Waterways Walks: Shugborough & Great Haywood

It's fair to say that the WME blog is usually more likely to concern itself with backstreet boozers as opposed to country piles but I'm not beyond including a stately home if the occasion presents itself. Take for example this Cannock Chase caper which offers a slice of Shugborough sightseeing along with a splash of waterways interest...

- Arrival at Milford Common -

I have many childhood memories of little jaunts out to Cannock Chase, perhaps visiting the Stepping Stones, spotting roaming deer or going for walks near the military cemetery. Milford Common was always a favourite location and I recall going there on school trips, playing with beanbags and hula hoops on the furrowed green opposite the Little Fawn Cafe. The Common serves us as the beginning and end point of this Friday 7th June stroll, hence Stephen and I venture across via Penkridge and Brocton before parking the Beardsmobile on the pay and display car park just off the A513.

- Shugborough Hall -

The outward leg of our route takes us through the parkland of Shugborough Hall, a sprawling estate which was owned by the Bishops of Lichfield prior to the dissolution of the monasteries. It was home to the Anson family for over 300 years before becoming a National Trust property in 1960; the mansion has a grand portico frontage while the wider grounds include a working model farm and several follies, most notably the Shepherd's Monument, Tower of the Winds and the Arch of Hadrian. We decline to explore the house's interior on this occasion but note that servants quarters, the State Rooms and Patrick Lichfield's private apartments would be part of any tour for future reference.

- Essex Bridge -

Following a track below the formal gardens, we exit onto Essex Bridge which is itself a very fine landmark, spanning the River Trent close to its confluence with the River Sow. Originally built as a packhorse bridge, it comprises 14 stone arches with recessed bays along its length that would have allowed pedestrians to step aside when giving the horses clear passage. For us the bridge acts as a handy link into the village of Great Haywood where Trent Lane passes beneath the railway to emerge beside the Clifford Arms. Somewhat surprisingly, I turn down the prospect of a pint here even though it's a pub I rate highly - other refreshment stops are planned further around our circuit so I haven't totally lost my marbles!

- Great Haywood Lock -

Inching back along Trent Lane, we join the towpath of the Trent & Mersey Canal at Great Haywood Lock (as accompanied by Bridge 73 complete with marker for the Shugborough Fishing Club). A passing narrowboat provides an able demonstration of the lock mechanisms in action while there are visitor mooring options further ahead on the approaches to Haywood Junction. Linking the Cheshire Plain at Preston Brook with the Trent at Shardlow, the canal covers 93 miles and played a major role in the development of The Potteries, hence why Josiah Wedgwood and other key industrialists were keen to promote its inception. 

- Haywood Junction -

Our flirtation with the Trent & Mersey is but a brief one, merely bringing us the short distance to Haywood Junction and the northernmost extremities of the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal. An Anglo Welsh utility compound offers pumping out facilities and basic provisions so we pause here for an ice cream just as the afternoon weather starts to brighten up a little. The Staffs & Worcs is a waterway I've been familiar with for my entire life, especially the sections down through Pendeford, Aldersley and Compton in Wolverhampton. I don't get to see the Great Haywood end all that often though so it's nice to reacquaint myself with Swivel Bridge and the River Trent Aqueduct as large cabbage-like leaves flank the towpath.

- Tixall Lock -

The increasing sunshine makes for a very pleasant stroll indeed with Stephen and I chatting about cricketing prospects for the T20 World Cup. Tixall Wide is an intriguing expanse where the canal effectively broadens into lake-like proportions, supposedly because the owners of nearby Tixall Hall demanded a scenic view when giving permission for the navigation to cross their land. The hall was demolished in the 1920s but its elaborate Elizabethan gatehouse has survived and can clearly be seen as we proceed via Old Hill Bridge to Tixall Lock. 

- Towpath at Tixall -

Gently bearing southeastwards in the general direction of Milford, we gradually reach Tixall Bridge which is our prompt to leave the towpath behind; had we continued, we would have encountered Walton and Baswich amongst the outskirts of Stafford. As it is, Holdiford Road  conveys us firstly over the Sow and then above the Trent Valley railway line whereby we just about catch glimpse of the turreted top to Shugborough Tunnel. The Green brings us full circle into the centre of Milford so that I can pounce for pictures of the Run & Ride bicycle shop and a lesser-spotted Wimpy Bar - these used to be everywhere when I was a kid but you seldom see them nowadays so Milford's example imparts a few pangs of personal nostalgia.

- The Barley Mow -

Our exertions are pretty much done and dusted except for the small matter of the pint we'd been promising ourselves. Cue the Barley Mow, a large Greene King establishment that aims to maximise its Cannock Chase location. Abbot Ale and GK IPA are joined by Old Speckled Hen and one other seasonal ale while the interior is tastefully furnished with hints of Scrabble tiles and brewing diagrams. We grab a secluded table and resume our sporting discussions before trundling back off to Heath Town to prepare for our evening quiz night engagement; alas Team Bears could not romp to victory at Tettenhall this time around but much fun was had answering questions on Timothys, the police and words ending in ...ist. Cheers!