Day 2 – Shore Leave: Brewood, Staffordshire
This was going to be easy. We planned to meet good friends of ours for a long overdue catch up at Brewood, less than an hours cruise away. The canal was busier today (Saturday) and the weather just perfect.
<<<Shroppie 2019: Day 1
Caring is sharing
And as is often the case on a weekend, we met the local angling club strung along the towpath. Don’t panic! Just be sure to stay to the centre of the channel where possible and they will lift their rods out of the way when you approach. There’s no need to slow right down either. A passing canal boat is often an anglers friend: the movement of the boat disturbs the fish basking on the bottom. And if it’s a sunny day, the fish will use the boat’s shadow to stay cool. A real fish magnet! Of course we all know the fish stay underneath the bridges when it’s raining to keep dry
Ancient Brewood
Brewood is mentioned in the Domesday book. In it, it’s spelled Breude which is a lot closer to the way the locals pronounce it than the modern day spelling suggests. There’s plenty of official Visitor mooring at Brewood and from here it’s a short walk into the village centre. There’s a couple of local supermarkets, a favourite sweet shop and The Mess bistro is always on the cards as their homemade cakes are a real treat!
Find out more about historic Brewood in it’s Wiki entry here.
We wandered the mediaeval town taking in the church of St Mary and St Chad and the beautifully preserved Georgian architecture in the surrounding streets. Back to Kodran for beers on the stern and although shaded in one of the Shroppie’s many cuttings, it was pleasantly warm. Dinner in the Bridge Inn adjacent to the moorings (4 Trip Advisor blobs is generous IMO; go into the village if you want something other than standard ‘pub grub’) and after a couple of very good pints that was us for the night.
Cruising Notes
This is no more than an hour from where we moored at the end of Day 1 and an easy single day’s cruise from Gailey. In fact with lighter evenings it’s doable from when you set off. However, Brewood is busy and despite the plentiful moorings each side of Bridge 14 can quickly fill up. Any spot after Bridge 13 should be grabbed! If you’re only out for a short break then turning at Brewood is the more relaxing option – Wheaton Aston and back is a further 2 1/2 hours – via the winding hole north of Bridge 14.
If this has whetted your appetite for a cruise of your own, you can find all the Booking Details here. You can find more tips on our Home Page and FAQs.
