Cruising Mike

Just out of curiosity, what is the purpose of the double arched bridge?

A valid point. If anyone comes across a pub in the above list, and it's shut, let me know and i will remove it. Added the Clifford Arms to the list

Bluebell - Hopefully i wont be needing a fire, but i can certainly imagine how nice it would be during the winter months...

Seems like a huge waste of water!

Hello members, Can you take a look at the below list of pubs and see if you have any feedback on them or any additional good ones i may have missed. One of our main things we want is the pub to have a dart board or a pool table (or both), a beer garden canalside or not. But generally speaking, any good old fashioned pubs that serve good drinks is enough for us. Also any good curryhouses, chinese and fish & chip shops are on our want-list. Shroppie: The Curry Inn - Brewood The Hartley Arms - Brewood The Navigation - Gnossall Boat Inn - Gnossall Junction Inn - Norbury JCT The Anchor - High Offley Wharf Inn - Shebdon - (Closed down) The Wharf Tavern - Market Drayton The Talbot - Market Drayton The Shroppie Fly - Audlem (I have a fair amount of research on this one) The Star - Nantwich The Olde Barbridge Inn - Barbridge The Jolly Tar - Barbridge The Boar's Head - Middlewich Staff & Worcs: Fox & Anchor Inn - Autherley JCT Cross Keys - Penkridge The Boat - Penkridge Flames - Penkridge The Clifford Arms - Gt. Haywood Trent & Mersey: The Holly Bush Inn - Salt The Swan - Stone The Royal Exchange - Stone Toby Carvery - Barlaston & Etruria JCT The Holy Inadeqate - Stoke The Blue Bell - Kidsgrove The Broughton Arms - Rode Heath The Red Bull - Kidsgrove Royal Oak - Rode Heath Commercial Hotel - Wheelock

Try my method of cooking small potato cubes instead.

Nice to see you going with the times. From desktop to laptop to ipad to nothing.

We did consider doing a couple of really long days to gie us a bit more time to do extra things like the Caldon, bits of the Llangollen or further onwards on one of the 3 canals in the ring. But we have agreed to stick to the route this time round. Not that we have a problem with longer days, just we feel it best to stick to the ring on our first trip. But i like your thinking in regards to just planning day one only and work out the rest on the day. I think for the meantime i will make lists of good places to stop like pubs, towns etc, and use that as a guide for when the actual trip comes.

Im with you there, i don't even like mashed potato that much. But when it comes to the fish cakes, i find i need to have some kind of texture otherwise it is all too soft. I tend to over boil small potato cubes, and then just add the the cake mix without mashing. Some break up and some don't depending how vigorously you stir the bowl. So the end result is you get a bit of a bite when eating which adds another dimension.

I agree, maybe i am looking into it too much. After all, i have a lifetime of narrowboating to look forward to! This holiday will be more about the expereince and re-learning the way of life from steering to locks to one pot cooking!

Finding it tricky to choose the overnight stops when i stick to the 10 hour a day regime. for example i really want to try staying over night in Tixall Wide but from Oxley Marine (Autherley JNCT) it is only 7/8hrs away!Also i want to stop in High Offley but because we need to be in Wolverhampton that evening i don't want to waste time by stopping on the way.

I've been advised against mooring at the north end of the tunnel for various reasons but one being congestion. We are more or less set on going anti-clockwise (south) since we want to do the Wolves stint forst so we know how much time we have lost.got to make up afterwards compared with the other way round. I've been advised against mooring at the north end of the tunnel for various reasons but one being congestion. We are more or less set on going anti-clockwise (south) since we want to do the Wolves stint forst so we know how much time we have lost.got to make up afterwards compared with the other way round.

Ive decided to play it safe and will plan for the trip to be done in 65hrs. If 5 are done on the first day then its 10 hrs for the next 6 days. If we reach each overnight spot ahead of time then thats fine, more time in the pub! 10hrs is good. 7am - 12am - lunch break - 2pm- 7pm. Sounds pretty chilled to me and gives time for us to wander at lunch time

Lol, luv it.

OK, so maybe it's best to moor up at Market Drayton. I'm keeping an eye out on the hire company's website for any bookings for the week prior to ours, and thus far nothing so hopefully we can collect the boat earlier...

Very nice indeed. However personally, i prefer to use a harder potato and instead of mashing it smooth i leave a few lumps in. That way you get some texture in the cake otherwise i find it all a bit too smooth. I also add chopped coriander, Dijon mustard and an egg yolk for bonding. And looking at your picture i can see you love your potato! (In the cakes and the wedges)

Considering it will be May/June time we will have plenty of daylight, so if the handover is not too long we might be able to cover 5 or 6 hours on the first day since we would be very keen to cruise anyway. According to Canalplan.ac it takes 5.5 hrs to market drayton then a further 11 hours to get to Oxley Marine club. If we get an early start at 7am, we should arrive at Oxley marine around 5 or 6pm. But honestly, i can definately say that if on the first day we do end up at Market Drayton on time we would probably keep going for as long as daylight allows.

Morning, We are planning to reach Oxley Marine club on the 2nd day of the trip (first full day). Obviously since we pick up the boat on Saturday at 2pm we can onyl go so far, so we were thinking to stop overnight in Market Drayton, and then the next day continue all the way to Wolverhampton Bottom lock, wind then more at Oxley. Does this sound doable or should we dial down the distance?

Thanks for the link. Certainly great reading the blogs!

Hi Paddington, Initially that was the plan, but after asking advice here we decided it wasnt worth the hassle so we will moor up at Oxley Marine and get the bus into town from there. Next day wind at Wolves bottom lock then carry on up the staff and worcs.

I think a target of 9/10hours a day is a good benchmark for us to try and stick with. That means if we start at 8am we would be at our next stopping point by 6pm, or at 8/9pm should we decide to stop for a lengthly lunch for 2/3hours along the way

The reason for visiting Wolverhampton is that the 3 of us met at uni there and we want to go for old times sake. Plus they have a great curry house, loads of bars and Riley's snooker club which is the foundation of our friendships.

Hi guys, thanks for the replies. Sorry i didn't mention when... We pick up the boat on 31st of May 2014 and as far as im aware this is just after the school holidays and kids go back to school the monday. (2nd May) So it's neither during the summer holidays nor a school holiday. We plan to do 6 days at 9 hrs per day, is this a reasonable target to acheive? Of course if we get delayed at some points during the trip we can make it up the next day or crusie longer if there is still daylight. 9 hours sounds decent and if we started early we will have time to stop occasionally along the route for an hour or two. Also we plan to have an overnight stay around Autherley Junction so we can have a night out in Wolverhampton so time will be lost there as well. Plan is hopefully to get as far as Market Drayton from Overwater Marina (Audlem) on the 31st which according to canalplan.ac takes 5hrs, then next day cruise down to Autherley so not much time is lost.

Hello all, I have searched high and far on the net and in books about how long we can expect to crusie per day to do this ring. But honestly im even more confused than before i started. Everyone has ther own opinion on how long it would take. Some say 7 hours a day and some say 10 hours a day so i though i would ask here. There will just be 2 of us in our 30s and another one joining us to help us do the locks between middlewich and Harecastle, but mainly just us 2. How long should we expect to cruise per day? Neither of us have a problem waking up early and setting off early nor do we have a problem with crusing till late at night. Looking forward to hearing your expert advice.

Very nice. Should be a sticky!