Normally, if the forecast is bad, we stay put for the day, but this week we're a bit committed. I should have a prescription waiting for collection at the Rowland's pharmacy in Middlewich, and we've a rendezvous in Stockton Heath on Wednesday that we really don't want to miss.
So, although it was blowing and raining, we set off regardless. It was Sheila's turn to steer – she seems to be getting the windy days at the moment, though to be fair to me, the last slog in pouring rain fell to me, so these things do balance out eventually.
We locked down Cholmondeston in the quiet of eight o'clock in the morning, and chugged merrily on to Minshull Lock, the rain coming and going. When it was dry, I was look out on the bow; you can tell we're back on the Four Counties Ring, there was soon a steady procession of boats towards us. One of them was locking up Minshull when we got there, and another three were waiting below. Apparently, it had been very busy in Middlewich yesterday, with some boats taking two hours to get through the junction, so this lot had ended up tied on the various visitor moorings before the lock.
It makes a change to be going the right way, and it really justifies our strategy on busy canals at this time of year, starting early and stopping early.
We arrived at the SUCS moorings at Blackberry Wood (between bridges 21 and 22) just on half ten. There were a couple of other boats here, still, but they've both left now.
We've spent the day snuggled down in the cabin, reading and browsing. We've got decent mobile signals again, so have been able to catch up on all the casual blog reading and CWDF browsing I've been missing out on. This is one of the really nice moorings on the system, quiet and with pleasant views over the Weaver Valley.
Tomorrow, we'll start around half seven, aiming to arrive on the visitor moorings just above Wardle Lock around an hour later. That will give us time to shop and collect my drugs before we go on through the junction and down the four locks, three narrow and one broad. There's a handy waste disposal site just before Croxton Aqueduct, where we can offload a large amount of recycling before tying at Bramble Cuttings or nearby.
3 comments:
Hi, since passing your boat when we were novices on the T&M in April, I have followed your daily blog with great interest. We are taking a hire boat on the Four Counties Ring at the end of August and are unsure as to whether go clockwise or anti clockwise. Reading in your blog how busy it is, could you advise us which way is the best
Thanks
Terry
Hi
Good to hear from you again! The answer to your question is, of course, it all depends, specifically on where you are starting from. In your case, I would suspect Etruria?
In which case it doesn't matter much, as long as you get away in time to arrive somewhere nice on the first night. From other starting points, this is easier in one direction than the other.
All else being equal, we'd recommend clockwise, on the basis that the fierce by-washes on the Shroppie locks are better coped with going downhill than up.
If you do go clockwise, don't spend a night at the north portal of Harecastle, which is frankly a bit rough. We normally stop just above Church Locks, still out in the country, just, but it is safe to come on to the visitor moorings at Red Bull.
Have a good trip; you can do it in a week, but it's hard work.
All the best
Bruce
Hi Bruce, thanks very much for your reply, never thought to say where we were starting from, the Overwater Marina near to Audlem, it seems we will have a lot of locks to go through on either our first day or our last day depending on which way we go but still looking forward to it
Cheers
terry
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