Up the Macc

[CHUGALONG HIRE COMPANY]

Hi guys,

 

I'm looking for a guide to a journey from us up to the Peak Forrest Canal. Not done this myself yet. Any one fancy a go at writing a short description?

[Boondock]

Shallow, tightest bridgeholes ever, chicane in Congleton and beautiful.

[mayalld]

Shallow, tightest bridgeholes ever, chicane in Congleton and beautiful.

 

The chicane in Congleton is true enough (outstanding example of unsympathetic addition of a bridge without understanding of the canal - there is sufficient width to pass a 70 foot by 7 foot boat, but it is nigh on impossible to do so without touching the sides, because of the way the concrete juts out)

 

The beauty is also true.

 

But tight bridgeholes, I would have to disagree. Macc Bridges are actually quite generous compared to other narrow canal bridges.

[BruceinSanity]

The chicane in Congleton is true enough (outstanding example of unsympathetic addition of a bridge without understanding of the canal - there is sufficient width to pass a 70 foot by 7 foot boat, but it is nigh on impossible to do so without touching the sides, because of the way the concrete juts out)

 

The beauty is also true.

 

But tight bridgeholes, I would have to disagree. Macc Bridges are actually quite generous compared to other narrow canal bridges.

I've just managed the chicane in a 70' x 6'10" without touching, but agree it would be impossible in anything wider, and on other occasions have given the offside a right wanging having forgotten about the kink until too late.

 

The bridge holes are some of the most beautiful on the system, IMHO, but the inverts must be very shallow. If you draw much over 20" you'll see a load of muck billowing in the water behind you and chucking back is a frequent necessity.

 

There's an interesting collection of swing and lift bridges on the way, varying from powered to 'orribly 'eavy. Oh, and the powered one at Fool's Nook always says "Alarm" on the display every time I've been through, but works anyway.

 

Didn't one of the comics do a guide to the Cheshire Ring recently, with the diversion up to Whaley Bridge included?

[Keeping Up]

This is the chicane in question. It's easily 7ft wide all the way, so no problem as long as your boat can bend in the middle!

 

 

[Arthur Marshall]

Only one unpowered swing bridge on the Macc itself, but last time I met it it took three of us to open the blasted thing and then we couldn't close it. CART blokes told us (when we came back) to leave it open untl it was serviced, which as far as I know it hasn't been. Until a few years ago it was permenently open.

[by'eck]

Just done the full length north to south. No probs with width of bridge holes (or chicane), but there's not much water in them meaning you come to an almost standstill passing through many if you draw 30" as my boat does - had to push through one of them with power off.

 

Generally shallow everywhere especially the last few miles to stop lock. Apparently President took five hours to get through this section!

 

Great pubs though

[Arthur Marshall]

It's not just lack of dredgery - it was dug shallow and V shaped rather than bowl like. So mooring up is difficult along most of the length except at specific spots, and some of those (such as the visitor moorings in Macc itself) are dreadful - shelfed, rocky and the only VMs marked are on the water points.

[Karma Dreams]

Isnt the chicane in question at 'High town'? Good fish and chips here lol

[by'eck]

Only one unpowered swing bridge on the Macc itself, but last time I met it it took three of us to open the blasted thing and then we couldn't close it. CART blokes told us (when we came back) to leave it open untl it was serviced, which as far as I know it hasn't been. Until a few years ago it was permenently open.

 

If its the one I'm thinking of its bridge 90 near Scolar Green at the southern end, and marked in Nicholson's as "usually left open" (and it was earlier this week).

 

This means the only swing bridge on the whole of the Macc is the hydraulically operated one at Oakgrove which seems to take forever for the wedges to go in as you stare at the rapidly building line of frustrated motorists

[Barry]

If its the one I'm thinking of its bridge 90 near Scolar Green at the southern end, and marked in Nicholson's as "usually left open" (and it was earlier this week).

 

This means the only swing bridge on the whole of the Macc is the hydraulically operated one at Oakgrove which seems to take forever for the wedges to go in as you stare at the rapidly building line of frustrated motorists

 

There's another unpowered one a few minutes away from the hydraulic swing bridge

 

I know it intimately because it was my first ever unpowered swing bridge single handed and I came a cropper on it in a big way

[by'eck]

There's another unpowered one a few minutes away from the hydraulic swing bridge

 

I know it intimately because it was my first ever unpowered swing bridge single handed and I came a cropper on it in a big way

 

Yes, sorry forgot to mention that one - its Broadhurst Swing Bridge 47 just south of Macclesfield, but that is also presently left permanently open as of earlier this week.

[NB Alton]

We've been trying to get CRT to repair, maintain or modify Br47 for months now, a few weeks ago they finally tapped it up with "BW Aware" tape. I'm told that it will not be left open to boats permenently (as it had been for many years) as it has a public footpath across it. Engineers have been working on the bearings of the bridge this week.

 

Cheers, Brian

[alan_fincher]

Shallow, tightest bridgeholes ever, chicane in Congleton and beautiful.

 

 

I've just managed the chicane in a 70' x 6'10" without touching, but agree it would be impossible in anything wider, and on other occasions have given the offside a right wanging having forgotten about the kink until too late.

 

The bridge holes are some of the most beautiful on the system, IMHO, but the inverts must be very shallow. If you draw much over 20" you'll see a load of muck billowing in the water behind you and chucking back is a frequent necessity.

 

There's an interesting collection of swing and lift bridges on the way, varying from powered to 'orribly 'eavy. Oh, and the powered one at Fool's Nook always says "Alarm" on the display every time I've been through, but works anyway.

 

 

It's not just lack of dredgery - it was dug shallow and V shaped rather than bowl like. So mooring up is difficult along most of the length except at specific spots, and some of those (such as the visitor moorings in Macc itself) are dreadful - shelfed, rocky and the only VMs marked are on the water points.

 

Well for a bit of balance.......

 

We did the Macc last year, and I have no particular memory of any of the problems described in this thread.

 

I don't recall any particular shallowness, (2' 4" draft), nor any particular problems with being slowed in the bridge holes.

 

I thought most of the bridge arches were more generous than on many narrow canals too?

 

Not sure I actually got involved in any swing bridge operation, so can't comment on that.

 

There are plenty of canals where I would say the bridge holes are far shallower,, (or at the very least more silted), including the Middlewich branch of the Shroppie, the W&B out of Brum towards Norton Junction, and the Northern Stratford. (The last two of which our 3' draughted boat takes a very strong dislike to!......)

[Arthur Marshall]

We've been trying to get CRT to repair, maintain or modify Br47 for months now, a few weeks ago they finally tapped it up with "BW Aware" tape. I'm told that it will not be left open to boats permenently (as it had been for many years) as it has a public footpath across it. Engineers have been working on the bearings of the bridge this week.

 

Cheers, Brian

Considering it was only put back into use about three years ago, I don't have much hope of it being done satisfactorily. It's virtually impossible to manage it single handed as there's no easy way to get off the boat and work the bridge. It was put back into use at the insistence of the Macc Canal society, apparently, as there's a right of way over it, although it sure doesn't go anywhere interesting. i think the Soc was the only complainant that it was always open - it had been that way for as long as I can remember.

[furnessvale]

Considering it was only put back into use about three years ago, I don't have much hope of it being done satisfactorily. It's virtually impossible to manage it single handed as there's no easy way to get off the boat and work the bridge. It was put back into use at the insistence of the Macc Canal society, apparently, as there's a right of way over it, although it sure doesn't go anywhere interesting. i think the Soc was the only complainant that it was always open - it had been that way for as long as I can remember.

This bridge is an absolute pig to operate, has been from new and is a disgrace to those who installed it. For many years it was derelict and out of use so any footpath across it had long expired. Then along come BW who give way to demands to reinstall it and sod the boaters who can just struggle.

 

Whenever I pass through it I always kick out the locking mechanism cam so I can recover my key and leave it open. I will continue to do so until (now) CART take the boater into consideration and put the towpath chain back on, so that walkers can pull the bridge across for themselves.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

[14skipper]

Did the Macc and peak forest last year.Loved it ! will do it again soon.

 

14skipper

[Arthur Marshall]

This bridge is an absolute pig to operate, has been from new and is a disgrace to those who installed it. For many years it was derelict and out of use so any footpath across it had long expired. Then along come BW who give way to demands to reinstall it and sod the boaters who can just struggle.

 

Whenever I pass through it I always kick out the locking mechanism cam so I can recover my key and leave it open. I will continue to do so until (now) CART take the boater into consideration and put the towpath chain back on, so that walkers can pull the bridge across for themselves.

Ditto! - I gave up trying to close it - as a singlehander it was more or less impossible. Last time I went through I had to tie my boat to a tree (the boat in front was on the bollards) and get off and help the two people struggling with it. The CART volunteers had told us to leave it open, but the notices still said to close it. Although you couldn't actually get it completely shut anyway. I had a bit of a barney with someone from the Canal Soc who had insisted it was put back into action saying that if they liked it so much they should make some effort to maintain it. This appeared not to be an option.

[PhilR]

 

This bridge is an absolute pig to operate, has been from new and is a disgrace to those who installed it. For many years it was derelict and out of use so any footpath across it had long expired. Then along come BW who give way to demands to reinstall it and sod the boaters who can just struggle.

 

Whenever I pass through it I always kick out the locking mechanism cam so I can recover my key and leave it open. I will continue to do so until (now) CART take the boater into consideration and put the towpath chain back on, so that walkers can pull the bridge across for themselves.

rike>

Ditto! - I gave up trying to close it - as a singlehander it was more or less impossible. Last time I went through I had to tie my boat to a tree (the boat in front was on the bollards) and get off and help the two people struggling with it. The CART volunteers had told us to leave it open, but the notices still said to close it. Although you couldn't actually get it completely shut anyway. I had a bit of a barney with someone from the Canal Soc who had insisted it was put back into action saying that if they liked it so much they should make some effort to maintain it. This appeared not to be an option.

 

 

AFAIAA all the original swing bridges on the Macc pivoted on ball bearings which were located in an iron plate ballrace. There would be a couple of loose planks on the bridge deck which could be lifted to wash out accumulated muck and provide some water lubrication.

The main problem with this bridge is that it fouls the masonery at both sides (especially on the towpath side) so a crowbar is needed to lift it up. I'm sure it would only take half a day's work to sort it out ............ but, I suspect the timber used might be of poor quality and it would soon sag again.

[magpie patrick]

I'm not sure Chugalong have got quite what they were hoping for here!

 

Perhaps something more like...

 

The Macclesfield Canal carries boaters from the summit of the Trent and Mersey at Hardings Wood on towards the foothills of the Peak District at Marple. Passing through the towns or Congleton, Macclesfield and Bollington, each of interest to the visitor, the canal is otherwise largely rural and has views across the Cheshire Plain to the west and to Mow Cop, the Cloud and (can't remember other hills) eastwards. Walks into the hills are practical from several points along the route, and for those with an interest in history Little Moreton Hall (etc).

 

Except for the stop lock at Hall Green, the canal's 12 locks are concentrated in one flight at Bosley. Generally straightforward to cruise, the canal is nevertheless rather shallow and best taken slowly whilst enjoying the scenery. In addition to the locks, there are three swing bridges, two of which are manually operated.

 

By Congleton Station insensitive road building narrows the navigation although it is hardly a hazard, For those in need of dutch courage, the Queens Head is adjacent at the top of a flight of steps, and elsewhere Congleton has it's own Beartown Brewery.

 

Not complete, but it might be a bit more encouraging to would be hirers!

[PhilR]

I'm not sure Chugalong have got quite what they were hoping for here!

 

I'm sure Chugalong has staff who know the routes where his boats travel? They must sometimes have to attend breakdowns etc? And there will be feedback from customers too?

[14skipper]

Picked up a guide from box at stop lock containing lots of interesting and useful info which was supplied by The Macclesfield canal society.

Maybe they could supply copies of guide for a hire company to put on their boats ( maybe for a donation to societies fund ),just a thought.

 

14skipper

[BruceinSanity]

 

Picked up a guide from box at stop lock containing lots of interesting and useful info which was supplied by The Macclesfield canal society.

Maybe they could supply copies of guide for a hire company to put on their boats ( maybe for a donation to societies fund ),just a thought.

 

14skipper

…and use the money to fix the swing bridge.