Stone to Tixall Wide

 Sunday June 13 Stone to Great Haywood and Tixall Wide (10 miles, 4 locks)

Annie moored at Tixall Wide

Stone now has new canalside housing which extends southwards through Aston to the scenic and well designed Aston Marina, which looks a great place to moor.  

The country between Aston and Samson locks offers some lovely mooring spots with steel piling. Kayakers zoomed past Annie.

We found two boats in front of us at Sandon lock, so had to queue for the first time this year, for this and both Weston and Hoo Mill locks. No surprise with all the owned, hired and boat share Narrowboats and cruisers out this weekend. We were both happy to help and chat with all the boaters and walkers about this Sunday, enjoying the sunshine.   This gentle Trent valley is very pretty, with buttercups, elder flowers and cow parsley, plus lots of Canada Geese families. We spotted three ex-Ownerships shared boats, Rodbaston, Rowington and Cheddington (we had two shares in their NB Osprey before buying Annie). 

We saw a very unusual bird eating from a garden bird feeder!!

There were both permanent moored and plenty of moored touring boats to pass, so it was after lunch before we reached Great Haywood. Here, we filled up with water and 110 litres of diesel, and emptied loo holding tanks in the Elsan. 

John bought a new Nicholson’s Guide book 4 for the Four Counties Ring (£16.99!). John had to pass through the famous junction bridge and back into the fairly emptybasin for the diesel.

We were lucky to find an empty prime mooring at Tixall Wide, a favourite lake-like beauty spot and mooring for many of us boaters, a mile away from the junction and Shugborough Hall, once the home of photographer Lord Lichfield.