Trent and Mersey

Left our Hopwas moorings at 08:30hrs and continue on the B&F past the Hays Wood military firing range. At Whittington smart semi's and small shrub filled gardens with painted ducks herons, gnomes and the obligatory mere cats keep us amused. Oddly the canal resorts back to the Coventry Canal (a quirk of politics and finance back in the late 1700's) until we reach its terminus at Fradley Junction. Where we meet the Trent and Mersey Canal.

Fradley junction 

The Swan at Fradley

Sign post at the junction we are heading for Great Haywood

We pass through  3 miles of rural landscape before reaching Armitage with it's well known factory.

Armitage Shanks

Crappers ready for dispatch.

Where the slang word Crap came from.

At the end of the town is a very narrow tunnel just wide enough for one boat to pass through, Sue keeps  look out at the bow. Shortly after Armitage we are in Rugeley a very inviting town with good signage at the canal side informing boaters of the visitor moorings and how far the town centre is from the bridge (100yds) and a  sign to William Palmer the 'Rugeley Poisoner'. It was also the scene of a brutal rape and  murder in  1839 of Christina Collins who had been travelling from Liverpool to London by canal boat to meet her husband. Three boat men were punished for this crime, two were hanged and one was transported to Australia. 

Rugeley power station peeps above these new build homes.

Rugeley Power Station

We are now moored north of the aqueduct over the river Trent

Aqueduct

River Trent

Had a mishap when coming in to moor I lost a windlass over the side and had to fish it out with a magnet.

Success 

Sue is pulling lots of perch from the deep.

The Trent and Mersey is where we intend to winter moor and we are going to view a few marina's and see what suits us best.