August
An even shorter day, just three locks, two with boats leaving as we approached and two and a half miles into Penkridge.
We passed under a railway bridge built to carry the Littleton colliery branch across the canal. The colliery closed in 1993 with the inevitable, tragic loss of some 600 jobs directly; and a good lot more that had depended on those.
We moored below Filance lock and dusted off the bus passes.
We went into Stafford for another look around; we had moored near a bridge that gave access to the Stafford bus route within 200 yards, you might think that it was good, efficient planning; I know that it was pure luck!
He had some good views from the bus, some of those to the East we had seen already from the canal; we were soon arriving in Stafford and started our wanderings.
We did a bit of building spotting and visiting charity book shops before having an excellent lunch in the market café. Perhaps I will write a gourmet’s guide to them; we have sampled a good few over the years and have found most to be good, some of them very good. The plan was to look at the church, which was the Collegiate church of St. Mary. A good sturdy looking building, with a squat tower and some very good glass; including a lancet window designed by Pugin. Isaac Walton was born nearby and christened here. The magnificent west window is partially obscured by the ornate organ installed in 1789. There is a tomb to the Aston family who had the Elizabethan style Tixall Hall built in 1555; in 1586 Mary, Queen of Scots was imprisoned temporarily there whilst evidence against her was being gathered or fabricated. ( these events of course preceded the 1984 Police and Criminal evidence act by nearly 400 years!) Only the gatehouse, built around 1580 has survived, the main hall was dismantled in 1928/9.
Returning to the boat, we chatted to a boater moored nearby, he has a Harley Davison sportster on board; his excuse was that with interest rates so low, he might as well have some enjoyment and keep his money where he has control of it!
The forecast for tomorrow is for rain; if so we will look around Penkridge and scuttle back to the boat when it arrives!
2009 Totals: 462 Locks – 858 miles – 31 Bus pass uses.
