Day One: After enjoying short break boating holidays over the previous two years we were definitely hooked and ready for a bigger challenge. The idea of following a ‘ring’ appealed to us instead of a ‘there and back’ boat trip where you need to turn the boat round and retrace your steps mid-way. A ring is a kind of loop that returns to your starting point meaning that boaters experience something different on each day of the trip.
The Four Counties Ring covers 110 miles and passes through the counties of Staffordshire, Cheshire, Shropshire and the West Midlands. With 94 locks to navigate, it’s advisable to start out on shorter narrowboat holidays and save this epic journey until you have gained some experience. Our planned trip would take us two weeks allowing plenty of time to stop off to explore towns, villages and attractions along the way.
We’d arranged our trip with Drifters Boating Holidays from their Black Prince base at Festival Place, Stoke-on-Trent. Our arrival time was scheduled for 1.30 p.m. and with approximately a three hour journey from home, we packed up the car and set off early to allow time to pick up groceries from a supermarket close to the marina. The boatyard has secure parking and if, like us, a member of your crew is arriving separately, there’s no charge to park an additional car. On popping into the office, we received a warm welcome from Rachel who let us know that Ellie, our canal boat was ready and waiting for us so we temporarily moved the car over to the canal bank to load our supplies and belongings. We are not a family who travels lightly so it’s just as well that most canal boats have lots of storage space. Do remember to pack everything into soft bags and holdalls as these can be more easily stowed than large, bulky suitcases.
With everything on board it was then time for Gavin from Black Prince to step on board to guide us through the handover procedure. As experienced boaters it wasn’t necessary to provide tuition in steering or to escort us through our first lock but as all narrowboats differ slightly, it was useful to learn about the workings of the engine, controls for the heating and lighting etc.
The boat
Our boat was like a floating holiday cottage with the added benefit of waking up to a different view on opening the curtains each morning. Home for the next two weeks was to be a 62ft Princess Class narrowboat. The spacious accommodation comprised two double cabins, one of which could be set up as a twin, two bathrooms, both will full size shower cubicles, fluffy towels and complimentary toiletries.
To the front of the boat was an attractive living area with a good sized dinette that could be converted into an extra bed if needed. With windows to both sides and a glass door out onto the foredeck, it felt light and airy. There was a television and radio in one corner and with a shelf with power points and USB adaptors, it was easy to re-charge our electronic devices.
The galley was well equipped with a full size gas cooker, under counter fridge and all the utensils, crockery and saucepans needed for cooking up a feast. It was also pleasing to find ample shelves and storage space for our own supplies so that everything could be located with ease.
Setting off on the Four Counties Ring from Festival Park, Stoke-on-Trent
Within an hour of arriving at the boatyard we were ready to set off on our adventure and as we’d indicated that we would be travelling the ring in an anti-clockwise direction, the boat was already facing the right way.
Slipping out of our moorings we headed north along the Trent and Mersey canal feeling happy to be afloat once more. As Stoke-on-Trent is home to the Potteries it was not long before we approached Middleport Pottery.
As tours of the pottery only take place at either 11.00 or 13.00 we didn’t have an opportunity to take one that day but instead had booked a tour for the final day of our trip after we had returned the boat. I’ve included our visit to Middleport here as if time allows, the pottery can also be visited by boat.
We took a one hour guided tour led by an enthusiastic volunteer which began in the Victorian offices before being taken through the working factory to view each stage of the production process.
We learnt that tableware at Middleport is still hand made in the traditional methods unchanged since the 1880’s, with some of the factory workers having spent their entire working lives there. Also on site is an attractive canal side cafe with tea and cakes served on Middleport’s famous blue and white Burleigh tableware. The one remaining Victorian bottle kiln was being used for a wedding ceremony at the time of our visit but can also be explored when not in use. Middleport Pottery
Back to our first afternoon on board the boat, we arrived at Westport Lake, our planned overnight mooring shortly after 4.00 p.m. breaking us in gently for longer boating days ahead. After securing the boat we stretched our legs with a stroll around the lake and nature reserve which is free to visit. There’s also a visitor centre and cafe but these had already closed for the day.
Our stroll had built up quite an appetite so back on board we prepared a meal and enjoyed a cosy evening on board whilst looking forward to the days to come.
The Harecastle Tunnel
Day 2: There had been heavy overnight rain but fortunately it had eased by the time we were ready to leave our moorings at 8.40 a.m. It was just a 20 minute journey to the entrance to the Harecastle Tunnel which we needed to pass through to continue our journey into Cheshire. The tunnel was completed in 1827 and is 1.6 miles (2.6 km) in length connecting Tunstall with Kidsgrove.
The tunnel is only wide enough to carry boat traffic through in one direction at a time with boats sent through in groups alternating north and south. Please note that during the mornings you can just turn up but from 1.00 p.m. pre-booking is required. Before entering we needed to moor along the bank and attend a safety briefing with a member of the Tunnel Keeper’s team. It was explained that we needed to test our boat horn, navigation lights and to ensure that all our curtains and blinds were open and the lights turned on.
Often boaters need to wait awhile to enter the tunnel if boat traffic is set in the opposite direction but by chance we were very fortunate and able to enter within a few minutes and as no boats were ahead or behind us we enjoyed the best experience. It was pitch black and very cold so I would suggest wearing warm coats whatever the temperature outside. It’s certainly an experience like no other with dripping water and stalactites hanging from the ceiling. In some places my husband and son needed to bend their heads but at times like this it’s an advantage being small as I was unaffected.
After almost 40 minutes we saw light at the end of the tunnel and navigated our way back out into the daylight. The colour of the water at both ends of the tunnel resembles tomato soup. This unusual shade is blamed on seepage of iron ore from the first Harecastle Tunnel engineered by James Brindley in 1777, which was abandoned due to subsidence in 1914. The parallel tunnel that’s still in operation was constructed by Thomas Telford, the other leading engineer of the time. After the excitement of the tunnel, we moored close to the lock in Kidsgrove for a coffee break before embarking on an energetic day beginning our descent of the Cheshire Locks which are also known as Heartbreak Hill.
To be continued …..
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