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THE CHESHIRE RING

29th June - 6th July 2019

The intrepid narrowboating crew set off from Alan's house at 10:30am on Saturday morning, on-route for the Black Prince boatyard at Acton Bridge, Cheshire.  Bob met them at the boatyard and they attended the briefing with Danny from the boatyard about the latest dangers of the Cheshire Ring.   It was warned that high rainfalls in the Pennines were causing excessive flow down the Rochdale canal making the central Manchester locks impassable.   The crew were concerned, but not worried.

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Saturday 29th June  (Really hot and sunny)

• The excited crew left Alan's House in Tom's car arriving at the boatyard before 1am, with Bob arriving only minutes later.   After the briefing by Danny, the boatyard owners, about the dangers of Manchester, the crew were allowed to set off almost immediately.  The crew were alarmed to find that the boat was facing away from Manchester, due to the impassable locks.  However, they quickly located a winding hole only 10 minutes from the boatyard and turned the boat to head northwards toward Manchester.   The Preston Brook tunnel (1,239yds) was traversed at high speed as they were just outside the time window for safe passage, but all went according to plan.  On reaching Stockton Heath the crew hurried to 'The London Bridge, where good food and ale was served to the hungry crew.     
   

Saturday 30th June  (Warm, but overcast)

• Knowing that an easy, no locks, day was head of them, the crew decided to take a diversion to view the Manchester ship canal.

Quickly mooring the crew set off on foot to view the giant Latchford Locks on the Manchester Ship Canal

Conditions were good as Bob gently guided the narrowboat through Sale on-route for the centre of Manchester

A special space had been reserved for 'The Narrowboat Evie' in the Castlefields area of central Manchester

• Here the crew again hurried to find an eating and drinking establishment to their liking and chose 'The Wharfe' adjacent to the canal
   

Monday 1st July  (Overcast with a cold wind and a little light rain, but turning better in the afternoon)

• The crew awoke early to setoff on a long and torturous day, departing at 7am.
   

  Disaster Occurred As the crew approached the first of the 9 giant Manchester locks, they realised that Danny at the boatyard was correct and that the floods coming down the Rochdale canal were overwhelming the canal, making it impassable for normal narrowboaters.   They knew however, that their immense strength would overcome this minor annoyance.

   

• All continued well until they turned onto the Ashton Canal and saw to their horror what appeared to be an abandoned narrowboat in the entrance to lock 15.  On closer inspection the crew were seen hiding in the boat, having called the emergency number for the Canals and Rivers Trust.   It appeared that one of the lock gates could not be opened fully to allow the narrowboat to enter the lock.  The engineer from the CRT arrived shortly afterwards and using a grappling iron and fork managed to move the obstruction sufficiently to allow the reopening of the canal.
   
• Two more stops have to be made whilst Alan cleared the snagged propeller with first a canvas bag and rope and secondly with a tarpaulin. The crew realised that they would be unlikely to arrive at their planned destination in Romiley until close on 7pm, making over a 12 hour cruising day.
   
• Will they succeed?
   

  A Further Disaster Progress was halted when then crew of the narrowboat ahead of us were unable to open fully the gate of the next lock.  Bob waited patiently on board in the previous lock whilst the crew and a sole engineer from the Canals and River Trust battled to clear the obstruction.   Over an hour was wasted and the travel time for the day extended to over 12½ hours.

  More delays were incurred by a series of lift bridges, but the crew battled onwards

  They crew were relieved to see Romiley at last and rushed to the 'Spread Eagle' for dinners of a high quality

Tues 2nd July (A fine sunny day)

• The crew awoke knowing that they would have a day of locks having to negotiate the Marple flight, which some of them remember from a previous adventure was very picturesque.
   

  Before the main flight was reached the narrowboat had to be taken across a dangerous aqueduct across a deep valley, where the train viaduct was also seen to cross the same valley.  From here though the canal took a turn and travelled beneath the railway to the first of sixteen locks

  With great skill and speed the crew took the boat up all 16 locks, including the re-built Lock 11, the closure of which, scuppered their plans last year.

   

• On completing the last lock the boat was carefully turned onto the Macclesfield Canal, where they quickly stopped to replenish their fresh water tanks.
   

  As they continued down the Macclesfield Canal, Bob gazes with dismay and he notices that their passage is blocked by a bridge Alan quickly grabbed a windlass and singlehandly turned bridge to allow the boat through.

  Great Delays were incurred when the canal was blocked by workmen dredging and reforming the bank.   The crew realised the importance of their work and patiently waited.

• The small town of Bollington was reached on schedule and the crew made their way to Vale Inn for dinners, by transferred afterwards to the Dog and Partridge which had a large screen TV to watch the England defeated in the women's world cup football match.
   

Wednesday 3rd July   (Another fine day)

• A leisurely day of cruising lay before the crew this sunny day, as the boat was taken through Macclesfield, Congleton and on to Scholar Green
   

  Here the crew selected 'The Bleeding Wolf' for dinner in the beer garden, later moving in for further drinks.

Thursday 4th July

• After setting off the crew knew that they would soon be re-joining the Trent and Mersey canal near Kidsgrove and further locking would be required.  Their planned destination for the evening was the village of Wheelock
  
   

  Wheelock was reached in record time and the crew relaxed in the beer garden of 'The Cheshire Cheese'   Dinner was taken ion the Barchetta Italian Restaurant next door

Friday 5th July (Last day of cruising)

• The crew awoke ready to tackle the Middlewich locks
   

  The crew looked back at 'Big Lock' indicating to them that the last of the Middlewich locks had been completed Here they stopped again to re-fill their fresh water tank.

  The crew were disappointed to arrive at the Anderton Lift.   However, the kind lady had pity on Tom and gave the crew a private conducted tour of the visitors centre and lift

   

• Afterwards the crew felt the need to visit the Stanley Arms, before returning to the boat to take it on, through two tunnels to the boatyard, where they moored for the night.
   
• The crew were disappointed to find that the kitchens were closed at the Leigh Arms, due to a private function and therefore visited The Riverside for dinner.

Saturday 6th July  (light drizzle!!)

• At an early hour the loaded their belongings into their cars and thanked the boatyard for the loan of 'Evie' for the week, for what turned out to be a very successful Cheshire Ring

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