Help Me Out Here People

[Paul@CW]

Hello All

 

Please help in this humble appeal. I have spent the last week slowly but surely driving myself mad trying to decide a route to take for our upcoming holiday starting Aug 12th for 2 weeks. Any suggestions to add to the mix and my confusion would be much appreciated.

 

We are out for 2 weeks from Preston Brook, have 3 experienced adults in the crew (one of whom is the owner of the hire company), have no worries with numbers of locks and usually travel 8-9 hours a day depending on how long we stop for lunch/break/visiting villages or towns.

 

The obvious route would be to combine Cheshire and 4 Counties rings but am keen to look for other routes.

 

Many Thanks

 

Paul

[Alec Gatherer]

How about either:

Cheshire Ring + Caldon

or

Four Counties + Llangollen

[Mimi]

Hi Paul, we may meet you en route. We are a group of differing sizes depending on which day it is We are setting off from Stoke on Trent on 12th August for two weeks. Initially we are 5 adults and two standard dachshunds, with several folk meeting us on the way around for various bits of it and for varying lengths of time. We shall be travelling clockwise doing the 4 Counties to Hurlaston junction then down (or is it up) the Llangollen canal and back around to Stoke on Trent. We are on a Black prince boat name as yet unknown

[AllanW]

Initially we are 5 adults and two standard dachshunds...

 

Didn't realise that dachshunds came in non-standard varieties? Wouldn't mind a varigated one... LOL

 

Allan

[Paul@CW]

Hi Paul, we may meet you en route. We are a group of differing sizes depending on which day it is We are setting off from Stoke on Trent on 12th August for two weeks.

 

I think if we go clockwise also we'd be 3-4 days behind you. If we go the other way we will probably pass you at some point. We are on Beeston Castle if you see us.

 

I must admit I do fancy a bit of 4 Counties anti-clockwise plus Llangollen. Can anyone tell me how far down the Montgomery we could explore before having to turn?

[Mimi]

Didn't realise that dachshunds came in non-standard varieties? Wouldn't mind a varigated one

They actually come in 'toy' 'minature' and standard.

Hey Allan...........are you Allan or allan? Which part of North Wales are you???? Im just outside of Caernarfon.

Edited July 23, 2006 by Mimi

[Hairy-Neil]

What about going out on the Rochdale and returning via the Huddersfield Narrow, AKA the South Pennine Ring. Its about 9 - 10 days boating so 2 weeks will give you plenty of time for seeing the sights.

 

We took this route in 2004 and also did out and back on the Rochdale in 02. It makes the Four Counties and Cheshire Rings seem like childs play.

[AllanW]

They actually come in 'toy' 'minature' and standard.

Well you learn summat every day eh? Thought they came in medium, long and extra long... LOL

Hey Allan...........are you Allan or allan? Which part of North Wales are you???? Im just outside of Caernarfon.

Hi Mimi - nice to meet you as it were

 

I'm Allan (not allan/out! <- Er... that's a welsh joke for our English readers) and I'm from Holywell, though I do know your part of the world pretty well. Used to go camping behind the garden centre down by the river when going to Plas Menai, and I used to work in Bangor for 1 week in 4 for nearly 10 years

 

I see from your other posts that you were in Crick this year... Which day did you go? I was there on on Saturday (I've still got the mud on my car, coat and shoes!) and yet despite the rain I wouldn't have missed it. Hope to get to the IWA too

 

Allan

Edited July 24, 2006 by AllanW

[Mimi]

Ahhhh that would be Seiont Nurseries then Allan. Lovely place to camp. Its just across from where I live.

Yes I did go to Crick.....what an experience. We actually went for the weekend. Camped, but not at the show site and got so bogged down in the 18 inches of mud Im still trying to get the mud out of my pores (sorry girly thing) BUT just loved every second of it. Nice to 'meet' you.

[Keeping Up]

I'm Allan (not allan/out! <- Er... that's a welsh joke for our English readers)

I'm only about 1/8th Welsh (despite the surname) - my wife Debbie is 1/4 Welsh.

 

Debbie's Grandmother, a sweet little old witch who lived in Aberystwyth, always addressed her letters to "Debbie and Out". Whenever we went to visit her, the town carpark made me feel very unwelcome because the first thing I saw on driving in, was a big arrow pointing to the exit and "Allan - Out" painted by it in 3-foot high letters.

 

 

Allan

[Hairy-Neil]

I'm only about 1/8th Welsh (despite the surname) - my wife Debbie is 1/4 Welsh.

 

Allan

 

I have the Welsh surname but my family are believed to have left Wales over 400 years ago...... I know the carpark well though. I was in Aber 2 weeks ago for my daughter's graduation ceremony.

[AllanW]

Hi again guys... Mimi, Hairy and the Joneses

 

Maybe we should start a 'where's everyone from' thread eh?

 

Any other North Walians out there?

 

Mimi - I see you're doing the four counties and Llangollen this year - be sure to look in at at the new Swanley Bridge marina at the end of the Llan near Hurleston junction. It's going to be one of the nicest marinas on the network from what I can see, and it's where I hope to get a mooring next year...

 

FYI - I'm 'doing' Tardebigge to Stratford on Avon in September and I can't wait either!

 

Allan

[Dave45]

Hello All

 

Please help in this humble appeal. I have spent the last week slowly but surely driving myself mad trying to decide a route to take for our upcoming holiday starting Aug 12th for 2 weeks. Any suggestions to add to the mix and my confusion would be much appreciated.

 

We are out for 2 weeks from Preston Brook, have 3 experienced adults in the crew (one of whom is the owner of the hire company), have no worries with numbers of locks and usually travel 8-9 hours a day depending on how long we stop for lunch/break/visiting villages or towns.

 

The obvious route would be to combine Cheshire and 4 Counties rings but am keen to look for other routes.

 

Many Thanks

 

Paul

Hi Paul

Why not try the English channel.

[Mimi]

Allan, Im only an 'honarary' coffi. From Liverpool originally and lived in North Wales for over 20 years now. So you could say Im Wenglish I did speak to the rep for the new Sawley Marina in one of the marquees at the crick show, so got loads of info. Dont know whether it will suit me. Hate to be somewhere where you have to do this and cant do that, being run by some little jobsworth. Not my cuppa tea at all. Must say though it did look rather swish. Anyway by the time we get around to sorting out finances for a boat that place will probabley be full.

 

Hope that you enjoy your little jaunt to Stratford........gorgeous place. We did Tardabigge flight in 3hrs and 18 mins on our last run up that way 2 years ago. Not bad going hey.

Edited July 24, 2006 by Mimi

[AllanW]

Allan, Im only an 'honarary' coffi. From Liverpool originally and lived in North Wales for over 20 years now. So you could say Im Wenglish I did speak to the rep for the new Sawley Marina in one of the marquees at the crick show, so got loads of info. Dont know whether it will suit me. Hate to be somewhere where you have to do this and cant do that, being run by some little jobsworth. Not my cuppa tea at all. Must say though it did look rather swish. Anyway by the time we get around to sorting out finances for a boat that place will probabley be full.

 

Hope that you enjoy your little jaunt to Stratford........gorgeous place. We did Tardabigge flight in 3hrs and 18 mins on our last run up that way 2 years ago. Not bad going hey.

 

Hi Mimi

 

Wenglish? If Scouse/Welsh wouldn't that make you a Scwelsh? LOL

 

Actually I'm only honory Welsh myself - from around the Hyde, Marple area where I have some of my earliest memories of the canals onboard my uncles old cruiser some 40 odd years ago - I was actually on the Peak and Macclesfield canals last month for the first time since I was a kid!

 

Not sure if my route does the Tardebigge flight btw... I'll have to have a look at my map again

 

I'm planning on heading up the Worcester and Birmingham Canal through the tunnels until I get to the King's Norton Junction then onto the Stratford Canal... If I've read me Nicholsons right my first locks are Lapworth? (That was from memory so forgive me if I have that wrong). The way (I hope) I've planned it should give me the first and last day relaxing with about 20 something miles lock free!

 

As for the marina - did you mean Sawley or Swanley? I get the impression that the Swanley one is run by two of the last people in the world you would think of as jobsworths... (but I do know what you mean!). Hopefully the 315 berths there will leave a few spaces around in the area for the start of next year, even if I can't get into Swanley itself

 

Anyone reading this in the Venetian, Barbridge or Golden Nook (or those sort of areas) please leave me a PM as I'd love to make contact and ask a few questions (I've already met a lot of you from walking the towpaths anyway! LOL)

 

Allan

[mikevye]

Four Counties definately we did it in a week from black prince just down from preston brook, hard work but so enjoyable. If you go clockwise you'll get most of the major locks over in the first week and the harcastle tunnel (arrive before 4pm). That will give you peace of mind option to do the llan or not dependant on time. The current navigable length of the monty is seven miles winding at Maesbury well worth it. Warning Frankton Locks are open 12-2pm and by appointment only before 10am on the day from BW Nantwich office.