Shugborough Hall is a stately home, some 400 years old. Located just near the town of Great Haywood, it sits on a massive estate of 900 acres, adjoining the beautiful Cannock Chase Area of Natural Beauty (AONB) with the River Trent on the doorstep. Its a lovely part of the world and the river provides a chance to cool off over the hot summer months. Of course, I arrived there by boat with the Trent & Mersey canal passing through the town. 

I haven't actually been inside this stately home as both times I visited they were closed due to Covid restrictions. Still, it was a lovely experience just wondering around the beautiful landscape gardens. 

The Shugborough Inscription

A random sequence of letters, “O-U-O-S-V-A-V-V,” etched on the Shepherd's monument between the letters “D” and “M.” Without an explanation for its meaning, the inscription is considered one of the world’s most perplexing ciphers and remains uncracked to this day. One of the more imaginative theories about the Shugborough inscription suggests that the sequence of letters hints at the legendary whereabouts of the Holy Grail. Amusingly enough, another legend claims that it was made by the Knights Templar, which would imply that they created a deliberate diversion to protect the Holy Grail from the grubby hands of curious adventurers. 

Hadrian's Arch

Constructed in 1765 is a replica of the one found in Athens.