A week's hire at Anderton.

[Southern Star]

Hi, I'm hiring a boat next August from Anderton boat yard for a week's holiday and to do research on my own plans to buy a boat in 2-3 years time. I'll be with my partner and my twin boys, who will have their 16th birthday while away.

 

Can anywhere suggest which trip we could make, and why? It will be a holiday and we will do other things apart from travelling, so would be looking at moving on average 5-6 hours a day.

 

Any suggestions for an interesting trip?

[jonathanA]

The cheshire ring or llangollen would both be doable with a good crew - assuming you can motivate the mutants and they don't want to just 'facebook' their mates for the week !

[Southern Star]

Thanks, I thought the Cheshire ring might be a bit ambitious for a Saturday PM to Saturday AM hire?

[Kae]

Thanks, I thought the Cheshire ring might be a bit ambitious for a Saturday PM to Saturday AM hire?

 

Personally, I wouldn't do the Cheshire Ring in a week, it wouldn't be much of a holiday that's for sure!

 

We did it in two weeks, with three enforced stop days (one engine breakdown, a broken paddle/bracket and a stuck door.

[Richard10002]

Personally, I wouldn't do the Cheshire Ring in a week, it wouldn't be much of a holiday that's for sure!

 

+1

[Graham Davis]

Cheshire Ring in a week doing 5 or 6 hours days, as the OP stated, would be impossible.

To keep to teen age lads "interested" why not cruise up to Castlefields in Manchester, and a side trip either down the lift onto the Weaver, or up towards Wigan?

[DeanS]

Doing the Macclesfield and Peak canals would be beautiful, relaxing, fun. Alternatively, doing the entire Bridgewater...to Castlefield in Manchester would be a good trip.....and the kids could get some urban energy before leaving and returning back on the Bridgewater again...I'm sure it can be done in a week ...and goes through 3 tunnels

 

others will confirm....

[arbutus]

The ABC boat hire page suggest either an out and back trip to Chester, taking 5.5 hours per day or a trip along the Llangollen as far as Ellesmere at 7 hours cruising per day. Both routes stop the first night at Middlewich which has good Chinese and Indian restaurants in the main street. Chester might provide a break for the twins from all the green countryside you will be passing through. The Shropshire Union Canal from Barbridge junction to Chester has wide locks, so the twins can use their muscles. Chester has the Northgate staircase locks which made an impression on me when we did them on our first holiday in the 70’s. I like the run to Chester with views over the Cheshire plains and the ruins of Beeston castle on a high hill in the distance. If you find that you like travelling on the boat more than being moored, you may have time to take an excursion up the Llangollen as far as Wrenbury, there is a winding hole not too far after the electric lift bridge. The best part of an out and back cruise is that by the middle of the week you know what the weather will be like for the rest of the holiday and also whether you want to do more or less cruising for the rest of the week.

[DHutch]

Depends on your idea of a holiday, but the OP states they want to do other things during the week.

[IanD]

Thanks, I thought the Cheshire ring might be a bit ambitious for a Saturday PM to Saturday AM hire?

We (myself, SWMBO, son and girlfriend) did the Cheshire Ring (and the Peak Forest) from Anderton in a week last summer without ever travelling much past 6pm -- but with a reasonably early start and not stopping for lunch every day. But then we love travelling (and locks) rather than sightseeing, I guess we averaged 7-8 hours a day travelling, so if you want to do other things don't even think about it.

 

Longest day was Middlewich to Hardings Wood, 35 locks meant we needed quite a lot of refreshment afterwards in the fantastic Blue Bell :-)

[Paul C]

Llangollen is a bit of a stretch for a week, given that you need to also do the Middlewich locks (lengthy delays there due to 2 paddles broken) twice, and the Middlewich branch of the SU. If you wanted to do Llangollen, hire from somewhere a bit nearer or extend it to 10 days.

 

The 2 realistic and pleasant trips I'd consider from there are:

 

4 counties ring, but you'd need to put in consistent 7-8 hour days for that; and

Caldon canal and back (you could probably fit in both the main line to Froghall tunnel (or just before) and a trip on the Leek branch to the Leek tunnel.

PS and Chester trip too (which has been previously mentioned).

Edited September 6, 2013 by Paul C

[Southern Star]

Thanks, I have been considering Chester, I'm sure the Cheshire ring would be a good trip, ditto Llangollen, but I will want to stop and look around a few boats and chat to people about the whole thing, and although I'd be quite happy to "keep her lit", in fairness to the others aboard I do feel I should build other activities into the week.

 

Still have plenty of time to make a hard and fast decision though, if I did do a run to Chester and return what are the main points of interest en route?

[RLWP]

Well, Chester for a start. If you get a move on, Ellesmere Port boat museum

 

Richard

[DeanS]

Castlefield in Manchester...has the Science and Technology Museam. Manchester is a fun city. Along the Bridgewater, there are some lovely places....Trafford centre is next to the canal.......Sale...Lymm.....(has a dam area which makes a great day out)....Stockton Heath...loads of eating places......Moore...quiet towpaths....High Walton...carvery at the Walton Arms.....3 tunnels to the T&M....Macclesfield canals are fun....it's really a nice part of the canal world....something for all.

[jonathanA]

might be worth playing with canalplan website - set your start and finishing points as Anderton and see how far you could get in the time you have and with 5/6 hours cruising a day.

 

are hire boats allowed to use the anderton lift/go on the weaver ?

[little duck!]

Hi, definately use canal planner, we like cruising so put in long hours and see plenty but with just 5 hours a day routes will be more limited and queues at locks will also take time, you'll get plenty of time to chat then! I would also suggest Chester due to the limited cruising time i think anythinhg else with those cruising hours isn't feasible unless you don't mind not getting to the aquaduct or Llangollen itself. Just my opinion though!

ETA we have done Anderton lift both in hire boat and more recently our own but best to check with individual hire bases.

Edited September 8, 2013 by little duck!

[Pete of Ebor]

If you want to go down The Anderton Lift onto The Weaver, do check with the hire company. We did it once only to be told a few years later (..when we hired from that base again..) that we shouldn't have ! There wasn't a problem, but if there had been... Incidentally, we've done The Cheshire Ring several times, and have included a day at Anderton with a trip down the lift, a run up to Vale Royal Lock, run back to Northwich for a lunchtime session and the trip back up Anderton and on to Acton Bridge for an evening in The Hollybush.

[Neil2]

You can't hire from Anderton and not go down the lift - it's a unique experience. We saw several hire boats on the Weaver, if you're a bit apprehensive about rivers bear in mind the Weaver is really just a very big canal, there's hardly any current and mooring is a lot easier than most rivers.

[NickF]

I hired a few years ago from Alvechurch Boats at Anderton and had to have a letter from them to authorise me to use the lift. (They don't allow first timers). We had a great week, did the Cheshire ring in six days then spent a day on the Weaver. I must admit I like long days, and am not a great fan of stopping so I would not necessarily recommend the ring for the OP. The advantage of doing a there and back is it doesn't matter how far you go each day, you just turn round at half time! Chester and back would make a pleasant trip but the Anderton Lift is pretty impressive if you can use it so may be a couple of days on the weaver.

 

Having said that with two sixteen year old boys you may find they want to keep busy on the locks and steering (supervised of course!) so you may go further than you expected.

 

have a great trip ... I'll look out for you on the roads of Kent! (Are you allowed to post photos of other members lorries in the "photos of other members boats section"!?)

 

Nick

[Southern Star]

Well, after discussion with the crew it seems that everybody wants to make as much use of the boat as possible in the week that we have it, so we've decided to do the Cheshire Ring. It should be quite manageable with four of us sharing the duties and we don't mind putting in long days.

 

I'll ask more questions nearer the time but I'll start by asking now if it's better to do it clockwise or anti-clockwise, or does it make no difference?

[Richard10002]

Amongst other things, Clockwise means up the Rochdale 9 and the locks at Marple, and down Heartbreak Hill. Anticlockwise means vice versa.

[Cruising Mike]

One thing i have learnt from others here on the forums is that the Middlewich section including Marple locks can be rather busy at times, maybe more so in August so you should probably try to do that bit first so you know how much time to make up on the rest of the trip, if any.

[IanD]

Well, after discussion with the crew it seems that everybody wants to make as much use of the boat as possible in the week that we have it, so we've decided to do the Cheshire Ring. It should be quite manageable with four of us sharing the duties and we don't mind putting in long days.

 

I'll ask more questions nearer the time but I'll start by asking now if it's better to do it clockwise or anti-clockwise, or does it make no difference?

Since we did exactly the same route (anticlockwide) last year from the same boatyard -- with more than a little emphasis on finding a good pub each evening -- I'll list where we stopped and why if you're interested.

[Southern Star]

Yes, I'd appreciate any hints or tips for this route, thanks!

[Kae]

I personally, wouldn't want to go anti-clockwise, if I had to do the Rochdale 9 and Ashton 18 at the end of a lovely two week holiday I think I would have cried! At least going clockwise you are working those locks escaping Manchester, rather than descending into it - this opinion is very much based on my dislike for cities and built up areas though, I appreciate some people like Castlefield!