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The
Trent and Mersey Canal
begins, as you would expect, within a few miles of the River Mersey,
near Runcorn and finishes in a junction with the River Trent in
Derbyshire. It is just over ninety miles long and will take about six
days to cruise.It is one of the earliest
canals, built by
Brindley, with much of historical
interest, passing through some pleasant countryside. It
struggles from the Cheshire plains up thirty one locks,
often called Heartbreak Hill,
to cut beneath Harecastle Hill in a spooky and watery
tunnel one and three quarter miles long. It passes
through the industry of the Staffordshire Potteries out
into rural Staffordshire and then Derbyshire.
Shardlow, near the
River Trent, is one of England's best preserved canal
towns. Try the Swan pub at Fradley Junction which has an
excellent view of the junction. Stone has some
interesting old canal buildings. Shrugborough Hall dates
from the 17th century and is surrounded by a landscaped
park, the Gatehouse is the size of many mansions! An
English Civil war battle was fought just to the north at
Hopton Heath. Josiah Wedgwood was involved in getting the
canal built and the Wedgwood factory and museum are
canalside just south of Stoke on Trent. Middlewich and
Northwich are salt towns dating back to Roman times.
The
canal is known for its tunnels, at Harecastle, Barnton,
Saltersford and Preston Brook. Saltersford has a kink
because tunnelling started at different points and didn't
quite meet in the middle!
(See Canal Tunnels) Preston Brook has a large central
chamber where a collapse was repaired, and cruising
through the pitch dark confines of Harecastle tunnel is an experience
nobody forgets!
The double locks on
Heartbreak
Hill in Cheshire
were built in the last century to reduce queues, but many
are now unworkable and some have been filled in, BW seems to think that
one lock is sufficient! The
locks got their name not because there are so many, but
because they are rarely close enough together to walk and
work easily. Real boatpeople just called them the Cheshire Locks!
The Anderton Boat
Lift has
two large watertight tanks which can each take two full length
narrowboats. The tanks are raised by hydraulic rams which raise
the water filled tanks and boats from the river to the canal
fifty feet above. The tanks have watertight doors at each end to
let the boats in and out. Corrosion of the structure, due to the high salt content of the
environment in this salt producing area, closed the lift for
many years. However full restoration is now complete and the
lift came back in service in 2002.
Cruising the River Weaver
has been made easier with the
reopening of the Anderton Boat Lift Previously access required a voyage down the Manchester
Ship Canal. Upstream from the Lift the Weaver can be followed through
the centre of Northwich to Winsford Flashes. Downstream in goes through
pretty countryside to join the Ship Canal below Frodsham. Although the
locks are large and the river once carried heavy traffic the coasters
which came up to Northwich finished a few years ago, and there is
currently no commercial traffic on the River.
The
Caldon Canal starts just south of Stoke on Trent and meanders into the
Staffordshire countryside, running for a short distance along the River
Churnet. It has some extremely attractive stretches and the isolated
Consall Forge and Black Lion Pub must be visited, plus the restored
steam Churnet Railway.
The Caldon Canal currently finishes at Froghall Wharf
which can be reached by some boats through the very low Froghall Tunnel.
However the Caldon and Uttoxeter Canals Trust have restored what was the
first lock at Froghall on the Uttoxeter Canal. This canal was closed in
the nineteenth century and a railway built over it. The railway
subsequently closed and part of it is now reopened as the Churnet Valley
Railway. There are hopes that eventually both the railway and canal can
reach Uttoxeter again, running through the Churnet Valley. |
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A narrowboat waits to
enter the gloomy confines of Harecastle tunnel. The tunnel is not as spacious as the
opening suggests. The bright orange colour of the water
comes from the iron rich springs which pour into the
tunnel. The entrance to the original tunnel is behind the
hut on the right. It was closed due to mining subsidence. |
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Hireboats on the Trent & Mersey Canal ... |
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Acumen
II based on the River Soar gives you the choice of exploring
the Trent & Mersey Canal, Four Counties Ring, northern Grand Union
Canal and the River Trent. |
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Hireboats on the Trent & Mersey Canal ... |
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Excellence
Afloat at Valley Cruises offer the highest standards of
service & accommodation, centrally based for cruising the Oxford,
Grand Union, Trent & Mersey & Ashby canals & Warwickshire and
Leicestershire Rings. |
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Hireboats on the Trent & Mersey Canal ... |
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Marine
Cruisers Stoke on Trent base is ideally situated to cruise
the fascinating Four Counties Ring and the beautiful Caldon Canal.
Fully equipped 4 star rated narrowboats. |
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Anderton Boat Lift. |
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