Signs of Change

Heading North on the Staffs and Worcester Canal, there is lots of evidence of how the area has been developed, redeveloped or allowed to return to agriculture. We moored last night near what used to be an isolated canal side pub, but is now swallowed up in housing estates. It is a similar picture elsewhere, with housing on what used to be industrial sites which grew up by the canal and are gone now. In other places the canal forms a boundary for housing spreading out for nearby villages. Depending upon the desirability of the sites, some of it is park homes, some high density terraces from the seventies, and some larger more recent prestige buildings that make the most of the canal rather than turning their back on it. Near one of these, looking like a hotel, some House Martins were gathering. They were landing on the eaves of the building in between swoops over the canal to feed – stocking up for the long journey to Africa.

On the other hand there are isolated stretches of countryside, with the occasional church standing alone in the landscape as the last remnant of what used to be a village.

Eventually we escaped the noise of the M6, and joined the railway to reach our destination at Tixall Wide. I've always fancied mooring here, but have never found a space before. It is unique on the canal system, more of a lake than a canal, and was built to appease a nearby landowner who didn't want the view of the valley from his house spoilt when the canal was built. The house is gone now, but judging by the remaining gatehouse it must have been impressive.

It is a lovely place to moor, but not as quiet as you might think, as the flatness of the landscape means that you can hear the nearby roads, and on this occasion the crops in an adjoining field were being harvested.

Later on in the evening there was too much cloud for a sunset, but as a substitute we had the street lights of Stafford bouncing off the clouds.

We're definitely homeward bound now, heading for Fradley and then Fazeley.