Narrowboat Holiday Hire Around The Four Counties & Cheshire Rings

2 Week Canal Cruises From our Festival Park Marina base in Etruria, Staffordshire

A “Ring” is often a more attractive proposition for canal boat hirers than the route that brings you back along the same waterway. However, to fully enjoy the canal cruising experience of the Four Counties Ring or Cheshire Ring, please allow yourself more time and remember that on narrowboats, unlike in cars, you cannot simply accelerate to make up time if you fall behind schedule. We therefore recommend a two week canal narrow boat holiday from Crest Narrowboats Festival Park Marina hire base to explore the Four Counties Ring or Cheshire Ring.

FOUR COUNTIES RING CANAL BOAT HOLIDAY

The Four Counties Ring route takes you through some of the most attractive and varied scenery in England and is the most popular canal cruising ring on the canal system. Starting your canal boat holiday from our Festival Park Marina narrow boat hire base, which is ideally situated, you can either travel North or South on your canal narrow boat. If you choose the Northern route you will have the advantage of being able to avoid any possible queues of narrow boats at the Harecastle Tunnel which could hold you up on your return journey . The canal route takes you through the Cheshire Locks to Middlewich where your narrow boat will join the Middlewich Branch of the Shropshire Union Canal that links up with the main line of the Shropshire Union Canal at Barbridge Junction. Turning left in your canal boat at the Junction you will then travel along the Shropshire Union Canal through Nantwich, Audlem, Market Drayton, Norbury Junction, Gnosall and Wheaton Aston before turning left on to the Staffs & Worcester Canal at Autherley Junction. The Canal then winds its way up to Great Haywood where it joins the Trent & Mersey Canal at Haywood Junction. The final leg of your canal boat holiday takes you back to Festival Park Marina passing through Stone and Barlaston on the way. Full descriptions of the above canals and route advice for you canal narrow boat holiday can be found our elsewhere on our website.

NARROWBOAT HIRE ON THE CHESHIRE RING

Starting from our Festival Park Marina narrow boat hire base you will head North in your narrow boat towards the Harecastle Tunnel and shortly after, at Hardings Junction, you will turn left on to the Macclesfield Canal. This canal will take you and your narrow boat to Marple Junction where it joins the Peak Forest Canal descending Marple Locks and eventually arriving at Portland Basin. It is here you will turn left and join the Ashton Canal on its journey into central Manchester and with good canal boat moorings available at Castlefield. On your way to Castlefield your narrow boat will pass through the flight of 9 Rochdale Locks which are double locks and quite heavy to operate. After you have spent some time exploring Manchester your canal boat holiday continues along The Bridgewater Canal and,after passing through Preston Brook Tunnel, you will be reunited with the Trent & Mersey Canal which will carry you along for the rest of your canal boat holiday passing the famous Anderton Boat Lift in Northwich before your final ascent up the Cheshire Locks to the Harecastle Tunnel and Crest Narrowboats' Festival Park Marina hire base in Stoke-on-Trent.

More Informative Canal Guides, Route Maps and DVD's can be purchased from the Waterway Routes website.