Four Counties Ring + Caldon Canal

[stewey]

Hullo everyone

 

At last the big trip approaches!

 

SWIMBO & I pick up a boat next Monday 22nd from the Canal Cruising Company in Stone for a fortnight's hire. We intend to "do" the Four Counties Ring clockwise with a diversion up the Caldon Canal before our return to Stone. We expect to leave about 3.30pm on the Monday for the first leg.

 

Thus on the first night we would need to moor up somewhere like Weston or ???

 

Anyway, we would appreciate your help on any of the following:

 

1. Places to moor on the trip and (probably even more important) where not to moor!.

2. Pubs with decent food.

3. Recommended places to buy fresh produce (like the excellent Canalside Farm at Great Haywood).

4. Where to stop along the way ie nice villages or towns, places to visit, craft places (SWIMBO loves craft shops!)

5. Any useful tips for the trip ie problem locks etc

6. Any threads or blogs which cover the Four Counties Ring or Caldon Canal (I'm lousy at searching but there doesn't appear to have been a holiday thread in recent times but would be delighted to be proven wrong!)

 

Many thanks for any help on any of the above.

 

Stewey

[Hairy-Neil]

The Anchor at High Offley is a must.

[stewey]

The Anchor at High Offley is a must.

Thanks for that! Looks great so hope to visit this pub.

 

Stewey

[Machpoint005]

I'd not mither with the 'famous' Holly Bush at Hazelhurst (Caldon) - beer indifferent and food remarkably ordinary, when we were there a couple of weeks ago.

[Tim Lewis]

I'd not mither with the 'famous' Holly Bush at Hazelhurst (Caldon) - beer indifferent and food remarkably ordinary, when we were there a couple of weeks ago.

 

Thats what being bought by British Waterways does to a (once great) pub

 

On the Caldon the Boat at Basford Bridge is a good bet, the Black Lion at Consal Forge was always an 'experience' but I hear that it may now be under new management.

 

Tim

Edited September 16, 2008 by Tim Lewis

[Hairy-Neil]

the Black Lion at Consal Forge was always an 'experience' but I hear that it may now be under new management.

 

My last 2 visits have been disappointing. A lot can change in 6 months though....

[Pie Eater]

If you can find a mooring at Nantwich, walk into town and try the Wickstead Arms ( near the War Memorial ) good food and drink.

 

Steve

[AlanJ]

If you can find a mooring at Nantwich, walk into town and try the Wickstead Arms ( near the War Memorial ) good food and drink.

 

Steve

 

An alternative at Nantwich is "The Star" at Acton. From the aquaduct, walk away from Nantwich and it's on the main road.

[Liam]

Festival Park at Etruria... the pub is called China Gardens IIRC. Although we didn't eat in there, the food did look very nice and there certainly was lots of it piled onto the plate... very good prices too but the beer is crap, I think. It's the usual stone cold pints of Boddingtons and l*g*r! Also, In Stone there is a decent Weatherspoons who nearly always have guest ales on.

 

I'd try and arrange a stop for a few hours if not overnight at the Anchor as mentioned above.

 

I like both Brewood and Wheaton Aston as places on the Shroppie, although there are plenty of other nice places around the ring. Which way round are you going - anti or clockwise?

[Tim Lewis]

Festival Park at Etruria... the pub is called China Gardens IIRC. Although we didn't eat in there, the food did look very nice and there certainly was lots of it piled onto the plate... very good prices too but the beer is crap, I think. It's the usual stone cold pints of Boddingtons and l*g*r! Also, In Stone there is a decent Weatherspoons who nearly always have guest ales on.

 

I'd try and arrange a stop for a few hours if not overnight at the Anchor as mentioned above.

 

I like both Brewood and Wheaton Aston as places on the Shroppie, although there are plenty of other nice places around the ring. Which way round are you going - anti or clockwise?

 

There are better pubs in Stone than the Wetherspoons, the Star by the Lock is good but my favorite is the one by the bridge who's name I've forgotten (The Swan?) which has a good range of real ales.

 

Tim

[harleyj]

We are just so jealous having done the Four Counties in April and loving every minute (see cruise diary: Four Mad Aussies on the Cut) except for the cold winds. We also did it clockwise but in 2010 plan on going the other way around.

Pubs we really enjoyed were The Romping Donkey, Hassall Green; The Admiral Rodney, Brewood; The Star Inn, Stone; The Clifford Arms, Great Haywood.

Make the effort to see Shugborough Hall and do not miss Burleigh Fine China at Middleport which has it's own mooring.

You will love the whole of the trip, and as I said at the start we are just so jealous.

[Idunhoe]

On the Caldon the Boat at Basford Bridge is a good bet, the Black Lion at Consal Forge was always an 'experience' but I hear that it may now be under new management.

 

Tim

The Black Lion is indeed now under new management and a marked improvement over what it was in recent years.

[purplehaze]

Just did the four counties last week, interesting moment watching the Trent flood and flow into the canal over the tow path!!

 

Pubs, The Plume of Feathers at Barlestone, good first course but tiny puds (and I mean tiny with a minute portion of custard), the Clifford Arms, very good, the Shroppie Fly at Audlem (also the pub round the corner has just been done up so may be worth a visit). The China Garden at Stone is great good food, loads of it and before 8pm £6.50 for the carvery delicious

 

Also visited a couple of places in Stoke, the moorcroft museum etc

 

Julie

[JohnEW2912]

The Blue Bell at Kidsgrove right by Hardings Wood Junction is not to be missed if you like real beer and cider - no food though. If you're stopping there make sure you moor up below the last lock as mooring between the lock and Harecastle Tunnel is not recommended by the tunnel keepers.

 

 

Pubs, The Plume of Feathers at Barlestone, good first course but tiny puds (and I mean tiny with a minute portion of custard), the Clifford Arms, very good, the Shroppie Fly at Audlem (also the pub round the corner has just been done up so may be worth a visit). The China Garden at Stone is great good food, loads of it and before 8pm £6.50 for the carvery delicious

I found the Shroppie Fly pretty run down in June - the Bridge is a better option.

[stewey]

Many thanks to all of you who have contibuted to this thread. Much appreciated.

 

Just did the four counties last week, interesting moment watching the Trent flood and flow into the canal over the tow path!!

Julie

Julie, where was this? I am most interested in where this was!

 

Incidentally can anyone advise of areas on the Four Counties Ring/Caldon Canal that can be subject to floods?

 

We are just so jealous having done the Four Counties in April and loving every minute (see cruise diary: Four Mad Aussies on the Cut) except for the cold winds. We also did it clockwise but in 2010 plan on going the other way around.

Pubs we really enjoyed were The Romping Donkey, Hassall Green; The Admiral Rodney, Brewood; The Star Inn, Stone; The Clifford Arms, Great Haywood.

Make the effort to see Shugborough Hall and do not miss Burleigh Fine China at Middleport which has it's own mooring.

You will love the whole of the trip, and as I said at the start we are just so jealous.

Thanks for that encouragement! We are very much looking forward to the trip so it was great to be able to read your cruise report. We head "Up North" from London on Saturday so hope to look around Stoke, in particular, before picking up the boat. Hope to visit the Etruria Industrial Museum and the Gladstone Pottery Museum so may also be able to see Burleigh Fine China at the same time. You reminded me that we have been to Shugborough Hall before and it is well worth a visit.

 

Again, thanks to you all for your help.

 

Stewey

[AlanJ]

A fortnight should be a good length of time to be able to get round and see places on the way.

Heading north from Stone will probably be the better way for you to do it so you get the hard work out of the way "early".

 

Last time we did the 4 counties, we got round in about 7 days but didn't get much time to explore off the cut - we also didn't "do" the Caldon (which I understand to be very nice)

 

Enjoy - looking forward to your cruise report

[dor]

Incidentally can anyone advise of areas on the Four Counties Ring/Caldon Canal that can be subject to floods?

 

As far as i'm aware, there isn't anywhere on the 4Cs that can flood. The section of the Caldon that drops into the River Churnet can flood. There are indicators on the lock at Oak Meadowford lock to tell you if it is safe to proceed.

[mayalld]

As far as i'm aware, there isn't anywhere on the 4Cs that can flood. The section of the Caldon that drops into the River Churnet can flood. There are indicators on the lock at Oak Meadowford lock to tell you if it is safe to proceed.

 

And it did flood a couple of weeks ago.

 

Friends of ours were on the pound leading to Oak Meadowford, and were advised that they should NOT proceed towards the lock and turn, but should retreat, in reverse, to the previous lock!

[purplehaze]

Many thanks to all of you who have contibuted to this thread. Much appreciated.

 

 

Julie, where was this? I am most interested in where this was!

 

Incidentally can anyone advise of areas on the Four Counties Ring/Caldon Canal that can be subject to floods?

 

 

Thanks for that encouragement! We are very much looking forward to the trip so it was great to be able to read your cruise report. We head "Up North" from London on Saturday so hope to look around Stoke, in particular, before picking up the boat. Hope to visit the Etruria Industrial Museum and the Gladstone Pottery Museum so may also be able to see Burleigh Fine China at the same time. You reminded me that we have been to Shugborough Hall before and it is well worth a visit.

 

Again, thanks to you all for your help.

 

Stewey

 

Stewey It was between Weston Lock and Hoo Mill Lock, the river Trent had breached as had the river Penk, lucky for the canal both have wide flood plains.

 

At many points the flod water was running adjacent to the hedge line along the tow path if I can find out how to post photos I will put a couple on. At one point we could hear a herd of cows splashing through the water brushing against the hedge. Mind you if it had carried on raining the situation would have got worst as the flood water was entering the canal system and the water level was very high.

 

Julie

 

 

A fortnight should be a good length of time to be able to get round and see places on the way.

Heading north from Stone will probably be the better way for you to do it so you get the hard work out of the way "early".

 

Last time we did the 4 counties, we got round in about 7 days but didn't get much time to explore off the cut - we also didn't "do" the Caldon (which I understand to be very nice)

 

Enjoy - looking forward to your cruise report

 

I agree you need a fortnight to really enjoy, we only had a week and it was at times a bit of a hard slog!! Mind you early starts are lovely on the canal.

 

In the past though we have done it easily in a week even one managing to stop at Audlem at lunchtime as we were meeting my brother for dinner, any ideas as to why it seems to take longer? If we do the 4 counties again will need at least a 10 day holiday so that we can relax!!

 

Mind you beautiful scenery plus due to the flooding we saw lots of wildlife, even a little grebe and 5 herons all sitting on a fence on the flood plain. Also a beautiful kingfisher which stayed in the tree as we went past, of course my camera was at the other end of our 69ft boat, typical.

 

Julie

[RichardH]

My last 2 visits have been disappointing. A lot can change in 6 months though....

 

We were at the Black Lion a couple of weeks ago. Beer great but food distinctly 'ordinary'. The huge baguettes still look good.

 

That said, a brilliant location. The new team are trying and have introduced an accoustic night on a Tuesday.

 

We had a fabulous meal however at the Red Bull at Red Bull.

Edited September 19, 2008 by RichardH

[stewey]

Many thanks Julie, Dor & Dave for your replies about possible areas of flooding. Julie, I would love to see your photos of the flood. As I will be leaving tomorrow (Saturday) I may not be able to see them until I return. Incidentally, there is a thread called Dummies guide to posting photos on the site here:

 

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=3201

 

AlanJ, many thanks for your best wishes. We originally had thought we would do the Ring anticlockwise for precisely the reason you mentioned - getting the hard work out first! However we changed our minds as we decided to use the Caldon Canal as a kind of "balance." If we found we were taking longer than expected around the Ring then we could either leave out the Caldon or just do a short section.

 

However, I am well aware of how many forum members are great enthusiasts for this canal and so I really hope we can do it on this trip. If not, then it will be a prime target for a future canal hire!

 

Thanks again, folks for your most helpful replies.

 

All the best

 

Stewey

[Chris J W]

The Anchor at High Offley is a must.

 

Agreed! But you must ensure that you've got cash as they are suitably old-fashioned enough not to have "plastic" faclilities.

 

I also recommend a walk up to the church in the village - the view from there is amazing.

[JohnEW2912]

Thanks for that encouragement! We are very much looking forward to the trip so it was great to be able to read your cruise report. We head "Up North" from London on Saturday so hope to look around Stoke, in particular, before picking up the boat. Hope to visit the Etruria Industrial Museum and the Gladstone Pottery Museum so may also be able to see Burleigh Fine China at the same time. You reminded me that we have been to Shugborough Hall before and it is well worth a visit.

Stewey

If you want a more contemporary pottery as well then Emma Bridgewater is to be recommended. It's alongside the Caldon, although I can't remember the bridge number without my Nicholsons.

[Hairy-Neil]

....they are suitably old-fashioned enough not to have "plastic" faclilities.

 

And long may it continue.....

[joe1978]

We had excellent food at the "fox and Anchor", coven on the shroppie. I can also reccomend the food at the pub at the 2nd bridge at Gnoshall (presuming your going clockwise!!).

 

Plenty of moorings at both and we stopped overnight on both our out and back journeys last month.

 

joe