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Shortly after our passage through the Harecastle Tunnel we left Staffordshire behind and continued into Cheshire. It was to be a busy day as we approached the summit of Heartbreak Hill which is aptly named as the canal descends from the summit via 31 locks over 12 miles, meaning lots of work for us boaters! Our guidebook indicated that splendid views were to be had from the summit but sadly not for us as there was low visibility that morning.

The locks came in quick succession so it was often easier for the crew member on paddle duty to walk along the towpath between the locks rather than jumping back onto the boat. Travelling by canal boat is a leisurely activity with boats chugging along at no more than walking speed, allowing time to take in the ever changing views.

Sometimes we were fortunate timing our arrival at locks to perfection with a boat coming through in the opposite direction meaning that the lock was set ready for us to enter. Often though we needed to moor nearby and set the lock gates ourselves. This isn’t as daunting as it sounds and is actually good fun. You just need to carry the windlass with you which is needed for winding the canal lock mechanism up and down. In case you are wondering what a windlass is, it’s an L shaped handle which fits to the spindle on the paddle to allow the lock to fill or empty. On our boating travels we’ve come to realise that fellow boaters are a friendly bunch sharing in lock duties to speed the process along.

Unlike last year’s holiday on the Kennet & Avon canal which has large locks accommodating two narrowboats, the locks on the Four Counties Ring are much narrower fitting only one boat in at a time. At busy times there may be a few boats waiting in each direction but on our Autumn trip we never had to wait very long and with the locks being much smaller an advantage is that they are much speedier to both fill and empty.

As we descended the lock flight the landscape changed to reveal the beauty of the rolling Cheshire plains. This section of locks which is also known as the Cheshire flight is picture perfect, often with quaint cottages overlooking the towpath. Many of the narrow locks are duplicated (i.e. having another one next to it) however most of the duplicates are no longer in use these days with all boating traffic needing to use the same one to ascend or descend the waterway.

We split our journey to Nantwich over three days, opting to moor on our second night at Rode Heath after completing 10 locks that day. After securing the boat we stretched our legs with a stroll through the small village and later enjoyed a delicious meal in the Broughton Arms which has an outdoor terrace overlooking the Trent & Mersey Canal.

There’s nothing better after a day’s boating than to cosy up in a country pub especially if it’s within touching distance of the canal. I’d recommend booking tables in advance to avoid disappointment as there would be nothing worse than being turned away and not having enough food on board to rustle up a meal yourselves. On a longer boating holiday we like to mix and match dining on board alternating with pubs and restaurants where convenient.

After a good night’s sleep in our cosy cabins we opened the curtains to a bright, sunny morning. With two bathrooms and plenty of hot water we were soon ready to start the day ahead. Our plan was to reach Wheelock which took us a leisurely six hours including a stop on board for lunch and to refill our water tank at one of the canal side water points.

Gliding along the waterways is usually a tranquil experience but our peace was temporarily disturbed with the whirring sound of traffic as the Trent & Mersey runs parallel with the M6 motorway for a short distance. By coincidence, we’d momentarily viewed this stretch of canal from the motorway on our way to the boatyard. Although you don’t get anywhere fast, I can assure you that drifting along a canal at 3 mph is much better for the soul than coping with the stresses of motorway driving.

Alongside watching ducks and swans float by, it was exciting to see a steam boat coming towards us. I don’t recall having seen one before on the canals and we happily chatted to the owners as our paths crossed and enjoyed watching puffs of steam rise from its chimney alongside hoots from its whistle.

It was approaching 3.30 p.m. by the time we had moored up in Wheelock, the public moorings being close to an Italian restaurant. There’s also the Cheshire Cheese pub around the corner but although this looked attractive inside, it was more of a drinking pub with only light bites on offer. Instead, we decided to stretch our legs and walk into Sandbach taking around 25 minutes.

It was an easy walk on a relatively flat road and before finding somewhere to eat, we decided to have a wander around before it went dark. The focal point of the town is its historic market square with a pair of Anglo Saxon crosses in its centre, surrounded by the market hall and other notable buildings.

We were spoilt for choice with several pubs to choose from, finally settling on The George Inn which was relatively busy for a midweek evening with just one two tables unoccupied. After a leisurely meal we popped into Waitrose which was just around the corner to top up our supplies of fresh bread, milk, etc. to take back to the boat.

Although we could have probably taken a bus back along the main road to Wheelock, we opted to walk as it was quite a pleasant evening and we shared the shopping bags between us.

The next leg of our journey through the Cheshire Plains took us to Middlewich and with only five locks to navigate, it was a leisurely day of boating. The morning started bright with quite a nip in the air as we enjoyed the leafy, Cheshire countryside. Our peace was broken briefly as a police helicopter circled overhead. I doubt it was in search of canal boaters but we didn’t find out the reason for its presence.

As we approached the fourth lock of the day we were in for a treat as we were met by a group of Canal and River Trust volunteers who were busy greasing the lock’s mechanism. This didn’t hold us up at all and as the volunteers insisted on operating the lock gates for us, it was an added bonus.

It was approaching 2.45 p.m. when we passed the attractive Kings Lock Inn but as we were too early for an evening meal we decided to continue. Just beyond the lock we made a left turn onto the Wardle Canal which lays claim to fame as being the shortest in the U.K. at only 154 ft (47m) in length. The canal connects the Trent and Mersey Canal to the Middlewich branch of the Shropshire Union Canal, having just one lock.

We moored overnight on a leafy section of the Shropshire Union within a short walk of the centre of Middlewich. Exploring the small town we came across a good selection of small shops along its high street. Before returning to the boat we took the opportunity of following a section of the Middlewich Canal Salt Trail which was interesting as the town sits on the junction of three canals and was once famous for the production of salt.

Stocked up with supplies we decided to enjoy a cosy evening on board with an after dinner game of Rummikub. We’d brought both Scrabble and Rummikub along with us but hadn’t played the latter for sometime but once we’d refreshed ourselves with the rules, a couple of games soon became a nightly activity.

Our final day’s boating in Cheshire was a real sit back and relax, put your feet up kind of day as we covered 13 miles with only three locks to navigate. Sitting out on the foredeck, with few deckhand duties I even managed to read several chapters of the book I’d brought with me.

We moored for lunch just beyond the lock at Church Minshull with the characterful 18th century Badger Inn a short walk away. After the final lock of the day, the canal widens on its approach into Nantwich where we found lots of narrowboats moored along the bank.

Continuing a little further we found a suitable mooring with the friendly crew on the boat behind moving back slightly to allow us space to fit in. Nantwich was one of the few places on this trip that we’d visited previously albeit by car, it’s a charming town with many timber framed buildings and we were glad to be back.

The town museum is free to visit but as it closes at 4.00 p.m. we were too late to take a look inside. Instead, we had a stroll around the centre before enjoying a meal at the Navio Lounge located in a former bank overlooking the churchyard.

Part of the Loungers chain, the Nantwich branch is contemporary styled with cosy furnishings and most importantly good, reasonably priced food and just what we needed after a day’s boating.

To be continued ……

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