Cheshire Ring Narrow Boat Holiday Hire with Chas. Hardern Boats

Due to expected lack of water on the Macclesfield and Peak Forest Canals there will be cruising restrictions ongoing from the 3rd of April 2023. The Bosley flight will be closed on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.  The Marple flight will be closed on Tuesdays Thursdays and Sundays. Both flights will be closed on Fridays.

 

Please see ‘Lock Flight Operating Times Macclesfield and Peak Forest’ on the Stoppages list on www.canalrivertrust.org.  Do please contact us if you would like to discuss your proposed route.

Cheshire Ring

Trent & Mersey, Macclesfield, Peak Forest, Ashton, Rochdale, Bridgewater Canals.
(125 miles & 110 locks on circular route.

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The Macclesfield and Peak Forest canals offer a very attractive 2 weeks holiday, which could be turned into a circular route by travelling on the Ashton and Rochdale Canals to return via the Bridgewater Canal. However, impressive the industrial heritage of Manchester may be, you may find that the beautiful moorland scenery of the Macclesfield Canal will persuade you to return by the same route.

The Macclesfield Canal leaves the Trent & Mersey Canal at Kidsgrove (Stoke on Trent), and apart from a small ‘stop lock’ has only one flight of 12 easy locks at Bosley. It continues on one level then all the way to Marple and Whaley Bridge on the Peak Forest Canal.

Between Kidsgrove and Congleton Little Morton Hall is worth a visit.

Macclesfield is a large silk manufacturing town on the edge of the Peak District National Park. At Marple the upper Peak Forest Canal carries you through mountainous scenery to New Mills, Whaley Bridge and the vast Buxworth limestone loading basins.

If continuing round the ‘Cheshire Ring’ the lower Peak Forest Canal drops you down through 16 very deep locks at Marple, to pass over the very impressive Marple Aqueduct and through a couple of tunnels, to reach Dukinfield, junction with the Ashton and Huddersfield Narrow Canals (now fully restored).

Clayton Locks Ashton – © Copyright David Dixon and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

Clayton Locks Ashton – © Copyright David Dixon and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Passing through the Ashton and 1½ miles of Rochdale Canal (fully restored into Yorkshire during summer 2002) you arrive at Castlefields (Manchester), junction of Rochdale and Bridgewater canals. This is an excellent safe mooring to visit the city centre and explore the excellent industrial museums and Granada TV studios. After a well earned rest on the lock free Bridgewater canal you return to Beeston via the Trent & Mersey and Middlewich Branch canals.

 

Lion Salt Works Marston Northwich

 

Cruising times from Beeston:

  • Middlewich (7 hrs)
  • Kidsgrove (16½ hrs)
  • Macclesfield (24 hrs)
  • Marple (27½ hrs)
  • Marple to Whaley Bridge & return +(5 hrs)
  • Dukinfield (33 hrs)
  • Manchester Castlefields (40 hrs)
  • Preston Brook (48 hrs)
  • Middlewich (54½ hrs)
  • Return Beeston (61½ hrs)
Fairfield Top Lock – © Copyright Gerald England and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

Fairfield Top Lock – © Copyright Gerald England and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

 

Affordable Canal Boat Holiday Hire on the Shropshire Union Canal

 

 

 

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