Shallow Lock, Deep Lock

It was a very stuffy night and the weather has indeed turned today, though it's sunny and warm again at the moment. There was an intense band of rain due to arrive at around 11.00, so we got going in good time for the trip round Stafford.

Sheila steered and I did both locks, one at the start, the shallow Tixall Lock, and one at the end, the very deep Deptmore. In between, it was a pleasant chug over the Sow aqueduct, past Stafford and Hazelstrine, home to Stafford Boat Club, and so up onto the pound that passes Acton Trussell.

We used to stop just outside Acton but it was always a pain trying to get decently close to the towpath, so now we go just round the first bend after the lock. The mobile signals are still good here and it's very quiet – further on, the M6 makes its presence felt.

The towels got washed on the way and we tied just after half ten. The rain duly arrived but blew through by one o'clock. Some boat work was done after lunch, basic sweeping, rug brushing and dusting. I've also touched in the bruise in the cabin side paint work since the starboard side is now next to the towpath again and will remain so all the way to Stourport.

As well as raising the matter of Swivel Bridge on here, I started a topic on CWDF's History and Heritage Forum. A contributor there quoted the same document that Jo found and commented on yesterday, basically arguing from the name that it must have been a swing bridge originally and have been subsequently rebuilt.

The design of the current bridge is subtly different to many of the originals, something to do with the absence of a string course, that is a slightly protruding row of stone just above the arch. So it looks like that must be the answer, but it would be interesting to find a more authoritative account, perhaps in the Charles Hadfield book covering the Staffs and Worcs.

I must do a bit more online research myself.

Tomorrow, we'll carry on up the cut, aiming for Penkridge.