Four Counties Ring

[retired]

Now planning our next canal holiday of a week for late june or early July this year.

 

We will be setting off from Great Haywood and plan on cruising the four conties ring anticlockwise, we did originally plan to do this route back on May 2009 but the weather forecast was rather bad once we reached Market Drayton, then we intended to do the ring in October 2009 but not possible due to the breach at Shebdon embankment.

 

I have been on canal plan and am now looking for recommended over night mooring spots, and any that should be avoided.

 

Think we will do a few few longer days at the start of the week, then maybe chill out with shorter days etc.

 

Your ideas would be great.

 

 

 

 

Thanks

 

Charles

[Bob the welder]

Now planning our next canal holiday of a week for late june or early July this year.

 

We will be setting off from Great Haywood and plan on cruising the four conties ring anticlockwise, we did originally plan to do this route back on May 2009 but the weather forecast was rather bad once we reached Market Drayton, then we intended to do the ring in October 2009 but not possible due to the breach at Shebdon embankment.

 

I have been on canal plan and am now looking for recommended over night mooring spots, and any that should be avoided.

 

Think we will do a few few longer days at the start of the week, then maybe chill out with shorter days etc.

 

Your ideas would be great.

 

hi we did the 4 from G haywood 2005 anticlockwise los of pubs shops and towns . will ask trish were we stoped and post monday .bob

 

 

Thanks

 

Charles

 

 

Now planning our next canal holiday of a week for late june or early July this year.

 

We will be setting off from Great Haywood and plan on cruising the four conties ring anticlockwise, we did originally plan to do this route back on May 2009 but the weather forecast was rather bad once we reached Market Drayton, then we intended to do the ring in October 2009 but not possible due to the breach at Shebdon embankment.

 

I have been on canal plan and am now looking for recommended over night mooring spots, and any that should be avoided.

 

Think we will do a few few longer days at the start of the week, then maybe chill out with shorter days etc.

 

Your ideas would be great.

 

hi we did the 4 from G haywood 2005 anticlockwise los of pubs shops and towns . will ask trish were we stoped and post monday .bob

 

 

Thanks

 

Charles

[Tiny]

Hope you have plenty of crew. By that time of year there can be hold ups at places like Stone, Harecastle, Middlewich, Audlem, Tyrley and Brewood, while the bit from Autherley to Great Heywood always takes longer than you think it will. About 9 hours a day should do it.

 

Nice farm shop at Heywood, shops in Stone, Thurlewood, Middlewich, Audlem, Gnosall - all near the canal. Don't moor at Kidsgrove but there are good moorings at Red Bull, Minshall (no pub now), Barbridge, Nantwich, Audlem, Market Drayton, Norbury, Brewood and Coven (pub/resturant), Penkridge and Heywood.

 

Having said all that we prefer to take our time and give the ring at least two weeks. An easier alternative for a week is to go from Heywood to Frogall on the Caldon. The Caldon is a lovely canal - ideal for relaxing - with a steam railway, water mills and some very nice pubs. If BW restore the breach on it you can also go along the branch towards Leek and sample the tunnel along there.

Edited January 25, 2010 by Tiny

[Idunhoe]

I would also recommend against overnight mooring at Middlewich, unless you moor a fair distance out of the town on the Middlewich arm. The traffic noise on the main road that runs alonside the canal is fairly constant and with a fair number of HGVs using the road pretty horrendous as well.

 

Edited to correct spelling

Edited January 25, 2010 by Idunhoe

[dor]

Minshall (no pub now),

The pub in Church Minshull (The Badger) is currently being renovated and should be open by the summer. May try and be more of a 'gastro' than a pub though.

 

Don't moor at Kidsgrove but there are good moorings at Red Bull

Or moor south of the tunnel by Westport Lake.

 

It shouldn't be too bad at the end of June, starts getting really busy end of July. Caldon Canal is highly recommended - don't be put off by the first mile or so.

[StephenA]

There are some good moorings in the cutting just south of Wheaton Aston lock, and some round the 3 mile marker post at the bottom end of the Shroppie. Coole Pilate moorings are pretty good too - and the rings carry on quite a way beyond the wide grassy area with the BBQ racks. Most of the Shropshire Canal Society moorings are pretty good. Market Drayton has a lot of moorings but they can be very popular.

 

This actually allows me to plug a feature in Canalplan AC - the "how good is this spot as a mooring" which allows you to vote on how good a mooring place it is. At the moment it doesn't actually make any difference to the planning but the idea in the long term is that the planner could suggest stretching or shrinking a day if there was a really good mooring at the end of it.

[retired]

Thanks for the suggestions so far.

 

Tiny- only two crew so will be a busy week.

 

Will be heading off last Saturday in June so will not be out when the schools are on holiday, but I would assume it will still be busy as looking at available boats for booking around that time there does not seem to much left already.

 

 

Charles

[Mantaray]

My wife and I are also planing to do this ring this year, from June 10th for 2 weeks but we are mored at Willington up on the T & M so it's more of a lolypop for us.

 

Is it better to go clock wise or ant clock wise? and what towns and villages are worth stoping off at.?

 

back in 2002 we did do up the T & M to the the Kidgrove side of the tunnel ( our first canal holiday) so I think we should go ant clockwise and push hard for the frist couple of days up to the tunnel and take a nice long leasur pace for the rest of the ring.

 

How long would it take at this time of year to do the Llangollen canal? we tend to do quite long days and don't stop off very often so was wondering if we could manage to add this in.

[harleyj]

My wife and I are also planing to do this ring this year, from June 10th for 2 weeks but we are mored at Willington up on the T & M so it's more of a lolypop for us.

 

Is it better to go clock wise or ant clock wise? and what towns and villages are worth stoping off at.?

 

back in 2002 we did do up the T & M to the the Kidgrove side of the tunnel ( our first canal holiday) so I think we should go ant clockwise and push hard for the frist couple of days up to the tunnel and take a nice long leasur pace for the rest of the ring.

 

How long would it take at this time of year to do the Llangollen canal? we tend to do quite long days and don't stop off very often so was wondering if we could manage to add this in.

We went from Barton Under Needwood in 08 and went clockwise. Not sure which is the best way but we did it in 2 weeks quite comfortably so if you are really pushing it the Llangollen could be done.

[mikevye]

My wife and I are also planing to do this ring this year, from June 10th for 2 weeks but we are mored at Willington up on the T & M so it's more of a lolypop for us.

 

Is it better to go clock wise or ant clock wise? and what towns and villages are worth stoping off at.?

 

back in 2002 we did do up the T & M to the the Kidgrove side of the tunnel ( our first canal holiday) so I think we should go ant clockwise and push hard for the frist couple of days up to the tunnel and take a nice long leasur pace for the rest of the ring.

 

How long would it take at this time of year to do the Llangollen canal? we tend to do quite long days and don't stop off very often so was wondering if we could manage to add this in.

 

With a team of four working 12 hrs we did the ring in 6 days (honest) so the Llan should be achievable in your alloted time. You'll need a month to recover mind you!!

[mayalld]

The pub in Church Minshull (The Badger) is currently being renovated and should be open by the summer. May try and be more of a 'gastro' than a pub though.

 

And its down a ludicrously dangerous road

[kiki]

My wife and I are also planing to do this ring this year, from June 10th for 2 weeks but we are mored at Willington up on the T & M so it's more of a lolypop for us.

 

Is it better to go clock wise or ant clock wise? and what towns and villages are worth stoping off at.?

 

back in 2002 we did do up the T & M to the the Kidgrove side of the tunnel ( our first canal holiday) so I think we should go ant clockwise and push hard for the frist couple of days up to the tunnel and take a nice long leasur pace for the rest of the ring.

 

How long would it take at this time of year to do the Llangollen canal? we tend to do quite long days and don't stop off very often so was wondering if we could manage to add this in.

 

We are doing it from June 26th - I will be the one shopping in my pyjamas. Looks like its going to be a busy summer

[Mantaray]

We went from Barton Under Needwood in 08

 

Thats where we used to be mored, was it a "shakespeare classic line" boat you hired?

They have now moved the morring a bit further north up to Wellington, as I think Barton Under Needwood have incresed there fees now that all the new complexe is finished. It does mean an extra couple of hours sailing, but I can handle that as our mentainace fees have not inceaced this year.

 

If it was a "shakespeare classic line" boat you had, how did you rate the expireance? We have always found them to be good and fare, which is quite hard to find in the time share market.

 

I will be the one shopping in my pyjamas

 

Good on you. I take it you are refiring to the report on the news about shops stopping peaple from doing just this. Keep the flag flying.

[harleyj]

Thats where we used to be mored, was it a "shakespeare classic line" boat you hired?

They have now moved the morring a bit further north up to Wellington, as I think Barton Under Needwood have incresed there fees now that all the new complexe is finished. It does mean an extra couple of hours sailing, but I can handle that as our mentainace fees have not inceaced this year.

 

If it was a "shakespeare classic line" boat you had, how did you rate the expireance? We have always found them to be good and fare, which is quite hard to find in the time share market.

 

It was a Shakespeare Classic boat ( Much Ado) and we found them fantastic to deal with, although we had only Ethos Narrowboats at Evesham (2006 trip) to compare with. My trip diary for 2008 is under "4 Mad Aussies on the cut".

We are lucky enough to be going again in May, again with Shakespeare and much to our surprise we even have "Much Ado" again, which is quite a coincidence.

This time we are heading through Leicester to Braunston where depending on how we feel we will either go north through the Coventry canal or push on to Warwick and maybe even "Brum".

My parents have a time share property in Busselton, Western Australia which is associated with R.C.I. and we exchange their weeks for these trips, a lot cheaper than hiring.

We loved the "Four Counties" ring and would gladly do it again. Have a great trip.

[Mantaray]

This time we are heading through Leicester to Braunston where depending on how we feel we will either go north through the Coventry canal or push on to Warwick and maybe even "Brum".

 

You will have no problem doing the Leicestershire ring in 2 weeks ( which i assume your hols, will last for) but if you wish to go on up to Warwick and Brum. you will have some long days. If you do come up to Coventry and find you have some spare time, then you could always take a deture up the Ashby canal.

 

Which ever way you deceiced to go It would be nice to meet up, so please keep us posted.

[dor]

The pub in Church Minshull (The Badger) is currently being renovated and should be open by the summer. May try and be more of a 'gastro' than a pub though.

 

 

And its down a ludicrously dangerous road

 

Very true. There is a footpath that goes up through the wood and avoids the road, but it's a bit tricky at night!

My usual tactic is to take a large umbrella and torch regardless of the weather. When walking up the road in the dark, open the umbrella in front of you and shine the torch on the inside.