Bridge at Goms Mill on the Trent and Mersey Canal.

March 2013

Fuelled with a Full English Breakfast we head off in heavy rain to our Staffordshire Walk.

By the time we've travelled north to Aston by Stone the sky has cleared and it does not rain for the rest of the day.

Although the early going is heavy on mud (see right) thereafter we have good light, splendid views over the Sandon Estate, including a hunt following a trail, and a long stretch along the Trent and Mersey canal.

For those of us who are both walkers and boaters this is a great delight and fascinating to see the differences between canals here in Staffordshire, the county with the most miles of canals, and our eastern regions.

Lunch is at the Hollybush at Salt, busy and good quality food and drink, so we can cheerfully say that our walk took us from Stone to Salt.

Part of this figure-of-eight walk took us along the Aston to Burston Trail and the Two Saints Way. This would be a very flexible walk as there's a pub in the middle and at the end, with opportunities to extend or reduce the length.

The Trent and Mersey Canal is a cross country canal intended to to link the Potteries in Stoke on Trent to Liverpool in the east and Hull in the west, which, via the river Trent, it does, curving south wards almost to Lichfield and back up past Nottingham to the coast.

There is a fair smattering of liveaboard boaters here, living more economically than the summer boaters who have stored their boats in marinas at some cost.

Often liveaboards create their own self help communities, but I was seriously warned by someone who knows the owner of the skull and antlers boat (below) that he takes no prisoners and hates people photographing his boat. Fortunately he was either away or asleep when I passed.

It makes for an alarming spectacle. I could see no name on the side.

In the evening to The Bull's Head at Barston for a good meal. An unassuming pub but a sound local and to our minds preferable to the gastro pub up the road.

After a final evening pint at the White Lion, to bed for a sound sleep, knowing that we have walked in 26 counties, seen fine countryside and a splendid hunt - toot toot!