Marsh Harrier

This bridge, just south west of Great Haywood, always makes me laugh.

It's hard to imagine anything less likely to swivel!

Ah well, perhaps there was a swing bridge here as some point. We're glad not to have the extra obstacle on the way to Tixall Wide, today or any day. Having delayed our departure until the rain stopped, we found that we were on our own wanting to come up Great Haywood lock – unlike the eight boats that were waiting above to come down. I dread to think what was happening at Colwich lock back down the cut – it's slower than Great Haywood, and it wouldn't have been surprising to find a dozen boats queueing.

We, however, after filling the water tank, turned down the Staffs and Worcs canal on our way to Autherley Junction for a service appointment on Monday. We put in a slightly longer shift than usual on this stretch, and have moored up just above Deptmore Lock, opposite what we think of as the Marsh Harrier field.

Whether they actually were Marsh Harriers we saw on a previous occasion we're not completely certain, but we have had no reason to think of them as anything else. Whatever, here's the view through the side-hatch this late afternoon.