FOUR COUNTIES RING

Apologies for the lack of updates recently but due to first camera problems then holidays it’s been difficult to get out as much as I would like.This week’s photos are from my recent narrowboating holiday around the Four Counties Ring, a 110 mile 94 lock circuit taking in the West Midlands, Shropshire, Cheshire and Staffordshire.

One of the many bridges on the Shropshire union canal.

At certain places on the ring the canal becomes very narrow,only 1 boats width so passing places have to be used when encountering oncoming traffic.

Early morning mist and reflections on the canal.

The Round house at Gailey next to the top lock was originally a toll clerk’s office; it’s now a lovely little gift shop.

Watching locks filling and emptying always seems to fascinate people.

The southern portal of the Harecastle tunnel, at around 1 3/4 miles long it’s one of the longest on the whole canal system. It’s very dark and wet inside and takes about 45 minutes to pass through.

Some well worn steps on the Trent and Mersey canal.

Wardle lock cottage at the junction of the Trent and Mersey and the Middlewich branch of the Shropshire union canal at Middlewich,an exact copy of the cottage was built at the Earls Court boat show in the early 1990s.

Lock 13 of the Audlem flight of 15, unlucky if you’re going up because you still have 12 locks to go but not so bad if you’re going down since it right next to the Shroppie Fly pub and there’s only 3 more locks to the bottom.

The Shroppie Fly at Audlem, a very popular canal side pub. Originally a warehouse it was later converted to a pub while the mill next door was converted to a craft and gift shop. The crane is not an original canal crane but one salvaged from the railway, which ironically was one of the main causes of the decline of commercial carrying on the canals.

My dog Milo, a very contented crew member.

After 94 locks I have quite an affinity with lock paddles, a simple mechanism that has served the canals well for many years.