Market Drayton

The day started overcast but with the portent to be sunny.  Margaret even suggested the forecast afternoon rain would pass to the north.  She wasn’t quite correct as there was some afternoon drizzle.

We quickly did the last two locks at Audlem and then passed through some lovely countryside on the way to the Adderley Flight of five locks.

The last two locks of the 15 locks in the Audlem Flight

The Adderley Five are almost in a straight line.

About halfway between Adderley Locks and Market Drayton we passed some private moorings on the off-side and both noticed this very familiar boat.

We arrived at Market Drayton in plenty of time to have a look around the Wednesday market.

The old covered market building in the town centre

Market Drayton appears to be known for two things.  It’s the home of the Gingerbread Man and the birthplace of Clive of India.  Apparently young Clive was a bit of a troublemaker and even ran a protection racket attacking uncooperative local shops.  He was also more than a little adventurous reputedly scaling the tower of the local church.

St. Mary's Parish Church, Market Drayton

The following nondescript building had a plaque on it which stated

“In this bakehouse at the rear of the premises William Chester first began baking gingerbread around 1850”

Opposite is a Tudor style building in original colours.  Peter informs me it was the Victorians who decided Tudor buildings should be painted black & white.

There is another Tudor house in the town that dates from 1653.  The plaque on the wall states “One of the survivors from the reconstruction after the town fire of 1651.  This boxed frame building has been a fruiterers, fishmongers, bank and restaurant”.

The other side

The was another, more dilapidated, boxed frame house opposite the ASDA supermarket

It was the small upper extension above the entrance to the pub that caught my eye.

And then I noticed the hole in the cladding on the face of the gable above the extension window.  There was movement!

A pigeon loft?

Jan and I were having lunch back on Waiouru when there was a knock on the roof.  It was a blog reader (Tony) who has been following our adventure from the start of the blog and knew we were cruising south towards him.  Tony and Pat have a beautiful Norton Canes shell which was fitted out by Sandhills.

Tony takes a photo of us taking a photo of him!

A beautiful boat

It was a very short cruise after lunch reaching the southern outskirts of Market Drayton before mooring for the remainder of the afternoon.