Locks on Four Counties Ring

[Cruising Mike]

I am in the planning stages for our 1 week holiday on the FC ring i want some advice on the locks on the route.

 

1) Which locks are the most congested? (Non-holiday period)

2) What are the operating hours for the locks?

 

Any help will be appreciated! Thanks

[Paul C]

Probably Tyrley flight, the ones on the Middlewich branch and Wardle lock. All the locks have no operating hours restrictions.

[john6767]

We did most of the Four Counties Ring last July and August and did not find any of the locks particularly busy, but I would agree that Tyrley and the Middlewich branch were probably the one were we had to wait at all. The Junction at Middlewich was a bit chaotic, we did not have to wait (clockwise) but there a lot of boats coming the other way from both directions and nowhere for them to wait so it was interesting.

 

There are no opening hours on the locks, but Harecastle tunnel does have opening hours so you need to time arrival there correctly.

[Cruising Mike]

I am aware of the Middlewich branch being the busiest and the surrounding areas, so i was wondering how busy it would be. I know pretty much all there is to know about HC tunnel and will be planning my trip around it's opening times.

 

What about the Audlem and adderly flights? Are they busy? Also on a map, which way round does the arrow (lock legend) need to be if i want to go down and coming from the right? Does the tip of the arrow reflect the top or bottom of lock?

[john6767]

The arrow points UP (ie. the top of the lock), picture it as a pair of lock gates!

Edited August 29, 2013 by john6767

[RLWP]

I'm not sure how this info will help you. OK, you know which locks may be busy, you don't know when in the day they will be busy, or if you can be at the locks when they are not busy

 

Having an itinerary that says 'We must be at Tyrley locks by 10:30 on Thursday' doesn't sound like a restful holiday

 

Richard

[Cruising Mike]

Ok, i know it was a very amatuerish question, but it's been a long time since i did my growing up having narrowboat holidays! So to clarify, im coming from the left and the arrow is pointing to the right, im going upwards?

[furnessvale]

 

There are no opening hours on the locks, but Harecastle tunnel does have opening hours so you need to time arrival there correctly.

OK to overnight at the south entrance if you are too late to go through but don't try to overnight at the north end. Instead, stay back at Red Bull and go forward to the tunnel in the morning.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

[john6767]

Ok, i know it was a very amatuerish question, but it's been a long time since i did my growing up having narrowboat holidays! So to clarify, im coming from the left and the arrow is pointing to the right, im going upwards?

Yes.

[Cruising Mike]

I'm not sure how this info will help you. OK, you know which locks may be busy, you don't know when in the day they will be busy, or if you can be at the locks when they are not busy

 

Having an itinerary that says 'We must be at Tyrley locks by 10:30 on Thursday' doesn't sound like a restful holiday

 

Richard

 

The only 'rule' we will have during the week is to do minimum 9 hours per day, everything else is done is we please. In regards to Harecastle i will planning our passage roughly midday so we will not be hanging around that area at all (barring any problems)

[Paul C]

Beyond general advice, it would be impossible to say when they're congested or not. Locks which have a long pound before them tend to allow boats to bunch up and thus queues form, but if its the first in a flight, then the subsequent locks will have boats spaced out a lock-time (about 5-10 mins) apart and should be flowing traffic nicely. On that basis, its also possible for Hack Green locks to get congested too.

 

The Cheshire Locks (aka heartbreak hill, the part of T&M between Hall Green and Wheelock) are also part of the Cheshire Ring and other north-south traffic so may have more traffic. The middlewich branch is also used for many boats heading to-from Llangollen canal so is busier still.

 

The main delay at locks seems to be inexperienced boaters either unable to get the boat into the lock in a reasonable time, or operating them slowly. Also what doesn't help is other boaters waiting on their boat and not helping the boats in front of them, thus making everything slower.

[RLWP]

Well, there you go then. You'll set off from the hire base when the company let you go and travel nine-ish hours a day arriving at locks as and when

 

Richard

The Cheshire Locks (aka heartbreak hill, the part of T&M between Hall Green and Wheelock) are also part of the Cheshire Ring and other north-south traffic so may have more traffic.

 

Those locks are an interesting example. As many are duplicated, if you have a slick locking technique you may well pass a less experienced boat travelling in the same direction

 

Richard

[Cruising Mike]

Thanks for all the advice. I have plenty of experience with operating the locks but it will be my first time to be solely responsible for operating the boat and helping my other 2 mates as well. I thought that maybe some of the busier locks (wardle, Audlem flight) would have operating hours but it is apparent now that that isnt the case.

[NickF]

I generally print off an itinerary from http://canalplan.eu/ then totally ignore it! ... It does however let me know if I am running behind time and need to either hurry up or turn round. I must admit this has never happened so we generally cruise until we feel like stopping and then stop! (as long as we are somewhere safe) Much more restful (in my opinion)..... but the canal plan itinerary just re-assures you that you have plenty of time to get back on time.

[Cruising Mike]

I am using that website and its good help to have a general idea of where we would need to stop in order to be on time, and if we over shoot that point then thats fine and would mean less crusing another day.

[Arthur Marshall]

Only real hiccup, and it depends which way you go, of course, is exiting the Middlewich link onto the Trent and mersey, which tends to be a bit congested with boats coming up from northwich way. It can get confused as to whose turn is next, especially if someone is moored on the water point on the corner as they were when I came through last week.

He was looking sadly through the window, obviously not going anywhere, and it transpired his prop had just dropped off, the day after he bought the boat. I do hope his boating life has improved.

[dmr]

OK to overnight at the south entrance if you are too late to go through but don't try to overnight at the north end. Instead, stay back at Red Bull and go forward to the tunnel in the morning.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

 

No, don't stop at Red Bull, go up two more locks and stop at Hardings Wood, perfectly safe and even has mooring rings. Then only a very short walk to the BlueBell. However do note that the Bluebell does not sell food as it puts all its efforts into selling beer. Quite a few canal books to read in there too.

 

.............Dave

[mayalld]

 

No, don't stop at Red Bull, go up two more locks and stop at Hardings Wood, perfectly safe and even has mooring rings. Then only a very short walk to the BlueBell. However do note that the Bluebell does not sell food as it puts all its efforts into selling beer. Quite a few canal books to read in there too.

 

.............Dave

There are mooring rings at Red Bull. I'm tied to them at the moment (below lock 43 on the pound with the CRT office)

 

Personal preference, but I always reckon that lock 43 marks a boundary between a really nice bit of the canal and a slightly less nice bit.

[Mac of Cygnet]

There are mooring rings at Red Bull. I'm tied to them at the moment (below lock 43 on the pound with the CRT office)

 

Personal preference, but I always reckon that lock 43 marks a boundary between a really nice bit of the canal and a slightly less nice bit.

 

Next to the field of maize? I was moored there a week ago and agree with you. Also the Red Bull is a pleasanter pub, the Blue Bell being full of beer snobs just like myself.

 

Edited to say that if you see Cygnet down that way this week, don't bother waving. It isn't me. Mac Junior has hair on the top of his head, not the bottom, like me.

Edited August 30, 2013 by Mac of Cygnet