English Rose Canal Boat Holidays Week 4

Cruise 4 - CHESTER TO MACCLESFIELD

Shropshire Union Canal, Middlewich Branch, Trent & Mersey Canal, Macclesfield Canal

Day 1
Arrival and settling in.
We are moored in the centre of Chester. We expect our guests to arrive at 4.00pm, but you may leave your cases with us earlier if you wish, and spend some time exploring the ancient Roman city of Chester, as there is so much to see and do there. The Roman walls of the city are quite famous, beyond which can be seen the Medieval Rows and the cathedral. Within this historic city there is a great diversity of shopping.

Day 2
We leave Chester and travel to Bunbury. The canal passes through the flat but green countryside of the Cheshire Plain. The ruins of Beeston Castle rise 500' above the Cheshire plain, perched on a rocky summit. It has history stretching back some 4 thousand years, as it used to be a Bronze Age hill fort. The present ruins are of a castle built around 1225.
(9 miles, 6 locks, Beeston Iron Lock)

Day 3
From Bunbury, we head for Middlewich, turning onto the Middlewich Branch at Barbridge Junction and heading east through quiet and remote countryside; rich farmland interspersed with woods, with superb views of the River Weaver. Middlewich since Roman times has been dedicated to salt extraction. The canalside area is a haven of peace below the busy streets.
(13 miles, 8 locks)

Day 4
We now head out from this industrialised landscape, south on the Trent & Mersey Canal. At the bottom of the Wheelock flight is the village of Wheelock, where we will moor for the night. Sandbach is only 1.5 miles away, an old market town which has retained its character, despite the steady growth of its salt and chemical industries. If you walk from the canal, you can refresh yourself at any of the 7 pubs visible from the seat in the market place!
(6 miles, 5 locks)

Day 5
We ascend the Wheelock flight to an increasingly rural countryside. This is a beautiful stretch of canal, often overhung by trees, the canal winds along the side of a hill as it follows the delightful valley of the River Dane. We will moor for the night at Kidsgrove at the junction of the Trent & Mersey Canal with the Macclesfield Canal. Kidsgrove was originally an iron and coal producing town.
(6 miles, 26 locks)

Day 6
Turning north onto the Macclesfield Canal, a ridge of tall hills stretches parallel to the canal for miles. You can take a good walk to the top if you have the energy! The canal loses itself in delightful countryside for several miles as it approaches Congleton, a compact market town with its beautifully elegant 'snake bridges'. We will spend the night at the foot of Bosley Locks, in a delightful, quiet setting which is semi-wooded and semi-pastoral.
(9.5 miles, 1 lock, Red Bull Aqueduct, Watery Lane Aqueduct)

Day 7
On the final stage of our journey to Macclesfield, we climb the Bosley Locks and continue through open, attractive countryside. Approaching Oakgrove, the foothills of the Pennines, some over 1200' high, spill right down into the canal. We soon reach Macclesfield, with a superb example of one of the area's typical 'snake bridges'. Macclesfield, mentioned in the Domesday Book, is an interesting combination of modern industry and old market town, with cobbled streets and a picturesque medieval market place.
(6 miles, 12 locks)

Day 8
From here, we will call you a taxi to the railway station where you can catch a train back to Chester, if you have left your car there.