Honey, Me & Hubby Makes Three: Cruising the " Cheshire Ring "

we so enjoyed our canal boat holiday last year we decided to do it again .
So we are going to cruise the "Cheshire Ring " starting from Anderson Boat Hire in Middlewich on a beautiful July afternoon we head off on the Trent and Mersey canal.
Just before reaching Harecastle Tunnel we turn onto the Macclesfield Canal, this is a much narrower canal but very pretty scenery.

Ramsdell Hall

Mow Cop
You can just about make out the image of Mow Cop on the hillside , we walked along this stretch of canal and up to Mow Cop just a few weeks ago.

There are pretty bridges , cottages and fields all along this stretch of canal.

We moor for the night at Higher Poynton and have much needed refreshment at the Miners Arms which was a lovely country public house , as we sat outside we were treated to a pony and trap passing by ,
so country :)
We leave Macclesfield Canal and turn on to the Peak Forest Canal , where we are met with the Marple flight of 16 locks ....nice ..

Half way through .. time for a sit and pose for the camera :)

We are advised it best to go through Manchester all in one day ,so we spend the night at Portland Basin.
Next morning we set off at 6am , and start the Rochdale canal to travel through Manchester city centre.
It just happens to be the hottest day of 2013 and we have a massive 27 locks to navigate !!!!

Manchester City Football Club

Cycling Velodrome

Canal Street

The last lock at Castlefield Basin
We stay the night in the Castlefield Basin , it is a hot balmy night and the bars are all buzzing

lights coming on as evening approaches

We can sigh with relieve , we are on the Bridgewater canal and NO LOCKS :):) all the hard work has been done :):)

We Cruise through Sale ,Lymm, Stockton Heath, Preston Book ,Northwich and back to base in Middlewich :)