Barton

We are into our fourth week at Barton and have had a busy time since we got here. Firstly I had a trip back up to Leeds to get the car, nice easy trip with a direct train into Leeds from Burton upon Tent, Burton is only four miles from our mooring so is nice and handy.
Our first weekend was spent getting to know the village and surrounding area, this included a trip into Lichfield which is only a few miles down the A38.

Lichfield Cathedral

This was my second time in Lichfield and I love the fact that is has retained its individual shops and market alongside the usual chains.
The cathedral (dedicated to St Chad who became the first bishop of Lichfield in 669) is worth a visit with its impressive facade adorned with statues of the saints as well as the kings of England up to Richard II. The cathedral suffered more than any other during the civil war as the walls around the cathedral close made an ideal garrison, it being occupied by the Royalists then the Parliamentarians then once again by the royalists, obviously this caused a lot of damage by cannon fire and the central spire along with most of the roof were destroyed, fortunately the damage was repaired over the following century.
Notable  names from Lichfield include Erasmus Darwin (gandfather of Charles), Samue Johnson and Elias Ashmole (founder of the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford).

The following week found us making our way down to Bristol for the wedding of Vicky and Ian.

Proud Moment

The first few days were spent on preparations for the big day.
We had a great time and it was nice to catch up with all the family again. The weather was really kind we were blessed with sunshine and unseasonably warm temperatures. We really enjoyed the wedding day, it was a simple affair but nice all the same and it was great to meet Ian's family, we wish the happy couple all the best for their future together.
We were awoken, on our last morning in the hotel, by fireworks at 6 in the morning, these were followed by another display 25 minutes later, it was only when we watched the news that we learned what was going on. The first display was timed to coincide with the departure of the new Great Western trains to London, this was famously aborted due to a leaky air conditioning unit, the second somewhat subdued affair marked the eventual departure of the train.
Not much else to report about Bristol as we didn't spend much time exploring.

We returned to the boat on a very wet and windy Tuesday, but happily the weather improved the following morning so we decided to go for a walk to explore the area further.
I downloaded the OS maps app on my phone, it costs £23 a year to subscribe but is worth the money as it gives access to all the OS maps and contains walks,  cycle rides etc all centred around your current location, ideal for us when we are on the move. The maps can also be downloaded so you do not have to rely on having a mobile signal.

Wychnor Church

We used the app to select a circular walk starting and finishing at the marina. The route took us along the canal to Wychnor, a tiny village with an old church and the remains of a medieval village, the route then took us across fields to return to Barton under Needwood and the marina. As we entered the village we called into the Royal Oak and I was asked if I would like my beer from the pump or from the barrel, I selected the barrel and have to say it was one of the best pints I have ever had!

The following day we set off on a different route heading to the north of the village across the grounds of Dunstan Hall.
Our route took us past the old church in Barton, the building of the current church was begun in the early 16th century. The church was built by John Taylor, Master of the Rolls to HenryVIII.
John Taylor was born in the village in the 15th century and was one of a set of triplets,  this must of been a rare thing during this time. His father was a woodman in the village which in those days was surrounded by the Needwood, a popular hunting ground used by the nobility. It is said that Henry VII was out hunting in the forest when he came across the triplets, and saw in them the Holy Trinity, he took them under his wing and paid for them to be educated, John Taylor studied theology and rose through various positions in the royal court. He returned to the village to build the church, since extended by the Victorians.
We continued into the grounds of the hall with its fine display of Oak and Chestnut trees, both looking spectacular in the autumn afternoon sunshine.

Towards the end of the week we travelled back up to Leeds for the Ex-Players lunch at Aireborough RUFC followed by my Dads birthday, returning to the boat on Wednesday.As always it was a pleasure catching up with old friends.

We have spent the last week out walking and catching up with jobs on the boat and hope to take the boat out for a few days in the near future.

Our Mooring

Barton Marina Prom