A great big lake - Shugborough and Tixall, Staffs

On a grey day, I went off to find one of the wonders of the canal system, Tixall Wide 

I started in the grounds of Shugborough Hall (National Trust).

This is the gardener's house in the lovely walled garden,...

..which is big enough to accommodate three pigs

..and a good display of early potatoes

Outside the garden, I passed one of the follies

...and the main estate farmhouse

Shugborough Hall - I never think it's particularly attractive, but you might disagree.

I was heading for the packhorse bridge at the edge of the Shugborough estate.

It crosses the River Trent.

I used to swim here on canal holidays (when I was younger!)

From there. I turned left onto the Trent and Mersey Canal.

I had eaten earlier, in the National Trust cafe, ...

..but the Lock House here looked very nice too

Great Haywood is popular with boaters,

...because it's a major junction - between the Trent and Mersey Canal and the Staffs and Worcs Canal

I turned onto the Staffs and Worcs, passing canal buildings old and new.

Why am I so fascinated by washing hanging out? 

What a beautiful spot to moor up.

The canal passes close to Ingestre Hall. These are the stables - home to some top dressage trainers.

Lily pads - still pretty, even on a dull day

At Tixall Wide the canal becomes very...wide.

Over on the far side, Tixall Gatehouse, built 1580 as to accompany a larger house, now vanished. It belongs to the Landmark Trust - click here to have a look inside - and you can stay here (and play ping pong on the roof, apparently).

It's probably the broadest bit of canal I've ever seen. And no-one is quite sure why it was built like this

Returning by the same route,..

... I passed the brilliant rope swings by the Packhorse Bridge

The day was miserable, so there were very few visitors.

On a fine day, this is a great place for a picnic.

Shugborough's farmland is very flat, with the trees of Cannock Chase visible in the distance

 Both Shugborough itself, and the canal, deserve a closer look - preferably when there are fewer rain clouds around!!! There's more than a day's walking possible here.

Today's walk. Park at the National Trust car park in Shugborough's grounds (Not free,even for NT members) Walk through the walled garden towards the hall, veering off right to the packhorse bridge and the canal. On reaching the canal, turn left, past one lock, to the bridge which is the canal junction. turn left onto the Staffs and Worcs Canal. Tixall Wide is about 3/4 mile along here. Return buy the same route. The walk is about 4.5 miles, depending on the route you take, and where you turn round.