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Cheshire Ring
canal holidays
offer a variety of cruising experiences
from the foothills of the Peak District
National Park to the trendy suburbs of
the City of Manchester. You have a
choice to navigate the ring clockwise or
anti clockwise from the boatyard. We
find that the majority of our customers
prefer to leave the boatyard and head
anti clockwise spending the 1st evening
in the small village of Wheelock or
Hassall Green, where there are a wide
range of pubs and bistros.
 On
the 2nd day, you will start the most
demanding section of your Cheshire Ring canal holiday, i.e.
Heartbreak Hill - putting it behind you.
This is a section of approximately 26
locks in 7 miles - testing your lock
skills. At the end of this section you
will come to the Red Bull ‘merry go
round’ - the southern tip of the
Cheshire Ring, where you will pass
beneath the canal that you will later be
cruising on. An ideal place to stay for
the evening would be either Kent Green,
or another hour along the canal,
Congleton, where you can stock up on
provisions with a choice of pub and
restaurants.
On day 3 of your
Cheshire Ring canal holiday, you
will be cruising along the Macclesfield
Canal which is very scenic, with views
of the Peaks and even Jodrell Bank.
During the afternoon, you will
experience Bosley Locks. Consider an
afternoon stop at Macclesfield and a
possible night stop at Bollington.
On day 4,
continue cruising the Macclesfield Canal
passing various pubs and villages,
reaching you next challenge - the Marple
flight. This is 16 locks in
approximately 1/2 mile. A further 2
hours cruising will take you to Hyde - a
possible night stop.
On day 5,
cruise the Peak Forest Canal to Portland
Basin, where you then meet the Ashton
Canal, passing through the suburbs of
East Manchester. British Waterways,
recommend no stopping on the Ashton
Canal. On this stretch of canal, you
will pass the City of Manchester
Football Stadium where the Commonwealth
Games were held. You will find yourself
entering into the City Centre of
Manchester, passing through the trendy
areas of Deansgate and Canal Street. A
recommended stop would be at Castlefield
Basin/Potato Wharf. A modernised former
industrial area with a selection of pubs
and wine bars. Manchester has plenty to
offer visitors, e.g. the shopping at the
Arndale Centre - or a visit to the
Science & Industry Museum.
You may have time to
visit Manchester on day 6 of your
canal holiday as you
are now on the easiest part of your
route. You have approximately 35 miles
to go - with only 5 locks spread out
over the 2 remaining days, passing
through Preston Brook Tunnel, one of the
so called 7 Wonders of the Waterways -
and the Anderton Boatlift and the Lion
Salt Works, before returning to
Middlewich. This route is available for
all ages, from young children to more
senior members of the family. |
