Four counties or Cheshire ring ?

[Bring back]

Hi All,

 

I wonder if any of you can help, although I bet you've been asked this loads of time.

 

Hiring a boat in Sept from Stoke. Would you recommend the us to do the Four Counties Ring or the Cheshire Ring.

 

There are four of us on the boat and we have all been on the canals before. I was tempted to go for the Fourt Counties now I'm not so sure.

 

Please help, I'm so undecided or am I , yes I am, no I'm not . . . . .

[steveh]

Hi All,

 

I wonder if any of you can help, although I bet you've been asked this loads of time.

 

Hiring a boat in Sept from Stoke. Would you recommend the us to do the Four Counties Ring or the Cheshire Ring.

 

There are four of us on the boat and we have all been on the canals before. I was tempted to go for the Fourt Counties now I'm not so sure.

 

Please help, I'm so undecided or am I , yes I am, no I'm not . . . . .

28271[/snapback]

 

 

Over hang long a week or two?

 

We managed the four counties this year in a week. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone, very long days and not much time to stop off and have a look round

[Bring back]

Over hang long a week or two?

 

We're going for a week. I read the earlier post about the Four Counties being possible in a week, also the brouchures seem to encourage the idea too. Is this really optomistic then ?

[dor]

The four counties in a week is quite do-able, but you do need to keep on top of it - there are a lot of locks!

 

I always understood the Cheshire ring takes longer - whilst do-able in a week you really have to go for it. (I'll know better in September probably!)

[steveh]

Over hang long a week or two?

 

We're going for a week. I read the earlier post about the Four Counties being possible in a week, also the brouchures seem to encourage the idea too. Is this really optomistic then ?

28275[/snapback]

 

 

It is possible in a week but isn't doesn't give you much time to do much else apart from cruising. We started from Gailey and cruised anti-clockwise so we had the locks the first part of the week and had a relaxing lock free the second part. We were cursing average speed, only got caught at 2 locks, Stoke and Middlewich branch but we still had to put in 10 - 12 hour days. If you wish to try the four counties in a week I would recommend several early mornings to give yourselves half a chance if you wish to moor at the popular pubs and a walkaround the sites. Don't forget the nights are starting to draw in so it might be worth checking sun set and set rise times.

Edited August 19, 2005 by steveh

[Richard Bustens]

As yet i have not done much boating, and there is only 2 of us , but i dont think i could do it in a week, neerer 10-12 days, and that would be with long days.

[bottle]

Pearson's canal companion: Four counties ring: 109 miles/94 locks/55hrs...

 

Remember you only really have 6 days, on the first day you will probably not get your boat till late afternoon and it will need to be returned early on the last day.

 

According to the guide (55hrs.. cruising) for six days = 9hrs.- 6 minutes. then start to add in stops for lunch and dinner you start to realise that you will not be able to stop for visiting anywhere along the way, in total you could be looking at 12hr. days and is there 12hrs. of daylight at that time of year.

 

Why not try a 'there and back' a canal always looks different when travelling in the opposite direction.

 

As said before it is possible but it will be long days and continuous travel.

 

Apart from that enjoy your break

[John Orentas]

With four of you on the boat it would not be a problem in fact you can realistically count on six and a half days. Not really arduous but no real time to visit stately homes or whatever. Remember only one person is needed to steer but with four to work the locks you will enjoy your week.

 

My first ever trip was the four counties and the canals were in a worse condition then, we did it quite comfortably.

[Philip]

We did it and there were two of us in April '04, it was the second Easter week and we managed it comfortably in a week. We went anti-clockwise from Beeston and generally had no problems at all with traffic - infact it was surprisingly quiet, especially on the northern Staffs and Wocestor. We had a couple of short detours and had a good amount of time left on our last full day (17th April 04) in Middlewich. We did admittedly have long days - not hugely, but quite long, but at the same time, we had a lot of dayight and as I said, no problems at locks, or the tunnel. Its up to you - its perfectly capable of doing in a week, without tiring yourself, but, as has been said, you won't have too much time for big detours on or off the canal. However, I recommend a quick trip down to Colwich when you pass Great Haywood - it should be short enough to fit in and it really is quite beautiful around there, on the edge of Cannock Chase.

 

Enjoy the trip.

[rawmusic]

Were off next saturday to do the 4 counties in a week from Preston brook, we did the cheshire ring with a detour to chester and back in a week at easter from acton bridge, so this wone should be fairly easy going.

[Khayamanzi]

My first ever trip was the four counties and the canals were in a worse condition then, we did it quite comfortably.

28287[/snapback]

 

John, I agree that the canals used to be in a lot worse condition but I think the significant increase in traffic is the biggest problem now. I have just returned from the four counties, Llangollen and Montgomery, (almost 4 weeks,) My mother kept a maticulous log when we did the 4 counties in 1980 and queing for locks, Harecastle etc was unheard of let alone constantly slowing down to tick-over for long lines of linear moorings, (especially on the end reaches of the Shroppie where it goes on for over 2 miles at one point!) In fact queueing was so rare that she noted every time we had to wait for a lock and the average wait was 12 mins and that was for a working pair to get through!!

 

We did it in 1980 in a week and agree it would be possible in a week now but it would mean constant cruising and as already mentioned early starts/late stops and also doesn't allow much buffer for problems, excessive queues etc etc.

 

Have a great trip whatever you plan.