Bridge 42 to Goldstone Bridge (Shropshire Union Canal)

 It was another lovely sunny day as we set off up the canal.  Past Shebdon Embankment and also past the old Cadbury’s factory,( now producing only dried milk) whose goods used to be carried to and from Bournville (on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal) by narrow boat.

The Wharf Tavern, Goldstone

Through lots of bridges, we moored jut past Bridge 55 at Goldstone opposite The Wharf Tavern.  We chugged 5 miles today, a long way for us, we now need a sit down!  It’s a really nice mooring, the pub is very good and there is nothing else much around. The pub has a caravan park and it is packed this weekend.

Mooring at Goldstone Opposite the Pub

We decided to walk to a small village called Cheswardine about a mile away away, so off we went.  Well, what a nice surprise, it is a really nice village and it has two pubs, The Fox and Hounds and the Red Lion. At the side of the Fox and Hounds pub, there was a Community Shop.  It wasn’t open, but they had a covered newspaper stand with newspapers which had been pre-ordered and you just took your newspaper and put the money in the newspaper stand.  They also had some loaves of bread with the price on and you just put the money in the newspaper stand.  We also found a stall selling fresh free range eggs, so that’s breakfast sorted!

Walked back, it went very dark and started spitting with rain, but luckily it waited until we had got back to the boat before it rained properly, didn’t last for long though.

We are staying here tomorrow as well as we are having lunch in the pub, then will chug off on Monday.