Wednesday 25th June, 2014 at Great Haywood.
Awoke to a glorious morning, still and with a clear blue sky. Our friend Audrey on nb "Livein-G" had told us that the dawn chorus at Weston-upon-Trent is spectacular. She was right.
We had moored under a row of beautiful trees, including a magnificent beech, and the birdies serenaded us with their version of "Reveille" from 3:45am onwards. Magic! The local rooster on the other side of the canal joined in, and R kept thinking it was M's mobile phone!
Beside MM, on the towpath side, was the loveliest house with an absolutely beautiful garden. The owners happened to be in their garden and M complimented them on such a lovely sight. Bridget and Peter then very kindly invited us to look around. We spent a couple of very enjoyable hours with them admiring the spectacular flowerbeds that they had created from scratch in a mere two and a half years. We sat and had coffee with them on the lawn and then invited them to look round MM. We parted about lunchtime, promising to keep in touch. They are a delightful couple and were preparing the garden for an "Open Garden" weekend and we wished them luck.
So, it was lunchtime before we set off - but we are not in a hurry - narrowboaters never are!
We came down through Weston Lock and the delightfully named Hoo Mill Lock. As we passed Great Haywood Marina, the CRT chaps were doing dredging work and we caught a glimpse of what you might find at the bottom of the canal. Yeuk!!!
We moored up opposite the farm shop at Great Haywood. Like the shop at Aston, the farm shop here is excellent, but it also grows most of the produce that it sells, including home grown strawberries and asparagus. After visiting the shop (and buying a "few bits"), we walked down the towpath towards Shugborough Hall, the local stately home lately occupied by Lord Lichfield.
We walked across the exceptionally beautiful "Essex" Bridge which spans the confluence of the River Trent and the River Sow.
It is only a narrow pedestrian bridge but the stonework is lovely and very unusual. It had a very nostalgic feeling to it.
By the time we arrived at the Hall, it was closed for the day, but the gardens were still open (and free!), so we wandered around in the late afternoon sunshine.
In front of the house was a formal Victorian garden with the most magnificent beds of marigolds.
Hidden amongst the marigolds was a scattering of beautiful blue Nigella ("Love in the Mist") - a truly lovely colour combination.
The formal gardens run down to the River Sow and the house looks very imposing from the riverside.
The Anson family had a penchant for Greek and Roman antiquities and the estate is peppered with follies and classical "ruins". In one corner of the garden was a famous bas relief sculpture "Et in Arcadia Ego", a phrase used by Evelyn Waugh in "Brideshead Revisited" (M's favourite television production of all time) and an intriguing piece of artwork that features in "Holy Grail" conspiracy theories due to its enigmatic and (as yet) undeciphered mneumonic inscription.
Tomorrow, we will return and spend the whole day at the Hall and the estate, so we had an early night.
Today: 3 miles, 2 locks and 2.2 hours.
Trip: 8 miles, 3 locks and 4.1 hours.
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