Sandon Hall is a 19th century country mansion, the seat of the Earl of Harrowby, at Sandon, Staffordshire, five miles (8 km) north northeast of Stafford. It is a Grade II* listed building set in 400 acres (1.6 km2) of parkland.
The Manor of Sandon came to Thomas Erdeswicke by marriage in about 1339 and was held by that family until the death of Sampson Erdeswicke in 1603. Thereafter it passed by marriage until it came to William Hamilton, 2nd Duke of Hamilton in the 17th century. The old manor house was replaced by a new house built in 1769 for Archibald Hamilton by Joseph Pickford of Derby.
The estate was purchased by Nathaniel Ryder, 1st Baron Harrowby in 1776 who retained architect Samuel Wyatt to carry out extensive extensions and improvements. The house was severely damaged by fire in 1848 and was rebuilt in 1852 by Dudley Ryder, 2nd Earl of Harrowby to a neo-Jacobean design by architect William Burn.
In the park stands a Doric column erected in memory of William Pitt the Younger in 1806.
Left a bit early this mooring to enable a visit to Weston on Trent.
Walked up past the church. An odd looking Victorian (St Andrew's Church has an very broad tower in Early English style, and there is other early 13C work inside, but the remainder of the exterior is Victorian, of 1860 and 1872.) rebuilding with a massive tower that is about the same size as the nave. In fact it looks as though the chancel is bigger than the nave too.
After Weston a nice day seemed to be in the offing. BW were out and about. Today looks like its sluice clearing out day.
A small boat repair business with the stern of the narrowboat Toucan at one end of the yard and...
..the bows of Providence at the other.
Its quite flat here even though I am about to go down through a lock. The rape crop making a sunny splash on the countryside.
There was a jam at the lock with two boats in front of me and a couple coming up. By the time I was in the lock another two boats had arrived behind me. Nb Malvolio is a hire boat and is inhabited for the next while by a group of American cousins enjoying the life afloat.
The countryside is wall to wall sky. My mother wouldn't have liked it. That was the problem with Lincolnshire I had been told. Too much sky. Well she was from the Welsh valleys.
On arrival at Great Haywood I moored up for a moment outside the Anglo-Welsh yard. I popped in and bought a couple of chains to help with mooring alongside those parts of the canal that have been piled. I was going to get some 'paperclips' but they had run out.
Great Haywood junction is well known and the photo appears everywhere. The canal down that arm is the Staffordshire and Worcester and is one I will have to do some time in the future.
The Anglo-Welsh yard. We have been seeing their boats for the last couple of weeks. The staff do seem very friendly and will help in anyway they can. Even, I was told, ordering gear in that they don't normally carry if you can wait a few days for it.
Moved on after my purchase to the other side of the junction. I spotted the delightful bows on this boat. Nb Spider - according to a search in Google - was first listed in 1859 but was unfit for use in 1928. The data mentions its backward sloping bows so when does this one date from.
The views from the bows of tonights mooring. There is another Red dragon being flow three boats in front.
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