Cheshire ring

[good7saint]

First of all hi we are new to the forum'

We are doing the Cheshire ring, picking the boat up at Acton Bridge on Saturday 230pm.

Weather we go clock wise or anti clock wise depends on what direction the boat is facing when we pick it up.

Have plans for both directions.

Just need advice on places to moor, and any other things that may be useful but mainly places to moor.

We are experienced hire boater done a few boating holidays now including the Stourport ring last year

[Liam]

Hiya and welcome to the forum

 

A little tip... when on the Bridgewater don't stop overnight between Dunham and Castlefield, although they are ok the places imbetween them generally aren't.

If you're heading the other way, I would recommend a night's stop over at the flashes towards Middlewich but it's got to be really warm and no wind at all to get the best from it.

 

From Acton Bridge all the way to Red Bull and Harecastle tunnel I wouldn't think twice about mooring up. The only places I'd avoid are the bits near the ICI works at Lostock and the busy main road running from Middlewich southwards due to the noise.

 

Saying that though, I would also moor up anywhere between Red Bull and Marple on the Macc.

 

Hope you enjoy your hols!

[haggis]

First of all hi we are new to the forum'

We are doing the Cheshire ring, picking the boat up at Acton Bridge on Saturday 230pm.

Weather we go clock wise or anti clock wise depends on what direction the boat is facing when we pick it up.

Have plans for both directions.

Just need advice on places to moor, and any other things that may be useful but mainly places to moor.

We are experienced hire boater done a few boating holidays now including the Stourport ring last year

We did the Cheshire ring earlier this year and also started from Acton Bridge. The trip was not straight forwad as we had a break in at home while we were away and my better half had to come home to replace locks etc. Then we decided to back track and attend a meeting of the Macclesfield canal society . But for what it is worth, here is what we did.

Day 1 (very short day) moored wild near the flashes.

day 2 past Middlewich and up Heratbreak Hill and moored near the BW yard

Day 3 - Moored wild past Macclesfield somewhere. Tried to stop in macclesfield but couldn't get moored.

day 4 - down to Whaley Bridge then Bugsorth basin where we moored till day 6

day 6 - back to macclesfield and got moored this time

Day 7 - Down Marple and moored at Portland Basin

day 8 - Down Aston and the Rochdale 9 and moored at castlefield

day 9 - Up the Leigh branch and moored at Dover bridge

day 10 into Wigan, down a couple of locks, back up and back along the Leigh branch and moored at bridge 54

Day 11 - Moored at Lymm

Day 12 - back to Acton Bridge.

 

There were two of us on the trip.

 

If you have time, it is well worth going to Whaley Bridgre and Bugsworth basin

[good7saint]

Thanks for the replies most useful

[good7saint]

Well we are back from our weeks boating.

Decided not to do the Cheshire ring in the end but still had a good weeks boating.

The weather helped as well, it only rained once and we where moorede up at the Anderton boat lift at the time so that did not effect us to much.

[hmallett]

I quite fancy doing the Cheshire Ring, but as we'd be hiring a boat, is it feasible to do it in a week without putting in 10 hour days? We've done a week on the Llangollen and Montgomery canals, but found that our plans were fairly ambitious. Being on the back of the boat in the rain wasn't the most fun!

[DHutch]

You can do it a week, and enjoy it, and i would say its about right for my own personal boating.

- However you would really be able to have a 'day of becuase its raining' or a 'afternoon to look around X because its cool' sort of week.

 

Have a look at canalplan, and put a few routes into that. (it has set of special 'rings' preset into it as well)

 

http://www2.mihalis.net/canal/cgi-bin/index.cgi

 

 

Daniel

[good7saint]

I quite fancy doing the Cheshire Ring, but as we'd be hiring a boat, is it feasible to do it in a week without putting in 10 hour days? We've done a week on the Llangollen and Montgomery canals, but found that our plans were fairly ambitious. Being on the back of the boat in the rain wasn't the most fun!

Another ring you might want to look at is the stourport ring.

Two of us managed it quit easily in a week without having to put long days in

[onthecut]

Hi all.

 

Was talking the other week to someone doing the Stourport ring; hired from Alvechurch and were going round anti clockwise. Alvechurch had said this was the best way as they would be used to the boat before any serious locking. Personally, I'd go the other way. There are so many spots to dally at from Worcester to Stourbridge where you might want to spend more time than you thought that it could be really useful to have the final long, lock free stretch as a 'pedal to the metal' job, if required. If you're on time, then there are excellent moorings in Brum just a short walk from pretty much anything you might want.

 

Mike.

[good7saint]

Hi all.

 

Was talking the other week to someone doing the Stourport ring; hired from Alvechurch and were going round anti clockwise. Alvechurch had said this was the best way as they would be used to the boat before any serious locking. Personally, I'd go the other way. There are so many spots to dally at from Worcester to Stourbridge where you might want to spend more time than you thought that it could be really useful to have the final long, lock free stretch as a 'pedal to the metal' job, if required. If you're on time, then there are excellent moorings in Brum just a short walk from pretty much anything you might want.

 

Mike.

We started from Stoke Prior and went round clockwise, saved the heavy locking on the Tardebigge flight for the last day.

We averaged 5 or 6 hours a day.

[Hobbler]

I usually recommend that the Stourport ring be done anti clockwise as the bottom gates on most of the locks on the Worcester & Birmingham leak so much most of them only need the gates opening, which can save a lot of time.

 

We are halfway down the Stourbridge Canal so give us a wave if you go past.

[hmallett]

Thanks for all your suggestions so far. I like the look of the Stourport Ring. Quite a few locks, but many of them grouped together. One of our party is interested in going up to Falkirk though.