The morning of Sunday 26th July saw twelve club members gather at Great Haywood Marina in the heart of rural Staffordshire. Great Haywood is an ideal starting point for a paddle as it lies at the junctions of the Trent & Mersey Canal, the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal and the River Trent. A modern and well equipped cafe serving breakfasts from 9am added to its suitability for our purposes!
The Met Office weather forecast for the day was accurate; rain was predicted and shortly after Dave Hutt took this picture of the assembled throng it started to rain. It rained more or less continuously all day but our spirits were not dampened.
We moved the cars about 8 miles away to our final destination in a lay-by adjacent to the A513 Rugeley Road, Armitage which we would later access from the Trent & Mersey Canal.
We put in right outside the Marina Cafe and had a ten minute paddle along the Trent & Mersey where there was a short portage to the River Trent. Sadly, whilst transferring my weight from the kayak to the bank I slipped into the water. I did not swim – the water barely came up to my waist but all of my new friends who weren’t laughing or taking photos managed to crowd around and lift me out. Thanks everyone especially Phil Riley who nominated me to write this trip report based on the restrained use of the English language I demonstrated at this point in our adventure.
Our journey continued along a generally quiet and peaceful stretch of the River Trent. Other than some anglers we didn’t see any other users of the waterway. There were two couples of swans with cygnets which were given a wide berth. We had a refreshment break on a sloping muddy embankment which appeared to have been regularly used by cattle drinking from the river. Our lunch was interrupted when the herd of cows returned to the field and wanted to dispute ownership of the said muddy slope, so we moved out to an embankment mid-stream rather than fall out with them.
Half a mile or so before leaving the Trent we passed under a railway bridge consisting of three arches. The middle arch was blocked with a fallen tree and debris, the right hand arch appeared fast-flowing and the decision was taken to navigate the left-hand arch. Sadly for those at the front of the flotilla, floating became impossible as the water depth on that side of the river reduced to zero just beyond the bridge. The sight of a beached canoe and kayaks caused some amusement on the part of those of us who were able to quickly change course and navigate the mild turbulence under the only navigable arch.
Some of the more energetic members of our party chose to stop and play in the eddies whilst others moved on to the last portage point at a place where the canal again runs close to the river. This involved getting out of the river and crossing underneath the railway line via a long pedestrian tunnel. At the other end was the canal which at that point was very narrow. We put in from the canal side and headed west towards our final destination. The party was forced to stop and wait as a pleasure barge travelling towards us negotiated a narrow tunnel under the main road. The tunnel was quite long and dark but it was possible to see the tool marks made by the “navvies” who carved out the tunnel and the cuttings by hand in the 18th century.
We arrived safely back at the cars where we disembarked and set off for home; wet but happy.
As one of the more recent people to join the club I’d like to thank all of those more skilled and experienced members who freely give their time to impart their knowledge. This was my first trip and it surely won’t be my last. Thank you to Martin Stretton and Martin Aldridge who helped organise the event and Richard Matthews who assisted with managing club equipment.
Mick Perry