Autherley Junction

Today's Canal - Shropshire Union, Staffs and Worcester (just)

We walked into Brewood for the morning service at the splendid parish church. The oldest part, the chancel, is said to date from the 13C, replacing an older but less durable structure. Overall, the present size is the result of various additions made in many different centuries.

The present tower and spire are part of later restorations as well as many features that are typically Victorian. The reredos is, however, early 20C. It is now very open and light and is gradually being updated for present day needs. Today's informal service is experimental, uses words on a large tv screen and included some pre-recorded songs as well as those accompanied by a piano. The congregation sat at small tables cafe-style in a space at the back of the main part of the church. It was very well led by a number of the lay members of the church including one young person. We were made extremely welcome - including sausage sandwiches before the start as well as the traditional coffee!

The church interior has a number of tombs and memorials to various wealthy residents - one of the Giffard dynasty (of Chillington Hall) is buried here even though they became one of the leading Catholic families in the country.

Brewood Hall (see) on the south edge of the village was built in the 17C and this memorial to several members of the extended family shows that in the 18C they must have become quite wealthy. John Holland became a Merchant of the Staple (an ancient Company that protected the interests of dealers in wool, skin, lead and tin. 

After leaving the church we walked back up Market Street to buy a few more items from the Co-Op. Brewood was granted a marker charter in 1221. Although this brought wealth to the village for a long time, the gradual much faster growth of Wolverhampton, only 7 miles away, gradually led to the markets being abandoned.

At the Market Square we spotted a horse and carriage. We did discover whether they make a regular appearance here but coincidentally we noted it on our last visit here in 2019.

By the time we returned to the boat it was too late to set off before lunch so it was somewhat later that we resumed our journey, aiming to reach Autherley Junction for tonight's stopover. This rather more ornate bridge than the ordinary for the canal carries the main Avenue approach to Chillington hall, seat of the Giffard family. 

There indications from where we moored last night to a mile or so south that the towpath and access to it are part of a small scale improvement programme. Here as new set of steps is under construction - let's hope that it is a little better designed than the ones we used to get from the towpath to the street into Brewood.

The footbridge between the towpath and the opposite bank is an access to Wolverhampton Boat Club (it does not look much used now but it marks the start of the final run in to the southern end of the canal.

Just a short distance before the junction the towpath crosses from one side to the other using this splendid turnover' bridge. It is not unique but still rather unusual because it provides accommodation access for the land owner as well as a separate route for horses.

A small cruiser had just come through the stop lock and paused to use the rubbish bins after closing the gate. One of the crew very kindly re-opened the gate and saw us through. He normally works on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal but is currently helping a friend to learn how to navigate the system back to Manchester. Because of the continuing closure on the Trent and Mersey they are having to take the longer route via Nantwich. We then moored just around the corner.

5.2 Miles - 1 Lock