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East - West Manchester transit


Sea Dog

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Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

I've read with interest a number of threads about cruising in the Manchester area, including some good and some not so good aspects.  I now find myself with the distinct possibility of doing it myself next week (if the Marple flight reopens this weekend) and it seems that the low lights have dominated both my memory and my searches!  The route would be down from Marple and through to the Bridgewater before turning south on the T&M, and I recognise that I'm gonna need a bit of a plan if I'm to see the best of it - particularly the early stages.

 

Therefore, I'd be grateful if some of those who are familiar with the area might offer the benefit of their current knowledge, in particular of anything we should not miss and nice places where we might overnight, and perhaps spend the odd day.  I suppose I also need the latest info on timings (and those places which it might be sensible to sail on through) to avoid any issues. There are two of us and we tend to cruise for around 4-5 hours a day where circumstances permit.

 

Thanks in anticipation. 

 

 

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You ought to spend a bit of time in Castlefield... people spend a fortune on flats, (or hotels), in the City Centre, and you can stay there for nothing. Watch House Cruising Club at Stretford is only an hour or so from Castlefield, OK to stop for a night and, on the right nights, the bar is open, (£2 a pint of bitter), and every now and then, it might be me behind the bar :) . My next stop would be Little Bollington for a bite to eat in The Swan with Two Nicks, a couple of hours cruising - If you like National Trust stuff, Dunham Massey is nearby. Then Lymm Village another couple of hours cruising, very pretty, Sootys Dad lives there. I dont go further than this mostly :)

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9 minutes ago, Richard10002 said:

You ought to spend a bit of time in Castlefield... people spend a fortune on flats, (or hotels), in the City Centre, and you can stay there for nothing. Watch House Cruising Club at Stretford is only an hour or so from Castlefield, OK to stop for a night and, on the right nights, the bar is open, (£2 a pint of bitter), and every now and then, it might be me behind the bar :) . My next stop would be Little Bollington for a bite to eat in The Swan with Two Nicks, a couple of hours cruising - If you like National Trust stuff, Dunham Massey is nearby. Then Lymm Village another couple of hours cruising, very pretty, Sootys Dad lives there. I dont go further than this mostly :)

Very true about a couple of days in the basin, the museum for a start is great in my opinion. leaving Manchester if you turn right at Waters Meeting then after about a mile is the Trafford centre if some one wants some retail therapy. We overnighter there and ate in the centre. We like the Turkish restaurant in Lymm. http://www.flavoursuk.co.uk/ 

Edited by ditchcrawler
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We came from Braunston to Ashton Under Lyne last week, via Manchester (west to east) .Everything fine all the way until we got half way up the Ashton Canal, a number of low pounds resulted in being aground in several places and much running of water down the canal to enable progress to be made.The cause of the low pounds is C&RTs complete incompetence with regard to water control on this canal. Gates and paddles leak  at various locks and there is supposed to be an adjustable feed from the top lock to compensate for this. At week-end this feed was blocked  with rubbish( so the C&RT bloke said) and so there were pounds draining down causing problems for boats. This situation has prevailed on each of several  occasions that I have used the canal this year. Just after christmas, the canal re-opened(!) after a maintenance stoppage, we took a boat down, there were 7 consecutive  pounds completely empty and no C&RT staff (they were on duty) did anything about it.It isn't petty vandalism, despite the official P.R.line,it's rank bad management.

Anyway, you will be ok with a bit of DIY as you go, though the summit level,8miles, Fairfield to Marple bottom lock was about 5inches down from normal yesterday and won't recover anytime soon. Just don't expect any useful input from the "authorities". Don't get me started on that  ongoing farce at Marple locks, an utter shambles!

 

 

 

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14 minutes ago, billh said:

We came from Braunston to Ashton Under Lyne last week, via Manchester (west to east) .Everything fine all the way until we got half way up the Ashton Canal, a number of low pounds resulted in being aground in several places and much running of water down the canal to enable progress to be made.The cause of the low pounds is C&RTs complete incompetence with regard to water control on this canal. Gates and paddles leak  at various locks and there is supposed to be an adjustable feed from the top lock to compensate for this. At week-end this feed was blocked  with rubbish( so the C&RT bloke said) and so there were pounds draining down causing problems for boats. This situation has prevailed on each of several  occasions that I have used the canal this year. Just after christmas, the canal re-opened(!) after a maintenance stoppage, we took a boat down, there were 7 consecutive  pounds completely empty and no C&RT staff (they were on duty) did anything about it.It isn't petty vandalism, despite the official P.R.line,it's rank bad management.

Anyway, you will be ok with a bit of DIY as you go, though the summit level,8miles, Fairfield to Marple bottom lock was about 5inches down from normal yesterday and won't recover anytime soon. Just don't expect any useful input from the "authorities". Don't get me started on that  ongoing farce at Marple locks, an utter shambles!

 

 

 

I haven't been on the Ashton this year, but was last year and several times previously and have never had any issues.

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10 hours ago, Richard10002 said:

You ought to spend a bit of time in Castlefield... people spend a fortune on flats, (or hotels), in the City Centre, and you can stay there for nothing. Watch House Cruising Club at Stretford is only an hour or so from Castlefield, OK to stop for a night and, on the right nights, the bar is open, (£2 a pint of bitter), and every now and then, it might be me behind the bar :) . My next stop would be Little Bollington for a bite to eat in The Swan with Two Nicks, a couple of hours cruising - If you like National Trust stuff, Dunham Massey is nearby. Then Lymm Village another couple of hours cruising, very pretty, Sootys Dad lives there. I dont go further than this mostly :)

 

Thank you Richard - I have the makings of a fine plan from you alone!

 

10 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

Very true about a couple of days in the basin, the museum for a start is great in my opinion. leaving Manchester if you turn right at Waters Meeting then after about a mile is the Trafford centre if some one wants some retail therapy. We overnighter there and ate in the centre. We like the Turkish restaurant in Lymm. http://www.flavoursuk.co.uk/ 

 

Thanks DC. There is someone aboard who is always wanting some retail therapy!  :D

 

9 hours ago, rgreg said:

I haven't been on the Ashton this year, but was last year and several times previously and have never had any issues.

 

Thanks - Bills post above yours is fair warning, but I'm glad to hear it's not inevitable. 

 

I have a further question if I may.  I can take a day or two to get from Marple to the start of the 18 locks down into Manchester.  If intending an early start down the flight, where might be a good place to overnight?

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6 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

 

Thank you Richard - I have the makings of a fine plan from you alone!

 

 

Thanks DC. There is someone aboard who is always wanting some retail therapy!  :D

 

 

Thanks - Bills post above yours is fair warning, but I'm glad to hear it's not inevitable. 

 

I have a further question if I may.  I can take a day or two to get from Marple to the start of the 18 locks down into Manchester.  If intending an early start down the flight, where might be a good place to overnight?

Your best mooring place for a descent of the Ashton is just short of Portland Basin, on the Peak Forest Canal between Bridge 1 (the lift bridge) and Bridge A (railway bridge). It's a pleasant spot, and you are only an hour from the top lock.

 

If you are taking your time, then I would suggest that your previous night should be at the foot of Marple Locks, very tranquil indeed.

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1 hour ago, mayalld said:

If you are taking your time, then I would suggest that your previous night should be at the foot of Marple Locks, very tranquil indeed.

Autumn morning, 2007.

 

DSCF1536.JPG

Edited by Ray T
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Quote

 

 

The lower peak is a bit slow going at times but it is amazing how rural it feels considering you are in the outskirts of Stockport and Manchester. Stopping at Ashton as Mayalld says is a good idea. Ashton to Castlefield is a days trip, and as said it's well worth spending a couple of days in Manchester. Take the detour over the Barton Tank to Worsley, where it all began and if you are lucky you might get to see the tank swing.

 

Lymm is one of my favourite stops and the Lymm Brewery Tap is my favourite watering hole, the chippy opposite is good too. There are also a fair number of shops and eateries.

 

The Red Lion at Moore is also a decent stop and Stockton Heath is good for shops, not forgetting Thorne Marine for any boaty essentials. I reckon about two and a half hours from there to Preston Brook tunnel and you need to be ready to go in to the tunnel between half past and twenty to the hour. It's then roughly two hours between the tunnels to Saltersford Tunnel so you should make the passage two hours from when you went into Preston Brook. Its then about a Hour to Anderton lift.

Quote

 

 

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7 hours ago, mayalld said:

Your best mooring place for a descent of the Ashton is just short of Portland Basin, on the Peak Forest Canal between Bridge 1 (the lift bridge) and Bridge A (railway bridge). It's a pleasant spot, and you are only an hour from the top lock.

 

If you are taking your time, then I would suggest that your previous night should be at the foot of Marple Locks, very tranquil indeed.

 

Good stuff, many thanks. The bottom of Marple is ideal for my timings so I was planning there of thereabouts anyway. Good to know that'll be a nice stop, and between the bridges next night sounds perfect. Both of those suggestions are firmly in the plan! Thanks again.

 

5 hours ago, Ray T said:

Autumn morning, 2007.

 

DSCF1536.JPG

 

Nice phot!

 

1 hour ago, ditchcrawler said:

And another good museum

 

I'm getting a vibe that you like your museums, DC!  Might have a look if the timing is right... or if it's free! :D

 

1 hour ago, captain birdseye said:

The lower peak is a bit slow going at times but it is amazing how rural it feels considering you are in the outskirts of Stockport and Manchester. Stopping at Ashton as Mayalld says is a good idea. Ashton to Castlefield is a days trip, and as said it's well worth spending a couple of days in Manchester. Take the detour over the Barton Tank to Worsley, where it all began and if you are lucky you might get to see the tank swing.

 

Lymm is one of my favourite stops and the Lymm Brewery Tap is my favourite watering hole, the chippy opposite is good too. There are also a fair number of shops and eateries.

 

The Red Lion at Moore is also a decent stop and Stockton Heath is good for shops, not forgetting Thorne Marine for any boaty essentials. I reckon about two and a half hours from there to Preston Brook tunnel and you need to be ready to go in to the tunnel between half past and twenty to the hour. It's then roughly two hours between the tunnels to Saltersford Tunnel so you should make the passage two hours from when you went into Preston Brook. Its then about a Hour to Anderton lift.

 

Also really good info Birdseye, giving me some fine guidance until we get back to previous charted waters at Anderton. I think the Barton has to be done and, having gone that way, I'll give a bit of thought to running up as far as Wigan before heading south. 

 

It'd be handy if we could delay the school holidays a bit this year as I usually avoid them, but this year I guess I'll discover whether I was right to or not! Many thanks for all the advice folks, much appreciated! 

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28 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

Sing out if you are definitely doing this, as we are just outside Macclesfield at the moment, heading towards Bugsworth then down Marple and down the Ashton. 

Well we're in Bugsworth now so yes, we're definitely going that way... or else retracing our steps down the Macclesfield depending on the success or failure of Marple flight repair!  (You know it's closed at the moment but might reopen tomorrow evening, right?).  Current aim is to go down Marple Sunday or Monday, so down the Ashton Monday or Tuesday I guess.

 

Some good info in this thread, isn't there. :)

17 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

Probably the cheapest diesel you will see as well

...and therefore probably the freshest too!  Duly noted - thanks!  :)

 

 

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15 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

I have a further question if I may.  I can take a day or two to get from Marple to the start of the 18 locks down into Manchester.  If intending an early start down the flight, where might be a good place to overnight?

 

I have overnighted at the top of the 18. Not always recommended, but we had no problems. 

 

7 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

I think the Barton has to be done and, having gone that way, I'll give a bit of thought to running up as far as Wigan before heading south. 

 

 

Just beware that the Bridgewater have become much hotter on the timings of the reciprocal licence arrangement. I can't remember the details, but if you leave their water to go to Wigan, then return, you may have a problem.  Someone will be along soon with all the details.

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24 minutes ago, David Mack said:

 

I have overnighted at the top of the 18. Not always recommended, but we had no problems. 

 

Did this in April and stopped for the night at Failsworth. Was only there for 10 minutes before a policewoman knocked on the side of the boat to ask if I intended to stay the night as the local youths 'were a bit of a nuisance'. Local taxi firm I was moored near said the same but despite this I didnt even see any local hooligans and had a very quiet night.  Stocked up with supplies from a very convenient Tesco there too.

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6 hours ago, David Mack said:

Just beware that the Bridgewater have become much hotter on the timings of the reciprocal licence arrangement. I can't remember the details, but if you leave their water to go to Wigan, then return, you may have a problem.  Someone will be along soon with all the details.

Ah, noted.  I was aware that it's possible to fall foul of Peel Holdings, but had thought I'd be well within the 7 days allowed by the CRT licence. Food for thought, thanks.

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Just now, Sea Dog said:

Ah, noted.  I was aware that it's possible to fall foul of Peel Holdings, but had thought I'd be well within the 7 days allowed by the CRT licence. Food for thought, thanks.

Current rules are one visit, max 7 days, no free return in 28 days. 

 

You can buy another 7 days for £40 or a 2 day transit for £20.  Considering how much you will spend in Wigan Central on beer if you visit, I wouldn't worry about it. 

 

I don't know many people who actually pay the transit fee unless they get spotted by Sunni, who usually will knock on the boat and introduce himself.

 

He is now also reminding CRT boaters that most places on the Bridgewater are 24 hour mooring unless signed otherwise, including all the towpath. 

 

 

 

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I wouldn't attempt the top of the Ashton flight all the way to Castlefields in one day, it's 18 narrow locks then 9 heavy broad locks. I'd come down the Ashton flight of 18 then spend the night in Piccadilly Village, it seems quite safe there. Then early doors the next day down the Rochdale Nine to Castlefields.

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3 hours ago, TheBiscuits said:

Current rules are one visit, max 7 days, no free return in 28 days. 

 

You can buy another 7 days for £40 or a 2 day transit for £20.  Considering how much you will spend in Wigan Central on beer if you visit, I wouldn't worry about it. 

 

I don't know many people who actually pay the transit fee unless they get spotted by Sunni, who usually will knock on the boat and introduce himself.

 

He is now also reminding CRT boaters that most places on the Bridgewater are 24 hour mooring unless signed otherwise, including all the towpath. 

 

 

 

 

Then Wigan shall have to forego the pleasure of my company on this occasion! :D

 

1 hour ago, Alway Swilby said:

I wouldn't attempt the top of the Ashton flight all the way to Castlefields in one day, it's 18 narrow locks then 9 heavy broad locks. I'd come down the Ashton flight of 18 then spend the night in Piccadilly Village, it seems quite safe there. Then early doors the next day down the Rochdale Nine to Castlefields.

 

Agreed - Piccadilly is on the agenda.

 

Thanks all. :)

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We usually do all twenty seven in a day, last time down we left Ashton at 10:00 and were in the Wharf at Castlefield for Five, it all depends on what you are used to. That was with my wife and our 10 and 8 year old children. 

when I came up with billh last weekend we did them all despite all the trouble with water near the top and that included a two hour lunch break at Piccadilly and with a deep draughted working boat.

 

I wouldn't bother with Wigan, theres not a lot to see after Astley Green at the furthest. Nice canalside pub there.

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12 minutes ago, captain birdseye said:

We usually do all twenty seven in a day, last time down we left Ashton at 10:00 and were in the Wharf at Castlefield for Five, it all depends on what you are used to. That was with my wife and our 10 and 8 year old children. 

when I came up with billh last weekend we did them all despite all the trouble with water near the top and that included a two hour lunch break at Piccadilly and with a deep draughted working boat.

 

I wouldn't bother with Wigan, theres not a lot to see after Astley Green at the furthest. Nice canalside pub there.

More good Intel Birdseye,  thanks again.

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8 hours ago, captain birdseye said:

We usually do all twenty seven in a day, last time down we left Ashton at 10:00 and were in the Wharf at Castlefield for Five, it all depends on what you are used to. That was with my wife and our 10 and 8 year old children. 

when I came up with billh last weekend we did them all despite all the trouble with water near the top and that included a two hour lunch break at Piccadilly and with a deep draughted working boat.

 

I wouldn't bother with Wigan, theres not a lot to see after Astley Green at the furthest. Nice canalside pub there.

Unless its a Sunday and the Trencherfield engine is in steam https://www.wigan.gov.uk/Resident/Museums-archives/Trencherfield-Mill-Engine.aspx The one at Astley runs on compressed air

 

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3 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

Unless its a Sunday and the Trencherfield engine is in steam https://www.wigan.gov.uk/Resident/Museums-archives/Trencherfield-Mill-Engine.aspx The one at Astley runs on compressed air

 

Now that would be something to see. As it happens, the Marple flight remains closed til at least Wednesday, so it's either down then or back doe p wn the Macclesfield when Bosley reopens on Thursday.

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