Lichfield Branch

Saturday/Sunday 20th/21st May—Moira Canal Festival

Sadly the Moira Festival had to be cancelled this year. There had been a lot of heavy rain prior to the event and the ground conditions were not good enough for a public event. Back next year.

Wednesday 7th June—Evening Walk Great Haywood to Shugborough

The midsummer late afternoon walk has become a popular addition to the branch calendar. Not only does a June date promise better weather, but the later start also means we can enjoy an evening meal rather than lunch. And so it was that the sun beat down as we assembled outside

The Clifford Arms in Great Haywood. The theme for the day was “discovering the hidden parts of Shugborough”, albeit one of the entrances to Lord Lichfield’s estate, and the first railway arch we passed under. is very well known and not at all hidden, it nonetheless brought us onto the T&M by Lock 22, Haywood Lock, from where we headed south. This stretch of the towpath is relatively quiet, since most people tend to venture north from here towards Haywood Junction. The river Trent runs parallel to the canal and there are extensive views across to Cannock Chase.

We left the towpath by bridge 72 and Navigation Farm and walked towards the Chase, crossing the river by Weetman’s bridge. Turning sharp right, we entered the Shugborough Estate through an inconspicuous gap in a hedge and walked through a wood, which is resplendent with bluebells in May. This is a permissive path, which is not shown on OS maps. Eventually we reached one of Shugborough’s hidden gems, an ornate railway bridge. The Anson family were not keen on the railway passing through their land, and this was one of several embellishments built by the engineers as compensation. Hadrian’s