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Four Counties Ring from Great Haywood


Eternal422

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Well, after really enjoying our last holiday from Tardebigge to Wilmcote and Gas Street we have been well and truly bitten by the bug! So much so that we have booked another boat for July, this time we're starting from Great Haywood and planning on going around the Four Counties Ring. We've got a week, but with the longer days and now some experience I think we'll be OK for time. There will just be the two of us again.

 

I'm looking for some suggestions for overnight stops, maybe 2 or 3 hours on the first day and 1 hour on the last, happy for 9 or 10 hours on the other days for a total of 7 days. Not sure whether to go anti clockwise or clockwise from Great Haywood. I would really welcome some thoughts and advice but feel a lot more relaxed now as far as planning, knowing that we're capable and happy to be flexible if things don't go to plan (like when we had the air con ducting wrapped around the prop that delayed us on the North Stratford for an hour and a half!)

 

Any help and advice would be very much appreciated! Thanks everyone!

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I have a similar trip planned for June but taking 2 weeks from Great Haywood - We will be coming off the 4C ring onto the Macclesfield and Peak Forest canals and if time allows a little foray onto the Caldon.

 

I have decided to take the clockwise route with an aim to stop near The Moat House at Acton Trussell on the first night - after that the plan is very fluid.

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My preference is clockwise, and with a first stop at Penkridge.

Other places I would recommend are: The Anchor at High Offley (if open!) - a unique pub; Nantwich; Church Minshull; Wheelock; Stone; Weston-upon-Trent.

Those are just places I have stopped in the past, and I am sure others have plenty of alternative suggestions.

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I'd recommend the Secret Bunker on the Shropshire Union. There are some lovely moorings around Church Minshull on the Middlewich Arm. And try to arrive early for an overnight mooring on Tixall Wide.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[it's at Hack Green]

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this was our very first trip, on a 36' Anglo Welsh boat. We did anti clockwise and thoroughly enjoyed it, even though it was a bit cramped!

 

 

snap. except not our first trip. We were well and truly bitten by then so did very long days clockwise and so knew had time to do both branches of the caldon and spent the last day before returning the boat going to fradley and back. This was also July so had long days. I know people on here say it's a holiday take your time but for us that was the point, we were paying a lot and just wanted to boat.

July can be busy so may get held up at locks. you also need to plan an early arrival at the Harecastle tunnel so as to avoid an overnight waiting to be allowed through. check what time you need to be there to avoid being forced to stop early.

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ditchcrawler, on 02 May 2016 - 1:18 PM, said:

One thing to factor in is that I had an hour and a half wait at Harecastel tunnel yesterday, the boat waiting to go north arrived about 4pm and had to wait until this morning to go through

 

Perhaps one reason for going anti-clockwise, waiting / overnighting at the Stoke end is much better than t'other - which is grotty

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Perhaps one reason for going anti-clockwise, waiting / overnighting at the Stoke end is much better than t'other - which is grotty

 

If you do find yourself stuck at the northern end I would recommend going a mile or so up the Macclesfield Canal for a decent overnight mooring. Like OldGoat says the Kidsgrove end is 'right grotty'
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Perhaps one reason for going anti-clockwise, waiting / overnighting at the Stoke end is much better than t'other - which is grotty

 

Sounds good advice! Anti-clockwise it is for us I think then! It would also mean that Harecastle is at the beginning of the week rather than at the end, so if we are delayed going through it we have the rest of the week to catch up.

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we are doing the 4 Cs however we will be coming down the Macclesfield from Br13 where we moor. we are going anti clockwise as the idea of coming up heartbreak hill after a relaxing 17 days doesn't appeal to me.

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Seems to depend where you start from as to which way round is best, because of Harecastle. I suppose south of Harecastle to Autherley then anti-clockwise is best to get it done early in the trip, vice versa North from Harecastle go around Nantwich.

 

The strong ground paddle currents going up the Cheshire locks (clockwise) for me is countered by the fierce by-washes on some of the Shroppie locks which are a lot worse when going up (anti-clockwise) as you're trying to line up the entry into the lock chamber.

 

Aside from all that, personally I prefer the Shroppie to the southern Trent and Mersey and so I'd rather leave the best til last. In fact I prefer doing an out and back taking in the Shroppie and the Staffs and Worcs, over a 4-counties ring trip, but that's just personal preference.

Edited by Philip
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Seems to depend where you start from as to which way round is best, because of Harecastle. I suppose south of Harecastle to Autherley then anti-clockwise is best to get it done early in the trip, vice versa North from Harecastle go around Nantwich.

 

The strong ground paddle currents going up the Cheshire locks (clockwise) for me is countered by the fierce by-washes on some of the Shroppie locks which are a lot worse when going up (anti-clockwise) as you're trying to line up the entry into the lock chamber.

Can't say I noticed any problems with the Cheshire locks, I find it quite a good flight to do. I know what you mean about one or two of the Shroppie ones

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Hi, just want to add in my opinion the Holly Bush Inn in Salt (on the T&M near Stone) is one of the best on the canals anywhere! Although the mooring is close to the railway. Enjoy your trip :)

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if you do go anit clock wise and have time, there is a whole sale meat and general food shop at bridge 127 in Stoke, next to the canal, you can moor next to thier car park and walk to the shop.

 

They are great for, BBQ meats, milk, bread ect. and cheep.

 

Stone is also very good for shoping, just a short walk to shops from canal.

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  • 3 weeks later...

We are doing the Four Counties starting from Gailey next Saturday. We had a long think about routes this time having done an end to end ten day trip a few years ago. Anti clockwise suites us better due to early drop off on the last day. Our last lock will be Autherly Stop Lock.

From what people have said approaching Harecastle from the south after overnighting at Westport Lake may be a good move. We have two weeks so dependant on time we may divert up to Congleton.

We have the Viking Afloat boat Ivarr booked. We will be making best use of the pubs this time so a shared drink exchanged for travel stories will be welcome.cheers.gif

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  • 1 month later...

Hi All - now back after an absolutely fantastic week on the Four Counties ! Thank you everyone for your advice and suggestions. We went anti-clockwise from Great Haywood and completed the ring in a week, lots of hard work for the two of us, but thoroughly enjoyable! As with all boating, things were quite fluid and we found ourselves about 2 hours ahead of our rough schedule after the first couple of days - mainly thanks to being able to get away earlier from Great Haywood and my wife's determination to press on to the Harecastle Tunnel and getting through on the last passage at about 4:30pm!

 

We had fantastic weather all week, the hottest day being the day we happened to be going up the Audlem locks! That was fun - the out-washes from a couple of them in the middle of the flight were so strong that it pushed the boat over to the one side, making just getting into the locks hard work ! Talking with a boat owner going ahead of us about this, they said that they had been given the tip of opening one paddle at the top of the lock to lessen the out-wash flow when you take the boat into the lock. With just the two of us, this meant a lot more walking around the lock, but it did actually help a bit.

 

We went through the "Penkridge Rockin" towards the end of the day and didn't meet anyone else coming the other way - I can imagine if that section is busy then it would be fun trying to find the little passing places!

 

Overall, an excellent ring, although we did benefit from having a bit of experience - 94 locks in its 110 miles means you need to know what you're doing. Doing this in a week meant a full-on holiday with an average of 9 hours cruising per day, but then that is why we went on the holiday - for the boating. If we had more time, then we could have done more stops and done some sightseeing along the way, so I guess it depends on what you are looking for in a holiday.

 

Everyone we met and spoke with at the locks along the way were really friendly, making it a great atmosphere and very enjoyable. We only managed to moor near a pub on a couple of nights, on the other days we ended up mid to late afternoon at a pub for food, then carrying on for a few hours afterwards. Two days were around 12 hours cruising, but the latest we moored up for the night wasn't much after 8pm, so all in all it worked out really well.

 

We're now thinking about a 2 week holiday next year to possibly take in most of the Four Counties with the Cheshire Ring added in - my wife actually really loves locks, so this sort of circuit looks ideal ! I felt so proud that at the end of the holiday I was able to reverse the boat back into the boatyard to moor with the stern against the wharf. Always learning, but feeling more confident now !

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Oh dear, you are on the slippery slope now!

 

After a couple of hires, to establish that you really do want to boat every year, I suggest you look at shared ownership. It is much cheaper than regular hiring.

 

After that you will be ready to buy your own boat, so look back here for help in choosing, recommending surveyors etc.

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