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Day 38: Cannock Chase to Colton (8.8 miles)

We had another slow start largely to let the heavy rain go through before putting the tent down. We planned to wait and have brunch on the way to the start of my walk. This worked out well - we were off the site by 11, just over an hour taken to take the tent down and pack the car, with some skill as the girls had forgotten on the way up that they’d need to leave space for me as a passenger for a short while and the dog in the boot!

But inevitably I had to set off again, and my cheerleaders came with me for a short while before heading back to the car with a tearful farewell on my part at 13:30. 

I got back into my stride and the backpack felt good, although my right hip was nagging me, and at 13:45, the sound of my first cuckoo of the summer made me smile. The heathland and native woodland  of Cannock Chase, with stream running through it was better than I had imagined and made a great start to today’s walk.

A bit of a shock walking along a busy A road but this led to a route through the National Trust’s Shugborough Park with views across to Hadrian’s Arch and the main house. It felt quite weird watching people going through the ticket office while I was able to walk along the public bridleway looking in for free.

This took me onto the Trent and Mersey canal - apparently the first long distance canal of 93 miles engineered by James Brinkley with 76 locks. It was great fun watching all the canal boats go past - lots of families enjoying the bank holiday as well as the boaters who had arranged a foodie weekend for passersby. A shame I wasn’t hungry.

At 15:30 I looked across the River Trent to where we had stopped for brunch thinking it would be about half way. In reality I was now probably 2/3rds of the way, and as I gazed across I noticed a couple of Greylag geese as well as Canada geese in the fields, with a couple of swans swimming in the river. I was so relieved that the sun had really broken through with none of the rain forecast - at least so far. Gradually the houses with some gorgeous gardens lining the canal gave way to an extended field of sheep as the canal converged onto the railway. A bridge across led to a minor road and footpath through a crop of rapeseed making me think of the girls and Barney - this time with a wide swathe left for walkers and an explanation of the farmer’s determination to farm with the environment in mind, with a LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming) marque. 

As I walked onto the road ridge into Colton I looked behind me and realised dark storm clouds were looming. I gathered my pace and arrived at Ye Old Dun Cow just in time. Shortly after I arrived, the heavens opened ….  A lucky escape!

What was the first thing I missed when I arrived apart from the obvious absence of the girls and Barney...a hairbrush. My ultralight comb doesn’t quite compare! But Georgie’s haircut for me the other night works a treat - much easier!










Location: Colton, UK

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