Four Counties Ring

[colinjw]

We are off to do the 4 Counties Ring starting tomorrow with a detour to Chester and possibly Ellesmere Port. We are starting from Penkridge and going anti-clockwise.

 

This is our second decent cruise since last year, the first was a quick Stourport Ring in March.

 

If anyone sees us passing, give a wave and a toot or you would be more than welcome to join us for a beer or three if we are moored up.

 

The boat, Just Sublime, is easily recognisable from the back as there is a Lion Rampant flag flying from the swan neck unless someone has pinched it.

 

Colin and Linda.

 

[mikevye]

Sounds good, given the same opportunity I'd be inclined to get a mega early start to get through stoke and the hardcastle tunnel on the first day remembering to keep in mind the tunnel closing time. The only time I was seriously bothered by bandits was on the leg through stoke on the approach to black prince marina. The Chester detour might seem like a good idea but restrictions apply after telford basin to ellesmere port and the area just outside chester on this leg is a bit rough. I'd choose the llangollen canal over chester everytime with a possible trip down the monty.

[Paula]

Sounds like you will have a great time.....if you go to Chester you will be going past my house....Hyperion is at the bottom of the garden....give me a wave.......saying that I might well be at work.....

 

Paula XX

[Liam]

The Chester detour might seem like a good idea but restrictions apply after telford basin to ellesmere port and the area just outside chester on this leg is a bit rough.

 

What restrictions are those, then?

[colinjw]

Sounds good, given the same opportunity I'd be inclined to get a mega early start to get through stoke and the hardcastle tunnel on the first day remembering to keep in mind the tunnel closing time. The only time I was seriously bothered by bandits was on the leg through stoke on the approach to black prince marina. The Chester detour might seem like a good idea but restrictions apply after telford basin to ellesmere port and the area just outside chester on this leg is a bit rough. I'd choose the llangollen canal over chester everytime with a possible trip down the monty.

 

Hi mike,

 

The reason we are going to Chester is to meet friends from Merseyside and also we have done the Llangollen.

We got through Stoke no problem at all on Sunday afternoon and tied up at the China Garden for a nice carvery.

We are now at Middlewich and heading for the Shroppie tomorrow.

 

Paula....where roughly are you please? We wiil give a toot if the time is decent. We will be going from Barbridge to Chester on Thursday.

 

Colin

[Liam]

We'll be doing the Four Counties, starting off on the 21st July, at Middlewich and going anti clockwise.

 

Give me a wave if you see me passing

[colinjw]

Hi Liam,

 

Sorry but we will miss you as we are leaving Middlewich tomorrow and will be finished by the time you get going.

 

Colin

[Liam]

Hi Colin,

 

Yep, we will miss each other unfortunately... the wave comment was aimed at everyone though hehe

[gardencoaster]

We will be going from Barbridge to Chester on Thursday.

 

Colin

Any information on mooring at Chester gratefully received - we're heading that way in a few weeks and would like a safe overnight stop near the city centre if possible. The guides make reference to a basin but I haven't yet found out more about it and what it's likely to be like in mid-season.

 

Hope you haven't boiled at the helm this week (phew! what a scorcher!).

 

Cheers,

 

gardencoaster

[colinjw]

Any information on mooring at Chester gratefully received - we're heading that way in a few weeks and would like a safe overnight stop near the city centre if possible. The guides make reference to a basin but I haven't yet found out more about it and what it's likely to be like in mid-season.

 

Hope you haven't boiled at the helm this week (phew! what a scorcher!).

 

Cheers,

 

gardencoaster

Hi gc,

 

We moored immediately above the Northgate staircase for 3 nights with no problems at all. I had put a chain on as well but it was not required.

 

The basin that you refer to is below the staircase, which is painfully slow, and there is a winding hole and water point beside the drydock.

 

A handier mooring perhaps is at the pub beside bridge 123E.

 

Both are handy for the centre of Chester. The first mooring is close to Northgate Street and the second is at the end of Frodsham Street.

 

We were there over the race meeting week-end, so Chester was heaving, with the drunken numpties providing entertainment by jumping in the canal from the aforementioned bridge.

 

If you need any more info, please feel free to pm me and I'll help if I can.

 

Colin

 

p.s. not boiled yet but getting towards the medium rare stage.

[mikevye]

Topside of chester is a lovely pub called the cheshire cat with overnight moorings directly outside. The trooper a beefeater type pub a couple of hundred yards downstream again with moorings are alternatives to boating into chester. Both are on the main A41 with bus services directly into chester. A winding hole is just past the trooper. If you're only going down the lock to telfords basin just to come back up my suggestion will save a lot of effort and give you far more time in chester. As a cestrian trust me the big locks are hard work.

[Philip]

Topside of chester is a lovely pub called the cheshire cat with overnight moorings directly outside. The trooper a beefeater type pub a couple of hundred yards downstream again with moorings are alternatives to boating into chester. Both are on the main A41 with bus services directly into chester. A winding hole is just past the trooper. If you're only going down the lock to telfords basin just to come back up my suggestion will save a lot of effort and give you far more time in chester. As a cestrian trust me the big locks are hard work.

 

They are and they take ages to fill as it's only ground paddles apart from one of them I think. The Cheshire Cat has a nice garden on the canalside, though we didn't have a meal, it was a pleasant Saturday April afternoon. We've been aiming to do the Chester run for a years now, but haven't managed to yet, mainly because of stoppages.

 

Northgate seems very interesting, so we'd like to go through those soon and turn round in the wharf below, maybe next year will be the year we finally get round to doing it.