There is so much to enjoy on the canals if your want to travel slowly and savour every mile, and at Norbury we have a wealth of interest and local history right on our doorstep. Within a few hours travel for the boater setting out from our wharf are some of the most attractive villages and small towns in England.
As part of our campaign to promote slow and steady cruises as an alternative to racing around canal rings let us tell you about some of the gems right on our doorstep - in fact within a day's travel of Norbury and some within our 17 mile pound with its seven pubs.
Today we take a look at Gnosall...
Just down the cut to the south, about 40 minutes away, is Gnosall, sometimes claimed to be the largest village in England, with a population of around 5,000 people, although the first bit you see from the canal is Gnosall Heath, with the biggest part of the village a ten minute walk further east. The Wellington to Stafford Railway line once ran through the village, and crosses the canal as you approach the moorings.
Gnosall boasts a Norman church, a mill where it is claimed self-raising flour was invented as well as its own fire station, supermarket, fuel stations, take-aways, pubs, post office and historic high street with barber. The village is also home to an old "Lock up". It is now situated between the Norman Church and the modern cemetery.
As part of our campaign to promote slow and steady cruises as an alternative to racing around canal rings let us tell you about some of the gems right on our doorstep - in fact within a day's travel of Norbury and some within our 17 mile pound with its seven pubs.
Today we take a look at Gnosall...
Just down the cut to the south, about 40 minutes away, is Gnosall, sometimes claimed to be the largest village in England, with a population of around 5,000 people, although the first bit you see from the canal is Gnosall Heath, with the biggest part of the village a ten minute walk further east. The Wellington to Stafford Railway line once ran through the village, and crosses the canal as you approach the moorings.
Gnosall boasts a Norman church, a mill where it is claimed self-raising flour was invented as well as its own fire station, supermarket, fuel stations, take-aways, pubs, post office and historic high street with barber. The village is also home to an old "Lock up". It is now situated between the Norman Church and the modern cemetery.
If you don't want to walk or catch the half-hourly bus into the village itself, the canalside Gnosall Heath has two pubs, the Navigation and the Boat, as well as two convenience stores, a local butcher and a hairdresser. If you arrive at the right time many of the village's ancient traditions are still honoured today, notably the carnival, where children dress up in themed costumes, and a parade complete with custom made floats and a brass band.
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