4 days - Market Drayton

[cheshire~rose]

Our cruising time is going to be severely restricted this year which is a very great shame but hey - sometimes stuff gets in the way.

 

Apart from weekends we are not going to get any opportunity to take the boat out at all in the forseeable future and so with Easter fast approaching we want to make the most of 4 whole days.

 

We are planning to leave the mooring at Hatherton on the Morning of Good Friday. I have been that way once before, on a hire boat around 10 years ago and remember nothing about it at all. More recently I have only been up as far as Norbury (but just to wind) but Brewood is a very pleasant regular jaunt for us. Dave has of course been along that way much more often.

 

So .......... please tell me what to look forward to, what to avoid, where to drink the best beer, find the freshest produce, and the best meals. I would also like to know what to look out for and when to make sure my camera is ready.

 

I am pretty sure there are a few forum members up in that neck of the woods as well so who should we look out for to wave to and does anyone fancy joining us for a drink?

 

Sigh ............ life seems so much better when you are planning a cruise

[Yamanx]

Our cruising time is going to be severely restricted this year which is a very great shame but hey - sometimes stuff gets in the way.

 

Apart from weekends we are not going to get any opportunity to take the boat out at all in the forseeable future and so with Easter fast approaching we want to make the most of 4 whole days.

 

We are planning to leave the mooring at Hatherton on the Morning of Good Friday. I have been that way once before, on a hire boat around 10 years ago and remember nothing about it at all. More recently I have only been up as far as Norbury (but just to wind) but Brewood is a very pleasant regular jaunt for us. Dave has of course been along that way much more often.

 

So .......... please tell me what to look forward to, what to avoid, where to drink the best beer, find the freshest produce, and the best meals. I would also like to know what to look out for and when to make sure my camera is ready.

 

I am pretty sure there are a few forum members up in that neck of the woods as well so who should we look out for to wave to and does anyone fancy joining us for a drink?

 

Sigh ............ life seems so much better when you are planning a cruise

 

Not sure what you plan here, if you plan to go to Market Drayton and back from Hatherton in four days, you wont have much time for pubs etc

 

Brewood, dont use the Indian as its the pits, The Admiral Rodney is quite nice but not cheap.

 

Next spot is Wheaton Aston, the Hartley Arms is a good reasonably priced pub, not had a bad one there, the Chinese, which is located above a pub up the end of the village, is completely out of bounds, its probably the second worst takeaway in exsistance, the Indian at Brewood being the worse.

 

Gnosall, both the canal side pubs are good here, The Navigation is probably a little further upmarket, but I could reccommend either, nice overnight stay.

 

Norbury, The Junction pub is crap, no two ways to say it, rubbish food and beer, yuk! Not that friendly either. The chandlers, my opinion has changed about them, I now get on well with the guys there, the fuel is not the most expensive, the cafe is nice to sit at on a sunny day, wifi as well if you need it. Any problems they'll always try and help you. Also good BW services here, with laundry, shower, and our little book club, take one and leave one

 

The Anchor at High Offey is about two miles from Norbury, it sells no food and accepts no children, so be prepared to have your own supplies if mooring here overnight. Worth a trip if you've not been there before, old, very old, style canal workers pub. Has traditional ways and is very popular. Usually in the summer at weekends etc. there is some kind of entertainment going on here, folk music, theatre etc. I would skip Norbury for overnight and carry on to The Anchor.

 

The Wharf Inn at Shepdon, well this pub is the weirdest, it probably wont be open as it hardly ever is for some reason. Unfreindly cold and boring when it is.

 

Bridge 50, one of my favourite mooring spots, its pretty much in the middle of nowhere, and really I shouldn't be sharing this on an open forum, I like to think its my secret place Its a slightly elevated spot that overlooks Shropshire, you can clearly see the Wrekin and right across to Wales. The sun sets are as good as any in the world! and you can watch it set into the Welsh mountains in the distance. A bit of a ledge there, but a beautiful quiet overnight spot

 

Bridge 50

 

The Wharf Tavern at Goldstone, ok for a cheap basket meal, and nice to sit outside in the summer.

 

From there its a couple of miles to Tyrley and the start of the five locks into Market Drayton. This section goes through a narrow deep (ish) cutting, its a fabulous part of the Shroppie, on cold and damp days its eerie and colder there, the bridges are a lovely sight, very high. The vegitation is cut back regularly and this causes the banks to collapse (Always wondered why they cut down all the tress, and then the ground has no binding, which causes mud slides) this is apparent as you go through here. You will almost certainly see a Kingfisher, there are quite a few here that fly along with the boat if you're lucky

 

The top lock at Tyrley seems to always have an audience, dont know why but theres always a coach load of people watching you lock. See if you can figure out the politics of resident of the lock house

 

The bottom locks are a bugger, the bywashes are really strong, particularly between the bottom two locks, also stay in the centre of the pound between these two locks, dont tie up at the side its not deep enough and nearly every time I have been there I have seen a boat beached on the bottom. Many times I have been invloved in trying to pull boats off the bottom at this spot.

 

Market Drayton is chav city, a small town now days full of charity shops and empty premises. We normally order a pizza delivered to the boat

 

Good luck and have a nice time, I moor at Norbury, but I'm away over Easter so wont be able to give you a wave

Edited March 19, 2010 by Yamanx

[cheshire~rose]

Wow!

 

How very informative thank you! What a pity we will miss you! hopefully we wll get to meet another time. I am already looking forward to the charity shops - we need to set off early to make sure they are not closed before we get there!

[Chris J W]

Another vote for The Anchor.

 

Wonderful little place. Just make sure that you've plenty of cash as there's no card facilities. When I was there I made the (possibly understandable) mistake of expecting them to have cash-back ... hence why I spent the night paying them with copper and silvers from my loose-change jar!

 

If you've time I also recommend a walk up to the church in the village, too. The view from the top is outstanding.

[windy miller]

We'll be heading in the opposite direction to a new mooring at Shebdon that weekend, so give us a wave. Be warned, we go to bed early - after 29 locks, don't want to appear unsociable, just knackered after all the fresh air and exercise and we have the Black Bitch on board, nasty little dog.

 

We cruised through Gnosall, Wheaton Aston and Brewood last Summer in a hire boat from Norbury Junction - lovely part of the world, especially as nothing was moving after a breach at Shebdon embankment, we had the canal to ourselves, almost. Quite delightful. A passing boater said he'd never seen it this quiet in years.

 

Watch out for a shop which clones credit cards. Not sure which one, but definitely in one of those three villages. First I knew about it was a call from Barclaycard Fraud Services asking if I'd spent £920 on clothes online! If only they could see my wardrobe - I haven't spent £9.20 on clothes recently, never mind £920! Best to use cash at all times.

 

Happy cruising

 

Windy

[Keeping Up]

Yes it is against the lore to go past the Anchor without stopping. Don't expect it to be open mid-afternoon though, it opens lunchtime and evening, and between the two it often looks derelict. Regarding the moorings there: outside the pub is a boat that has been there for years, owned by a member of the family I believe; despite the way it looks there is definitely just enough room to moor between it and the bridge and that space is almost always clear no matter how busy it is everywhere else. The other advantage is that you can fall out of the pub, roll down the path, crash through the gate, and land on the deck of the boat instead of in the cut.

 

Just north of the bridge, the house on the offside (called "the Wharf" or something like that IIRC which should have given the purchasers a clue that there might be a canal nearby) was another one that put up signs saying Do Not Moor Opposite. Some of these signs, particularly the ones that were directly opposite the official BW/SUCS 48-hour moorings, now seem to have disappeared.

 

We cruised through Gnosall, Wheaton Aston and Brewood last Summer in a hire boat from Norbury Junction - lovely part of the world, especially as nothing was moving after a breach at Shebdon embankment, we had the canal to ourselves, almost. Quite delightful. A passing boater said he'd never seen it this quiet in years.

 

Watch out for a shop which clones credit cards. Not sure which one, but definitely in one of those three villages. First I knew about it was a call from Barclaycard Fraud Services asking if I'd spent £920 on clothes online! If only they could see my wardrobe - I haven't spent £9.20 on clothes recently, never mind £920! Best to use cash at all times.

The same happened to us too, the year before last. We had also called at all three villages, but we think it must have happened in Gnosall. Again luckily the bank were on the ball and we didn't lose any money. The trouble was, it happened again a few days later to our other (Tesco) card in Tesco's at Kidderminster; again we didn't lose out, but that then left us with no working plastic at all.

[Tiny]

Having visited Market Drayton a number of times we don't shop there now but do in Brewood (sometimes), Gnosall (nice butchers) and Audlem (that you won't reach). MD - the town is a bit of a disappointment - and some shops (still) there even close half day on early closing day.

[Big John]

Having visited Market Drayton a number of times

...some shops (still) there even close half day on early closing day.

...on Thursday afternoons, including Hart to Hart that used to sell the lovely original ginger bread. Morrisons' gbm aren't a patch on that delicacy.

[Chris J W]

The pub near the canal isn't too bad in MD. Can't remember for the life of me what it's called, though.

 

There's also a Lydl in MD if you want to stock up with the cheap-and-cheerful cupboard fillers.

[kerching]

The pub near the canal isn't too bad in MD. Can't remember for the life of me what it's called, though.

 

There's also a Lydl in MD if you want to stock up with the cheap-and-cheerful cupboard fillers.

 

Talbot?

[cheshire~rose]

.

Next spot is Wheaton Aston, the Hartley Arms is a good reasonably priced pub, not had a bad one there.

 

 

I am really looking forward to Easter so much - It might be the only chance we get to do more than two consecutive days cruising this year and we will be certain to make the most of it.

 

I think the Hartley Arms will be a must on our "to do" list as it was the location of a particularly memorable banter one Easter three years ago where Dave and I met.

[windy miller]

Another vote for The Anchor.

 

Wonderful little place. Just make sure that you've plenty of cash as there's no card facilities. When I was there I made the (possibly understandable) mistake of expecting them to have cash-back ... hence why I spent the night paying them with copper and silvers from my loose-change jar!

 

Don't be embarassed about asking for cashback, last summer some fool asked for a Pimm's and was most offended when Olive told her, 'We dunner do fancy drinks like them eer, duck.' So outraged, she wrote a letter to a certain magazine asking for it to be taken off the list of recommended canalside pubs.

 

I forgot to mention the stinking field. If the wind's from the west, don't moor just south of the Anchor - last July we took up the last space in the line of boats tied up there and realised why it was empty!

 

As for closing times, don't bother with a clock - if there's people in, they're serving.

[Laurie Booth]

Don't be embarassed about asking for cashback, last summer some fool asked for a Pimm's and was most offended when Olive told her, 'We dunner do fancy drinks like them eer, duck.' So outraged, she wrote a letter to a certain magazine asking for it to be taken off the list of recommended canalside pubs.

 

I forgot to mention the stinking field. If the wind's from the west, don't moor just south of the Anchor - last July we took up the last space in the line of boats tied up there and realised why it was empty!

 

As for closing times, don't bother with a clock - if there's people in, they're serving.

I got caught with the stinking field last year.

[Jim]

I've moored at Norbury junction for four years now and based on extensive research I would say:

 

Once you reach the Shroppie, the first stopping point (with any facilities) is Brewood. The Bridge Inn, adjacent Bridge 14, is OK for food and beer but the Swan in the village centre is better for beer and the Admiral Rodney for food. Another good place to eat is "The Mess" - a restaurant rather than a pub but bot too expensive and you can always have a pint in the "Swan" opposite before (or after). (Note: You will need to book for the Mess or the Admiral Rodeny at the weekend). There's a good local grocer/deli in the Square if you are self-catering.

The Hartley Arms in Wheaton Aston has good beer, but only average food. The Coach & Horses at the other end of the village is more "basic" , and a locals' pub but the beer's good.

Yes, both the Navigation and the Boat at Gnosall are good - at least for beer, I haven't eaten at either. There's also the Rose & Crown, about half-a-mile east on the main Stafford road where I have eaten and it was very good.

Have to agree with Yamanx about the Junction Inn at Norbury. Very disappointing given its location although if you are there early enough on a Sunday lunchtime the carvery is a lot better than the rest of the menu.

The Anchor at High Offley: what can one say? One of the last surviving "proper" canal pubs; the only downside being that for some reason it sources its beer from the Kennet & Avon (Wadworth's of Devizes) rather than a local Staffordshire brew.

Don't bother with the Wharf Inn at Shebdon - unfriendly, uncomfortable and they take ages to serve your meal, even when they aren't busy.

If you find yourself at the visitor moorings at Bridge 48 its only a shortish walk to the Haberdashers Arms (follow the track eastwards from the bridge and turn left when you get to the road). Its unspoiled and in the same category as the Anchor, although it has been modernised to the extent that it has a TV in one room!

The Wharf Inn at Goldstone is a barn of a place, although the food is OK-ish. Much better to walk up to Cheswardine village to the Fox and Hounds (food) and the Red Lion (beer and atmosphere). Don't bother with the Four Alls at Tyrley - a large "chain" pub with crap beer. Lastly, at Market Drayton the Talbot, near the canal is Ok for "pub grub" and usually has a good range of beer.

 

Sorry, I won't be around at Easter, but I think you'll agree my time at Norbury Junction has not been wasted!

Jim

[windy miller]

Wow! Thoroughly impressed with your extensive research. Did you get a grant?

 

Advice taken on board - excuse the pun - we're mooring at Shebdon soon, so many thanks for saving me wasted hours in second rate pubs.

[cheshire~rose]

Here we go, here we go, here we go........

 

Wellies and raincoats at the ready for a typical British Easter ........

 

an epic voyage of 64 miles and a furlong with 14 locks thrown in for good measure

 

The forecast for the next two days in the Bay of Shropshire is WET

 

I will update again when I next dry out long enough not to electrocute myeslf with the laptop

[cheshire~rose]

What a bonus!

 

The weather forecasters were not completely right! We set off from Hatherton this morning (having decided there was no point in getting soaked to cruise away from the mooring for a hour last night. It was dryish - a few spits and spots of rain occasionally turned into a drzzle but not sufficient to be worrying. I suppose when the forecast was for 7 hours of precipitation then 7 hours of spits and spots is still precipitation! We soon cleared the familiar bit and got beyond Brewood and the rain got a bit heavier. When we reached Wheaton Aston Lock it decided to prove what real rain was and we both got quite wet. An hour later it was all over and the sky started to brighten and out came the sun. We decided as it was so pleasant we would keep on going and tonight we are moored up at The Anchor. The beer is good! We had to kill some time waiting until it opened at 7 but found a fellow motorcyclist to alk bikes to whie sheltering from a very sudden, very heavy April shower that produced one the most beautiful and vivid rainbows I have ever seen. The rainbow lasted for at least half an hour as well.

Having eaten we are nipping back over to enjoy another pint (or 2) at The Anchor but today has been a truly lovely cruise. We saw a squirrel tight rope walking along a telegraph wire. Two herons standing together sizing each other up. Lapwings mobbing crows, crows mobbing buzzards and most of the animal species we saw generally getting very territorial and busy nest building.

 

we will have plenty of time to explore Market Drayton tomorrow after all

[Keeping Up]

we will have plenty of time to explore Market Drayton tomorrow after all

Unless you have as good a hangover as I did last time I stopped at the Anchor. Intending to reach Market Drayton the next day, I eventually got moving at about 1pm, and by 2pm I'd had enough and stopped until the next day.

 

I hope you've got yourself a nice new T-shirt.

[Chris J W]

And, to be honest, you'll not really miss much if you missed out Market Drayton!

[Sue1946]

What a bonus!

 

The weather forecasters were not completely right! We set off from Hatherton this morning (having decided there was no point in getting soaked to cruise away from the mooring for a hour last night. It was dryish - a few spits and spots of rain occasionally turned into a drzzle but not sufficient to be worrying. I suppose when the forecast was for 7 hours of precipitation then 7 hours of spits and spots is still precipitation! We soon cleared the familiar bit and got beyond Brewood and the rain got a bit heavier. When we reached Wheaton Aston Lock it decided to prove what real rain was and we both got quite wet. An hour later it was all over and the sky started to brighten and out came the sun. We decided as it was so pleasant we would keep on going and tonight we are moored up at The Anchor. The beer is good! We had to kill some time waiting until it opened at 7 but found a fellow motorcyclist to alk bikes to whie sheltering from a very sudden, very heavy April shower that produced one the most beautiful and vivid rainbows I have ever seen. The rainbow lasted for at least half an hour as well.

Having eaten we are nipping back over to enjoy another pint (or 2) at The Anchor but today has been a truly lovely cruise. We saw a squirrel tight rope walking along a telegraph wire. Two herons standing together sizing each other up. Lapwings mobbing crows, crows mobbing buzzards and most of the animal species we saw generally getting very territorial and busy nest building.

 

we will have plenty of time to explore Market Drayton tomorrow after all

 

How extraordinary!! I must be 100-150-ish? miles to the south, and had a very similar day weatherwise!! There I was gardening late morning, then the spits n spots drove me in, later lovely sun again, then thunderous clouds, heavy rain, beaut rainbow too!

On the downside - no chatty bikers, lousy wine (well it was cheap so I thought to give it a whirl!), no squirrels or herons or other birds - just a friendly robin who was curious at my gardening efforts!

So glad your short holiday has started so well, enjoy!

[cheshire~rose]

No hangover!

 

Lovely evening spent chatting to boaters and an different lot of bikers - it is an amazing morning - blue skies, gorgeous sunshine and we have time to watch F1 quallifying before we set off to invesigate the charity shops n Market Drayton.

 

We have however realsied that with the longer days of the summer it would mean The Anchor would be achievable as a weekend cruise. I think Dave is still not 100% used to having crew that are happy to keep going, assist with locks and no dogs demanding a stop at a place to suit their requirements along the way.

 

- a boat has just passed and disrupted the TV signal and despite adjustments to the positioning of the spare bag of coal (which usually tweaks the TV signal perfectly well) the TV signal is breaking up so we will abandon qualifying and head to MD

[cheshire~rose]

To all you Jonah's who said there was nothing at Market Drayton worth stopping for - you were wrong!

 

A very nice bowl of home made pea and ham soup with half a warm ciabatta at Jones for lunch (not cheap but well worth it), a lovely loaf of bread from the deli in the square, 2 nice pairs of jeans and a 1970's Norwegian stainless steel cheese plane with a lovely teak handle for 50p from the charity shops.

 

Ok so we did miss there being a proper butchers shop and there were far too many empty shops in this town that has obviously been hit very hard by the credit crunch but there are some lovely buildings and it was well worth a wander around.

 

I realised why I had no hangover yesterday morning. I spotted a pair of enormous buzzards in a tree across the field by us and told Dave to come and have a look. Dave did not seem that impressed and handed me the telescope to look closer at the pair of fat wood pigeons. - perhaps I had not sobered up!

 

Yesterday we were in no doubt about just how many buzzards we did see though. they seemed to be enjoying the thermals created by a bit of sunshin One spent a good whle circling low over the boat - we could almost see the glint in his eye I was wondering if he had spotted a mouse in our roof garden! We aslo saw one drop like a stone out of the sky straight into a tree where pigeons were gathering to roost. They are really amazing to watch

 

the silence was broken this morning by a wonderful old wooden boat "Dane" passing with Cara on a long line behind. Such a wonderful sound

 

Waiting for the end of the grand prix to turn and set off back up the locks.

[Keeping Up]

the silence was broken this morning by a wonderful old wooden boat "Dane" passing with Cara on a long line behind. Such a wonderful sound

I hope Baldock doesn't get the same idea!

[cheshire~rose]

I think I had forgotten just how many "new to boating" boaters you get on the canals at this time of year. I thought it was a brilliant idea for Dave to give up smoking this weekend but after having to be very patient and make huge allowances for inexperience on the third occasion today I was only too happy to pour him a glass of wine before he completely blew his top! We spent the best part of an hour pootling along at tickover trying hard not to catch up too much with one boat who insisted on slowing down even more for every bridge hole. Eventually Dave took advantage of a long straight with no moored boats and overtook. About half an hour after we moored the slow boat came past and stopped to fill with water as we wandered down to the pub. We stopped to chat to the owner and he was feeling very proud of wha good progress he had made today. He had started off bright and early this morning from his overnight mooring after the Tyrley locks and managed to get to Weaton Aston for tea time. We on the other hand had a lazy morning and watched the end of the grand prix before setting off, winding and getting up the 5 tyrley locks and managed to tie up half an hour ahead of them. Either he had not made such good progress as he thought he had or else we muct have been breaking the speed limit - I better apologise now to all the owners of the moored boats we must have upset by passing at the speed of light today

[cheshire~rose]

I hope Baldock doesn't get the same idea!

 

I don't think it is an idea that has not passed through Chris' mind but he is busy enough making sure that Baldock is kept in fine fettle without the additional demands that a butty would place on his time/wallet.

 

Apart from anything else the correct butty for Baldock would require a little more than just a lick of paint before she was refloated:

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12106259@N06/2660616190/