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Trip Start Apr 01, 2012 Previous
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  Abbots Bromley, England, United Kingdom
Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Teddy wore his YELLOW jumper with a GREY scarf today. He really enjoyed his walk along the canal where he saw lots of swans with their signets and ducks with their ducklings, just learning to swim...

Start temp  :  6.5c                 Finish temp :  13.0c

Distance walked : 10.17                   Time : 4hours 33 minutes.

Gerry's Log...

Blithfield Reservoir is crossed via a causeway with turretted low walls. Swallows like apprentice 'Red Barons' hone their acrobatic skills as they ziz zag across our sights in search of an early morning snack.

After our return 'fare' has been set up in Abbots Bromley, an amble through the Cannock Chase Wood, downhill to Brereton on the outskirts of Rugeley, begins with a short march across a Polar Ice Cap - our Campsite...

Cannock Chase is a varied assortment of trees and open spaces, it is ringed  by the major towns of Cannock, Stafford and Rugeley where it offers a refuge from the pressures of everyday life. Occupying 17,000 acres, this area dates back to the Stone Age and is the smallest A.O.N.B. in the country, however, the country park forms the largest. It is the Midlands largest acidic lowland heathland, it's habitat amongst the rarest in the world.

The Red Lion pub in Brereton is passed en-route towards the Trent and Mersey canal, this hostelry has served us well with good ale and a budget keeping 'two for a tenner menu' ( also pud's to die for !)

Four miles of interest are observed along this waterway, two men in a canoe glide by, their craft more suitable for the set of 'Last of the Mohicans' which is followed by several gentlemen in large rowing boats, reliving past memories, more akin to the boat race. A norrowboat 'For Sale', offering credentials and an asking price of £36,000.00p, I ask Sue to photograph the advert.

Always present and imoposing is the Power Station, towering above the town of Rugeley. Years have passed since an operational colliery has existed here, but like others the community has survived and diversity is apparent, with the huge 'Amazon' distribution centre amongst many others, keen to fill the void.

Four gigantic concrete watercooling towers, a feat of incredible engineering, stand like 'elder statesmen' musing over the days events, whilst puffing on their pipes.

Passed and present modes of transport and power are present as we clear the Power Stations shadow, laying like a horizontal picket fence, canal, river, railway, road and high voltage transmission lines run in parallel unison.

'What do you hope today?' I enquire of a lad fishing with a pole, long enough to touch the far bank, 'A cold' is his reply.

With Mothers in close attendance, we pass swans, moorhens, ducks and coots all enjoying their first family outings.

Accompanying a narrowboat as it passes, further enquiries take place
'How long is your craft?'  and 'how many bedrooms?', answers reveal that it has been their home for seventeen years.

The boat puts distance between us and the mind races with more to ponder!!!!


A stop for refreshment, Timmy Tayloy Landlord at the Dun Cow in Colton with time spent detailing our quest to the landlady results in another possible 'blogette'.

Bithfield Reservoir is, by rights, given a wide berth, however, flagging down an employee leaving the dam access road, results in a 'blind eye' to us traversing the dam which offers spectacular views. Noah - the reservoir is full - PLEASE ask our maker to turn off the tap.

Finally arrived at Abbots Bromley, a village boasting many awards for excellence, we are parked opposite the Buttercross, an information board details it's history and mentions the famous 'Horn Dance' which is re-inacted annually in September.

Goodnight...

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