Tuesday, July 17th, Barthomley - Stoke Minster, 14 miles

This was the day I was least looking forward to: the 2SW guide warns of 'urban deprivation' near the Trent and Mersey north of Stoke and I was apprehensive about encountering dubious characters along the canal. But after a cooked breakfast served by Olivia and her even younger sister Lily in their school uniforms, I set out at 8.45 and made my way via quiet lanes up and through the village of Audley (which may look nondescript, but boasts its own theatre) to reach Apedale Country Park. Skirting the foot of its hill, I was back on the 2SW, and pleased to spot the red waymarkers which David and a friend had put up only the week before.

I reached the Newcstle's uninviting suburb of Chesterton too early for either of its pubs to be open. From a tombstone in Holy Trinity Churchyard, I had just texted Simon bemoaning the lack of refreshments, when I discovered the Mighty Bite Sandwich Bar and Cafe just down across the green! Over a cup of builders' tea I informed the surprised proprietress that her establishment was now on a pilgrimage route. She replied that any extra business would be welcome.

Suitably refreshed, I closely followed the 2SW up and over the green space between Chesterton and the A34, which I crossed at the Bradwell Lane lights.  Then through the Bradwell estate, whose roads are named after Arnold Bennett characters, to the crematorium, from where a flight of steps leads steeply down through woodland to an underpass under the A500.  I was whistling the "The Lord's my Shepherd" to keep my spirits up as I entered this "valley of the shadow of death", but encountered nobody either in the underpass or crossing Chemical Lane, the railway footbridge and then patchy woodland to reach the Trent and Mersey Canal.

Following the guide's advice, I left the route at this point to walk a little way northwards up the canal to Westport Lake, which now boasts an attractive new Visitors' Centre.  But before I had tea there, I finished Joyce's picnic (beef sandwiches, what else?) on a lakeside bench, admiring the woodland which obscures the sight, if not the sound of the A500. 

Middleport Pottery backs onto the canal.
 © Copyright Chris Allen

It was just after 1pm, and with Simon not due to collect me from Stoke Minster until 5.30pm, I had time on my hands.  I decided to take a detour at Middleport to the Victorian Burleigh Pottery, rescued from oblivion by the Dorlings in 1999 but recently taken over by Denby Pottery with hopefully an even longer lease of life.  In its tearoom, a regular  called Angie embroidered my account of my wanderings with tales of the 'Kidsgrove Boggart', whose chains could be heard rattling in the nearby woodland and the holy well in Kidsgrove's Bathpool Park.

Still with plenty of time to spare, and as the afternoon had brightened up, I resolved to follow the Way religiously along the detour it takes round the Trent and Mersey's filled-in Burslem arm to the former gardens of Festival Park.  But though I left the canal at Oliver's Mill and turned right along a road lined with scrap as per instructions,  I soon lost my bearings in scrubby woodland. Although I did not encounter another soul, and tempted as I was by butterflies flitting among the flowers on vacant lots, after about 15 minutes of wandering, I judged it prudent to retrace my steps.

In fact, the canalside was much more pleasant than I had anticipated. The firm towpath was being well-used by dogwalkers and cyclists and only one patch of dereliction, where a piece of wall has fallen into the canal, disfigured its green banks.  But when I dived into adjoining woodland for a comfort break I found I was relieving myself on Newport Pottery's old shraffheap!

I carried on in warm sunshine to Etruria, where I stopped for a lemon and lime at the China Garden pub at Stoke Marina. With still time to spare, I decided to go back and do the Festival Park section in reverse.  The route crosses the landscaped slagheaps separating the retail park from the office developments and the Moat House Hotel. From this landmark, I did indeed discover the brick bust of Josiah Wedgwood, then headed  into the woodland up the slate bed of a former waterfall. The guide helped me rediscover other features I had completely forgotten since visiting the Festival in 1986 - stone circles, sculptures and a footbridge crossing a small ravine.  We will revist them on one of our winter walks.



At Stoke Minster's Saxon Preaching Cross



What with dawdling and rediscovering I had to put a step on it to meet Simon  in time - and Stoke Minster now seemed further away than I'd bargained for.  Due to exhaustion or dehydration, I began to feel groggy while passing Hanley cemetery and had to take care not to step too near to the canal..

But beside Stoke Town Hall, my spirits lifted on spotting a red cross on the pub opposite Stoke Minster - The Glebe is now a Joules pub!  A Joules pale ale would revive me, I resolved, and when Simon met me in the churchyard, I persuaded him to join me for some refreshment there.  The kitchen was not yet open for hot meals, but the kindly barwomen brought us a splendid cheeseboard, pate, biscuits  and a huge home-made pork pie.  You can can have a good night out in Stoke after all!

Wednesday, July 18th, Stoke to Swynnerton - 11 miles

Today I had a walking companion, our friend and neighbour Margaret.  Simon dropped us back at Stoke Minster on his way in to work, and in bright and breezy conditions, we rejoined the Trent and Mersey canal. We stopped to read the information boards about Stoke City FC (whose Britannia Stadium we were passing) and the former Hem Heath colliery, now an expanse of wasteland. At the first sign of houses, we left the canal and dog-legged through a Trentham estate to reach a pleasant (and hitherto unknown) path along the wooded Longton Brook, which brought us to the A34 at Trentham Gardens.

Naturally, we stopped off for elevenses, and in the Garden Centre restaurant we had a chance encounter with Morag, Carol and Elizabeth of the Arnold Bennett society Simon and I also belong to. As promoters of Potteries' culture and history they were keen to hear about our walking venture, which led Elizabeth to the revelation that she had given the names Chad and Werbergh to two of her children!  

Margaret at the Saxon Cross in
Trentham Churchyard

Margaret and I continued to Trentham Church, which happened to be open.  We had a word with the new vicar, who was aware of the 2SW and admired the ornate marble statues in the Sutherland chapel.

Then, following David Pott's recommended slight detour, we carried along the track on the western fringe of the woodland towards the roar of the M6. Here we turned left and went steeply uphill (possibly up the steepest gradient on the 2SW) to emerge on the eastern ridge of Trentham Park. Here, on the "Seven Sisters", there is a proposal to site a huge statue of a Saxon Warrior dominating the skyline above the M6, but there was no sign of any foundation-laying.

Passing the open gate in the Trentham Estate fence, we continued  in oak woodland high above Trentham Lake.  The occasional sharp shower alternated with dappled sunshine, which fortunately persisted during our steep descent into and climb out of the valley near Trentham Monkey Forest. We emerged at the Monument, where we picnicked with a fine view down to the lake and the gardens.

We were on home territory as we climbed down Monument Hill and cut through Tittensor via Moment Lane and Copeland Drive to reach the chain of ponds running parallel to Winghouse Lane. A short uphill stretch along this road brought us to our turnoff south-east, first over Clumber Hill, then across Tittensor Chase to the A51 at Bury Bank. From there, it was just over a mile over tracks and lanes back to home to Swynnerton.

Thursday, July 19th, Swynnerton to Great Haywood, 13 miles

What freedom it is to set out from home to reach a distant destination entirely under your own steam!  But first, I had an appointment with 2SW founder David Pott. I'd arranged to meet him at the Darlaston Inn at Meaford, or rather its Wacky Warehouse playbarn, the pub not being open at that early hour. The Duty Manageress was amazed to learn that her establishment was now on a pilgrimage route, but keen to find out more about her historic hostelry. David commiserated with me about the rainy conditions, but I assured him they weren't dampening my spirits.

Then hastily on to Stone, where I found my walking companion for the day, Dorothy from Stone Ramblers, sheltering near  Star Lock.  First we called in at St Michael's and St Wulfad's, where tea and coffee were on offer following Morning Communion.  We said hello to Rector Ian Cardinal, then paid a visit to the Stone Priory Seal (both featured in episode 5 of  the ITV series "Britain's Secret Treasures" the following day). In the churchyard, we admired the colourful, if windblown wildflower beds awaiting their day of judgement for Stone in Bloom.

The weather continued showery, so when we reached the delightful village of Burston, we ate our sandwiches in St Rufin's chapel, where Dorothy discovered that her July 24th birthday was also St Rufin's day!  Then back to the canal and on through Sandon, Weston and Hixon, where the towpath is enhanced with information boards and benches. I was especially glad of these, the sight of a kingfisher and Dorothy's company, to relieve this rural but rather unrelieved trudge. (The 2SW leaves the canal near Salt to go up to Hopton, Stafford and Milford for Cannock Chase but because of accommodation constraints, my destination was Great Haywood instead.)

We arrived there at 4 pm and over tea in the beer garden of the Clifford Arms, I phoned to confirm my room at High Meadows Guest House, a handsome villa in the Arts and Crafts style most sympathetically furnished by owner Julie Carrington, who had set out an airer for our sodden clothes!

Dorothy came up with me to my room, where we had a shower, a change and a rest before the ever-supportive Simon arrived (by car) from Swynnerton to take us for a meal at the Wolesley Arms, about 10 minutes away.  After a convivial evening, Simon drove Dorothy home to Stone, leaving me to my William Morris room. But despite its comfortable bed, I was far too excited about next day's challenges to sleep much.

Friday July 20th, Great Haywood - Lichfield, 17 miles

Having breakfasted on three poached eggs from Julie Carrington's hens, I left High Meadows Guest House at 8.30, crossed Shugborough Park and Satnall Hills and arrived 9.30 at Milford Common, where I had arranged to meet Gerald from Stone Ramblers. He arrived at 10.00 with a pleasant surprise in the shape of fellow Rambler Pam. The 2SW follows the Heart of England Way over the Chase, but we were heartened to spot its red waymarks which had gone up since my reconnoitering walk of only the week before.  At Springslade Lodge Tea Rooms we were joined at 11.30 by my friends  Val and Nick, keen wildlife watchers on the Chase. Gerald photographed us at the nearby Katyn memorial to the 25,000 Polish prisoners of war murdered by Stalin in WW2. 



(from left): Nick, Pam, Christine and Val

 With Gerald and Pam setting us a brisk pace, we continued across the Sherbrook Valley to Flints Corner and the start of Marquis Drive.  The dark cloud which threatened during our picnic on the old RAF Hednesford site (with five of us sharing on one bench) dissolved into warm sunshine which gave us all a good thirst when we reached Castle Ring and the nearby Park Gate tavern at about 2.30. Pam stood us all a round and having said goodbye to Val and Nick, the three of us continued towards Lichfield, but taking an alternative route to avoid Watery Lane near Gentleshaw, which had been muddy back in April even before all the rain started.

On a steep downhill outside Gentleshaw, we overtook a young mum proudly pushing her 10-week old baby for his first walk in his red BMX-style pram.  She was wearing weights round her ankles to get herself back into condition.

At the appropriately-named hamlet of Farewell, Gerald and Pam turned north for Longdon, leaving me to walk the last couple of miles of the 2SW along Cross in Hand Lane, whose name surely betokens the old pilgrimage route.  Hardly had I left them than a lady cyclist stopped to ask me whether I was OK on my own! I assured her I was, having felt completely safe all along the 2SW.

From where Cross in Hand Lane meets the A51, it was just a couple of hundred yards back up the main road to the Hedgehog Hotel where Simon and I were booked in that night.  When we retired to bed after a rather protracted meal, Simon reproduced the ceremony of the first pilgrim party by washing my feet with a cold wet towel - a most refreshing experience!

Saturday July 21st, Journey's End, 1 mile

First thing on Saturday morning, Simon and I walked from the Hedgehog Hotel to Lichfield Cathedral.  I lit a candle at St Chad's shrine behind the High Altar, sat in the 'pedelavium', a row of arched niches where the first pilgrim party had their feet washed by the Cathedral's Canon Chancellor, then had some rest and reflection in St Chad's Head chapel.  In warm sunshine we then strolled to St Chad's Church at the far end of Stowe Pool to find the interpretation board marking the end (or the beginning) of The Two Saints' Way near St Chad's Well in its churchyard.  The church was closed that day, so I couldn't sign the pilgrims' book which is kept there  - but I shall return to do that another day and sign off here instead.  THANKS FOR READING THIS BLOG!