At Burton-on-Trent yesterday (19/04/2021) we did a family walk into town to ALDI passing the National Brewery Centre.
Worryingly the most spectacular building was the magistrates court and later that day police cars with blue lights were whizzing about with gay abandon.
Lots of brewery related buildings, but the smell of malt, which is normally a feature of the town, was not evident while we were there.
In the evening we made the most of the sunny weather to have a BBQ with a posh party disposable one from Sainsbury. Our friends Annie and Ian joined us on the stern of the boat.
And Sainsbury sausages, burgers and chicken.
Rock’n’Roll! A good time was had by all. Rock against vegans!
On Tuesday morning we set off, mistakingly letting Rosie and Jim go ahead of us, who proceeded to trundle along at 2 mph chatting to passers by on the tow path and provoking “canal rage” in Hilary who struggled not to crash into the back of them.
We pulled in to the lavish Mercia Marina to fill up with diesel. We have to decide what percentage is used for propulsion and what for domestic use such as heating to determine how much VAT we have to pay.
We rejoined the main canal with some huge redundant cooling towers on the horizon.
We chugged out of Burton-on-Trent and back into an agricultural landscape with only busy roads and railway over on our left (port side).
Quite a diversity of cattle, ducks and ducklings.
And finally through the huge double Stenson Lock and down to moor up at 15:00 hrs. at Swarkestone. Steve cycled around a scary roundabout over the A50 and down to ALDI to stock up on essential supplies (wine and chocolate).
Swarkestone‘s most famous landmark is Swarkestone Hall Pavilion, also known as Swarkestone Stand and The Grandstand, is a 17th-century pavilion 200 metres north of the ruins of Swarkestone Hall, Swarkestone, Derbyshire. It is a Grade I listed building south of Chellaston on the A514.
The pavilion was constructed between 1630 and 1632. Its frontage displays the arms of Sir John Harpur and his wife Catherine Howard (granddaughter of the Earl of Suffolk), who had married in 1631 or 1632, so it may have been built in celebration of their marriage. The Harpur family lived at the adjacent Swarkestone (Old) Hall, built in the 1560s for Sir Richard Harpur.
The purpose of the building is a matter of some debate. It has been referred to as the Bowling Alley House, The Stand, The Grandstand, The Bullring and The Summerhouse; it is also suggested it may be a banqueting house or a decorative part of a formal garden. Even the enclosure to the front of the pavilion is debated, with suggestions it may have been constructed in the 19th century when the Swarkestone estate was used for large-scale livestock breeding.
In the summer of 1968, Swarkestone locals were bemused and excited to discover the Rolling Stones in the local pub. The band had been driven up from London in limos to shoot the cover of their seventh album, Beggars Banquet with photographer Michael Joseph.
Along the canal is a Canal & River Trust lorry with the livery Search “Local Canal” on the side, but sadly somebody has rubbed the C off of Canal. Good night from The Duke.
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