Donna, Jane, Hilary and Carol
We were very lucky with the weather. Having had a couple of warm days I thought the weather was bound to change, it cooled slightly as there was a slight breeze but that made it comfortable to walk in. The sun stayed out
We parked at the free parking in Audlem. put on our boots and set off down the road passing the very lovely St James's church going off right to the Shropshire Union canal. After we passed the Bridge Inn we turned right and joined the canal path going under the bridge. As we walked up the gentle hill we passed 12 of the 15 flight of locks.
There were some young swans on the canal, they were not totally white so we thought they must be juveniles. Two of the swans were very close together and preening each other, then one got on the back of the other. They were then making beautiful neck shapes but no one had a camera out then.
A lady on a canal boat said the swans had been about and busy the day before. She also mentioned that you could buy stuff just up the hill by the lock. There were some very nice scones and shortbread, but no ice cream.
We continued along the straight bit of the canal, there were cows and sheep in the fields.
A farmer was busy muck spreading, we couldn't smell it as the breeze was blowing in the opposite direction.
We came off the canal onto a road, Rectory Lane, we walked up to the farm and through the farmyard, passing a barn full of cows. Then negotiated a passage around a tractor that was on the track and full of muck for spreading.
Food wasn't mentioned until 11.55!! We all sat on a large old tree stump near a house called 'Highfields' and ate our lunch. Highfields is a lovely timber framed grade 1 listed house and is dated 1650.
As we walked away from the house along a track there were cows out in the fields at this farm. The track joined Woodhouse Lane where there is a cottage. We went along the lane passed some big houses then left onto Bagley Lane. We were looking out for a finger post, so we passed a dilapidated barn and some houses, the post was near some houses that were barn conversions.
We continued through some fields, from the directions in the book it was not easy to see where we should be going, then we decided to make for the gate and Carol noticed the footpath sign. We crossed Wood Orchard Lane joining the track
This track lead along to a tarmac driveway, that looked like it had recently been done. We left the farm and at the road junction crossed a stile into a field. This lead our way across the stream onto Vicarage Lane and back into Audlem.
We visited the art exhibition in the village hall.
We had tea and cake at Farm Made Tearooms, we were able to sit outside with the sun still shining. They use loose tea rather than tea bags. The Victoria sponge was very light, three of us enjoyed the cake and Hilary just had tea.
