Mileages are measured from Great
Haywood and the banks labelled
for a paddler facing downstream.
Great Haywood
The
old packhorse (Essex) bridge carries a track from Great Haywood to Shugborough
Hall. The river Sow has
joined right just above the weir.
0.0
miles - Essex bridge 16th century
Picture Arthur Cornwall
Launch from the left bank between the weir and
footbridge.
About 200 yards below Essex
bridge a carriage bridge carrying a track from Shugborough Hall to the village has been
demolished. Its continuation over the adjacent canal remains.
1
mile - Railway Bridge
1.3
miles - Severn Springs bridge 1888
Paid
for by public subscription with Joseph Weetman the largest donor. It is still known as Weetman’s
bridge and the surface is still cobbled. Site of an
old ford.
Camping
at Park View Farm Caravan and Camping Club Site. Park View Farm. Little
Haywood. Stafford. ST18 0TR Tel: 01889 881185 15 June update
- May have shut - no answer on the phone at many times of the day.
2.3
miles - Colwich bridge (A 51)
4.3
miles - Canal aqueduct.
Low headroom.
Easy
portage left above bridge to canal for circular tour back to Great Haywood
5.3
miles - Rugely Bridge (B5013)
Island.
Pass either side
Don't
be tempted to try camping
at Silvertrees Caravan Park. Stafford Brook Road, Penkridge Bank, Rugeley, WS15 2TX. Tel. 01889 582185.
It's three miles from the river and only a caravan park. They don't
understand tents. :(
5.8
miles - Railway Bridge
Rugeley
power station right
Picture Arthur
Cornwall
1,000-megawatt
coal-fired power station owned by International Power Plc. Rugeley
A was opened in 1963. Built by
the Central Electricity Generating Board and National Coal Board, it was the
first to use the huge concave dry cooling towers, which have since become such
a feature of the landscape. Canoeists
should love them because they reduce water loss - a necessity as each boiler
uses more than 1,000 tonnes of water an hour. Rugeley B opened in 1972.
Lea Hall Colliery, on the same site, closed in 1990, and coal now
arrives by rail. Rugeley A closed
in 1995 and has since been demolished.
7.2
miles - Railway Bridge
Dave Allery
writes, 15 June 2004. "There are restrictions in the right hand arch of
this bridge - advise stay in left arch. A friend tells me that the restriction
used to be a wooden board that diverted water pressure away from the
parapet. What's left looks hazardous from below." May
2005 update, right arch is now clear and the best route.
7.7
miles - Mavesyn Ridware footbridge 1866
Land
left in field below bridge. There is
an easy
portage over the bridge, through the tunnel under the railway and onto the
canal at the other side for round trips. You can walk into Armitage this
way. The car park of the Plum Pudding brasserie on the canal bank
in Armitage is a good launch point for river trips. The portage under
the railway and over Mavesyn Ridware footbridge is not arduous.
8.5
miles - Armitage High bridges (B5014)
No easy
landing. Probably best on the right under the new bridge. You can
park on the approach to the old bridge.
The
beautiful single-arch cast-iron bridge made in Coalbrookdale in 1830
remains. Traffic uses the adjacent modern bridge on the upstream side. This is the
home of Armitage Shanks, the sanitary ware company, whose name appears on
countless toilets and sinks around the world.
Island.
Pass left. Strong eddies.
For
the next 40 miles the river meanders in a wide flood plain
forming islands and separate streams, the washlands.
9.2
miles pipe bridge
9.7
miles - Nethertown footbridge
10.3
miles - Nethertown island
The
island has been largely excavated leaving the two arms of the Trent
surrounding a large gravel pit. The left arm has the most flow and provides the easiest route.
The right arm has more interest.
12.5 - Left branch rejoins river.
12.8
miles - Yoxall bridges. Old bridge upstream of new one 1998.
16
miles - Wychnor Hall and Park on the hill left.
Holiday
cottages.
Ford.
Keep right in low water
16.6
miles River Swarbourn joins left
16.8
miles - Alrewas right.
The five story Alrewas mill on the right bank
has been visible for some
time. A side stream passes under the mill and through the
centre of Alrewas to rejoin the main river just above the canal junction.
Alrewas was originally Alder Wash, a marshy area containing Alder
trees. The area between the canal and river was once an osier bed
where young willows were harvested for basket weaving.
17 miles -
Wooden footbridge carrying
the canal towpath.
This
bridge is low enough to stop most motorboats accidentally going up the river
channel J.
The
Trent
and Mersey Canal leaves the river right at Alrewas lock
The
next 600yrds of river form part of the Trent and Mersey navigation.
Do
not try to camp at Kingfisher Holiday Park, Fradley Junction, Alrewas, Burton-on-Trent,
Staffordshire DE13 7DN Tel: 01283 790407 Fax: 01283 790407 click here
email here. Despite
camping being marked on the ordnance survey they've not taken tents for four
years!
Click here for the next section,
Alrewas to King mill.
