Canalside locations seem to somehow exaggerate the best and the worst of our unpredictable British climate.

When the sun is baking down, there’s nothing more satisfying – nor more quintessentially English – than watching folk of all ages meandering gracefully under the stone bridges towards another set of locks, cheerfully winding their way through the countryside.

But when the wind blows and the temperature gauge starts to dip, the overcoats, woolly hats, fingerless gloves and steaming cups of warming drinks which barge lovers always seem to be clutching, merely emphasise the chill.

The Navigation sees it all. It sits on the edge of the Shropshire Union Canal, on the Newport road out of Gnosall, and invites diners into its conservatory to watch all manner of civilisation pass by while enjoying a hearty meal.

We’ve enjoyed many an unpretentious, honest, sensibly priced offering there over the past couple of years. But not for a while now – and the roadside chalkboard proclaiming “under new management” a few weeks back provoked us into nipping in once more for an early evening bite this week.

The weather on Tuesday was neither summer nor winter – an unremarkable, rather mixed offering. Much like the meal, in fact.

The menu at The Navigation has come on leaps and bounds with six pages of choice, from the traditional scampi and 8oz steaks to the more adventurous combinations, plus a daily specials board and various themed food nights.

Tuesday was curry night, so along with the usual specials there were nine further £6.95 choices up for grabs, from Green Thai Chicken to Caribbean Lamb. They smelled fabulous, but we left them for another time.

From our table in the 32-seater conservatory, linked to the lounge, which looks out on to a patio and down over the canal, we decided to stick to the main menu.

Shunning starters in a determination to leave enough space for a healthy portion of dessert, I opted for Poachers Chicken (£7.95) a succulent breast smothered in bacon, Cheddar cheese and a slightly overbearing barbecue sauce.

It was accompanied with fabulously fluffy, piping hot chips, and a healthy portion of side salad. Filling, and satisfying.

My wife Rachel opted for her favourite Scampi and Chips (£7.95) – ten pieces of fish, similarly popular chips and salad which was faultless in an unspectacular kind of way. We could have exchanged the salad for veg – cauliflower, broccoli and carrots – had we wished.

Father-in-law Graham went for the Navigation Burger (£6.95), an 8oz steak burger which is offered with cheese, onion, coleslaw and salad and which he decided was surprisingly enjoyable. Aided by sampling a few of our chips!

For mother-in-law Jackie, the Chicken Salad (£5.95) presented a large, slightly bland chicken on the bone plus side salad, dismissed as “OK”. Damned, with faint praise!

And on to dessert. There were seven choices on the chalkboard, and we all went for something different. My Sherry Trifle Gateau with Cream was more gateau than sherry, but perfectly passable, while father-in-law’s Banoffee Gateau was declared a hit.

In fact there was very little left on any of our plates – Rachel’s Trio of Ice Cream hit the mark, as did Jackie’s Lemon Meringue Roulade.

A quick straw poll among the four of us brought mixed views. Two of us – myself included – rated it as a three-star experience. One felt it was worth four, the other just two. Service was efficient and with a smile.

Bottles of red, white or rose house wine are also available at £9.95, and for Sunday lunch “The Navvy” offers a one-meat choice for £4.50, two meats for £5.50, and three for £6.50.

If you’re out on the canal boat this weekend and in need of feeding and watering, there are worse places to point the compass than The Navigation.

By Carl Jones

MENU SAMPLE:

Starters: Choice of eight starters, from Soup of the Day to Whitebait, with prices ranging from £2.95 to £3.95.

Main courses: Welsh Chicken (£7.95), Oven-baked Seabass (£8.95), Pork Hawaiian with Ginger and Pineapple (£7.95)

Desserts: Orange and Fruit Burst, Sherry Trifle Gateau, Lemon Meringue Roulade (all £2.95)

ATMOSPHERE:

Informal and relaxed.

Service: Cheerful and efficient

Disabled facilities: There are a couple of steps down into the conservatory dining area.

Contact: The Navigation, Newport Road, Gnosall. Tel: (01785) 822327