Turning to Stone

The Staffordshire market town of Stone is situated on the A34 roughly equidistant between Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent; it is also positioned on the A51, the West Coast Main Line railway, the River Trent and the Trent & Mersey Canal. A population of around 16,000 people means a lot of chimneypots in Britain Beermat parlance, so the town was deemed a suitable destination for an opportunistic outing with the Beardsmores...

- Desiro at Stone Station -

Friday 13th March 2020 and coronavirus is certainly dominating the headlines at the moment. We're not in a lockdown scenario just yet so the trip goes ahead as planned, hence I join Stephen and John at Wolverhampton in advance of the 10:40 train. The outward journey takes 26 minutes via Stafford, and we alight to admire Stone's elegant Jacobean-styled station. The building was designed by Sir Arthur Henry Hunt and a blue plaque tells us it first opened in May 1849; the station sits on the junction of lines from Norton Bridge and Colwich although the latter side no longer has any operational platforms. 

- Peeping at the Priory School -

Getting our bearings, we venture along Station Road past the Talbot pub and soon discover St Dominic's Priory School, part of a wider Catholic complex that includes a convent and the Church of the Immaculate Conception. Stephen takes a peek through priory doorways before Newcastle Street connects us to the Trent & Mersey Canal, a waterway with which Stone has a proud historic association (the town having served as the company headquarters of the Grand Trunk as it was originally known). Mileage markers confirm the distances to the canal's extremities at Preston Brook and Shardlow. 

- Star Lock (No. 27) -

Heading out of town to begin with, we have a look at Stone Top Lock (No. 30) where Mr B Senior is impressed by the dry dock's crane equipment. We briefly flirt with Newcastle Road, spotting a Tennis & Squash Club while Dave Fox Cars has some vintage motors on display - Stephen reliably informs me that one lime green classic is a Lotus Esprit. Back on the canal, the Crown Wharf development is nearing completion and will see Joule's Brewery making their rightful return to the town. Workhouse Bridge precedes some visitor moorings then Stone Bottom Lock (No. 27) is immediately adjacent to the Star public house.

- Keeping abreast of Wetherspoons matters -

Mentioning the Star, it's a higgledy-piggledy Marston's establishment arranged across several different floor levels and certainly fits the bill as a traditional canalside boozer. After respective halves of Sunbeam and Pedigree, we swoop over the road to see what the Swan can tempt us with. Rainbow Trout from the Izaak Walton Brewhouse is the result, a zesty number that Mr B Senior heartily approves of (he is fond of the fishes at the best of times). Our lunchtime location is the Poste of Stone Wetherspoons at Granville Square, fittingly furnished with a pillar box-themed carpet as a nod to the building's post office heritage. 

- Ruminating in the Red Lion -

Managing to avoid the sharpest afternoon showers, we investigate Stone's pedestrianised High Street. Key landmarks here include the Crown Hotel coaching inn (an example of Henry Holland's 18th century architectural prowess), the town library and some banks, while the Falcon Hotel is now a Thai restaurant having been a flagship for the now-defunct Bents Brewery. Church Street unsurprisingly is where we find the parish church of St Michael and St Wulfad, the second of whom was a legendary local martyr said to have been murdered by his father for converting to Christianity. Thankfully there are happier familial relations on show in the Red Lion as the Beardsmores pose obligingly when keeping tabs on the Cheltenham Gold Cup action - Al Boum Photo was the winning horse. 

- A Titanic Time awaits -

Our final port of call hopefully won't give us any sinking feelings given we're targeting a Titanic tipple in the Royal Exchange. A definite Paul pub this, nicely done out by Burslem's finest and the Raspberry Wheat is on tip-top fruity form with a pinkish tinge. Stephen meanwhile grapples some purple peril (a.k.a. lemonade and blackcurrant) whereas Mr B Senior successfully straddles an Iceberg. Glasses drained, we troop back to the station and time our arrival perfectly to coincide with the incoming 16:34 departure, getting home to Wolverhampton just after 5pm - cheers!

It remains to be seen just how much of an impact coronavirus is going to have on the country, but at this stage it seems fair to assume that scope for outings is likely to be somewhat reduced over the next few weeks/months. I'll still try and get out and about whenever possible - whilst of course taking all necessary precautions - so we'll see how it goes. For now though, look after yourselves and stay healthy!