A Little Taste of Staff and Worcester
Mostly rural, the canal also visits some lovely towns, with just a taste of commercial activity. Great Haywood, with its beautiful towpath bridge, is as lovely a spot as you will find on the system.We first visited Great Heywood in 1985. We were returning our Anglo Welsh boat after our very first cruise. It was cold, and wet, so didn’t see a lot of the town. Our next visit was in 2005, in bright sunshine, with our share-owned boat, and we stayed three days. Anglo Welsh has its narrow boat hire fleet here, and there is now a mariner operating. A delightful farm shop is alongside the junction. It’s fun just to wander around and marvel at the variety of goods on offer there. Great Haywood is great place for walks. Cannock Chase, and Shugborough Hall and Museum both offer interesting and easily accessible areas for walking.
Cross the canal bridge at lock 73, and you are in Great Haywood.There is Spa, Post Office, laundromat and two excellent pubs, the Clifford Arms, and the Fox and Hounds. The Fox is through the town a bit, but serves a fine pint of Old Speckled Hen in a friendly relaxed bar. The Clifford Arms, a pub we have visited a few times, has a nice outside eating area, and serves Tetley’s. Also a friendly welcome. There are plenty of good moorings, and water, pump out is available at the Anglo Welsh base.
Heading out of Great Heywood is a surprise, as Tixall Wide is more like a lake, than a canal. Depending on who you listen to, this was built to improve the view from Tixall Hall, or it is a natural lake there before the canal was builtWhatever the real story is, it’s a unique bit of canal, with an array of waterfowl and birdlife ever present.
The gate house to Tixall Hall is still visible.Cruising through the Penk Valley, the towns of Baswich and Wildwood slip by, their front gardens sliding right to the canal. There are only 5 locks from Great Heywood and Penkridge.We like Penkridge, it’s an ideal town to explore on food.There is a handy fruit and veg there, some great pubs, a Co Op, a couple of banks, and fab market held by the river on Saturdays and Wednesdays. Good mooring spots by bridge 83a, accompanied by some attractive canal side homes. The Cross Keys, an old boater’s pub is excellent and serves a wonerfull pint of Bass. We sat in the small unspoilt front bar, undisturbed by any TV, a rare treat these days. Further down the canal, is the Boat by bridge 86. Larger and renovated, it serves Ansell’s. A water point is located at Penkridge Wharf, by bridge86.Try the Star, in Market Square. It’s a very attractive pub with a traditional feel inside, serving excellent Bass beers.The Library has internet access. There is a handy shop up by bridge 86 as well, for last minute supplies. It is a contrasting cruise through Otrherton and Rodbaston locks, with the busy m6 thundering beside you on one side, and a peaceful rural outlook on the other. The canal leaves the highway, and once through Boggs, Brick Kiln, and Gaily locks, one is ready for a pause at Gaily Wharf. The Roundhouse Canal Shop is located here, right by Bridge 79 that carries the A5, (Watling Street) over the canal. A unique gift shop housed in the original round toll clerk’s office, it is a well stocked with an array of gifts, canal ware and souvenirs. Plenty of moorings right down to bridge 78. Viking Afloat has one of their narrow boat hire fleets here as well. It is now a winding, lock free cruise past Hatherton Junction, where Hatherton Marina is located. Here, a bit of industry creeps in with a few gravel pits and chemical works briefly appearing. But this is only temporary, as soon the welcoming Fox and Anchor appears, tempting a stop for the evening. 
The much improved Fox and Anchor has a large outdoor area overlooking the canal. We sampled a fine John Smiths, and Tetley’s there a couple of times. We thought of strolling in to Coven village, but the busy A 449 soon changed our mind. The canal narrows at Pendelford, so be wary. Autherly Junction is where we left the Staffs, to head up the Shroppie. The Staffs continues through the West Midlands avoiding Wolverhampton, while visiting Cookley, Kidderminster and concluding at Stourport on Severn.
Back to Great Canal and River Holidays Home Page. |
On the way to either, you are likely to come across Essex Bridge, probably the finest example of a packhorse bridge in the country. It’s just near lock 73.
