A. Start your journey at Yoxall Bridge following the river flow. Here the river is away from any village or buildings. This is a feature of the Trent, as its wide-bottomed valley floods often in winter. This margin makes for a quiet paddle, often seeing nobody all day.

B. The river winds pleasantly through green countryside, with King’s Bromley visible on the right side.

C. The river is first fairly straight, before taking long bends to the north, and then the south.

D. After one and a half miles, Orgreave Hall is to the right. Near Wychenor Park on the left bank, there used to be a short divide, with a broken weir on the right branch, but this appears to have broken down, and been flooded over the years.

E. Alrewas Mill is the next feature, with a portage on the left bank, to follow the left branch under a farm bridge, and to the weir; portage on the left bank.

F. This branch, carrying much more water, soon re-joins the other mill stream, and under a long footbridge, joins the Trent and Mersey Canal. This only lasts for about 200yds, and the Trent can be seen leaving to the right over a weir.

G. For this trip, you turn sharp right into the canal, and paddle back towards Alrewas, portaging at the last lock just before the bridge.

H. This area is usually very busy with moored narrow boats, and you will have plenty of company in the summer.

I. The finish point is at a preserved hump-back bridge in Alrewas, (the name means ‘alder washes’, used in basket-making with alder), that is not signposted – it is more a case of working north through the village from the junction of the A38 and A513 until coming across water. There are about half a dozen parking places here.