Four Counties Ring
Spanning the counties of Shropshire, Staffordshire, Cheshire & The West Midlands gives the Four Counties Ring it’s literal name. As you can imagine, taking in such different locales, this route features some unique canal related locations such as The Potteries, stunning countryside scenary, The Harecastle Tunnel & much more!
Introduction
Four Counties Ring (Clockwise from Middlewich Wharf)
This route has something for everyone, featuring views across the open plains of the Cheshire countryside, energetic lock wheeling up “Heartbreak Hill” (with the route in total including 94 locks), the fabulous Harecastle Tunnel. As well as several superb places worth a stop including The Potteries Museums & Factories (Etruria Museum, National Garden Festival & Historic Stoke-On-Trent), Shrugborough Hall, Gailey Round House, Market Drayton & Nantwich Village, The Caldon Canal (time permitting), Stoke City Football Club & The junction of the Llangollen Canal at Barbridge before returning down the Middlewich Arm of the Shropshire Union Canal to return to base at Middlewich Top Wharf.
After a short cruise from our base, and a couple of locks, Heartbreak Hill presents the first real challenge of your boating mettle on this route. The canal climbs to it’s summit via a section of locks that are close to one another and come in quick succession. Once at the top you are rewarded with some excellent views of the surrounding area and a few lovely pubs to stop at in Kidsgrove at Hardingswood Junction including The Red Bull, Canal Tavern & The Blue Bell Inn.
Once you arrive in Kidsgrove the canal water turns a dark brown orange colour, some say this is due to the pollution from the potteries industries in the area over many years. Another theory is that it is due to the ground’s high content of iron ore and the canal bed’s lining of clay.
The Harecastle Tunnel presents the next major feature on the route. Around 1.5 miles long the tunnel is operated by Canal and River Trust (CRT) staff and you will need to take a short briefing before proceeding and follow the instructions of the staff (see the navigational notes with regards transit times). Also known as the “Scarecastle” Tunnel as it is a 45 minute journey through a dark and wet aperture. Do look out for some spooky ancient graffiti on the walls as you make the journey too!
At Etruria junction you take the right hand lock to proceed along your journey. If you have adequate time then a detour onto the Caldon Canal – left hand lock – is worth considering and you can find out more information on the route and features of the Caldon Canal on our dedicated page. Etruria is also the location of Festival Park where there is a Waterworld & multi-plex cinema.
Stoke-On-Trent is still very much an active centre of pottery even today. Although it is no longer the main employer and industry in the town, it is still a going concern of the area. Some of the pottery factories are actually open to the public to explore, and it is well worth a stop, especially Wedgwood, Bone Mill at Etruria Museum. Here there is so much to learn about many of the things we take for granted today, such as the art and science behind making those objects we use everyday but with little thought for how they came to be.
Great Haywood is a lovely town to explore and stock up on new supplies, there is a post office, atm, shop, pub, pharmacist and a doctors. The canal here is on the fringes of Shugborough Hall. A National Trust managed estate with grounds to explore as well as the country mansion. Tea rooms, play gounds and a zip line are also available for the more thrill seeking visitors.
At Tixall Wide the canal bursts into life in a dramatic expansive wide area. The nearby Tixall Hall was demolished in the early 20th century, however the hall did host Mary, Queen of Scots as a “guest” before she met her grisly end. The reason for the inexplicabbly wide nature of the canal in this area is due to the owner of the land and hall when the canal was built, being decidedly against a water borne motorway crossing his land and spoiling the view. So he insisted upon it beign made so wide so that it looked like a lovely lake from the house. The Elizabethan gatehouse can still be seen today from the canal when passing Tixall Wide.
Gailey Round House is a striking looking building as you go along the canal, currently a small shop with the nearby lock keepers cottage a private dwelling. The area here is steeped in history and was involved in the early transformation of the canals from commercial carrying to that of a pleasure craft boating nature.
Here after the countryside opens up into vast expanses with views over the Cheshire plains to one side and the majestic Welsh hills and mountains on the other as you wind your way towards the canal’s junction with the Llangollen Canal which eventually leads across the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, one of the wonders of the canal system. Worth a detour if you have an extra week you are able to add to your itinerary.
There are many lovely quintissential English villages along the Shropshire Union Canal Main Line. A fine example being Market Drayton. Local folk lore says the town is the home and birth place of gingerbread, with several purveyors claiming the history and invention of the sweat treat and to be the creator of the best gingerbread. So lots of samples obviously need to be taken to make up your own mind! This town also has lots of interesting timber clad buildings reminiscent of the Tudor / Stuart era.
Four Counties Ring (Clockwise)
110 miles, 2 furlongs, 94 locks, 37 small aqueducts, 2 tunnels (Harecastle Tunnel (2919 yards long) and Cowley Tunnel (81 yards long)) – a total of 1 mile, 5¾ furlongs underground.
Total cruising time 60 hours, 53 minutes which is 6 days, 6 hours and 53 minutes at 9 hours per day.
Departing from our Middlewich base and heading south along the Trent and Mersey Canal, there are a couple of locks which are a good distance apart and you weave your way out of the town and into the countryside before approaching the first challenge along this route, Heartbreak Hill. Aptly named as the canal here climbs to it’s summit via 31 locks over 12 miles.
After completing Heartbreak Hill you reach Kidsgrove and the entrance to Harecastle Tunnel. Follow the CRT staff briefing and make sure you are well prepared for the tunnel passage in advance so that you can complete this part of your journey smoothly. We will ensure you are fully aware of tunnel procedures before you leave during your narrowboat induction.
From here you continue through to Etruria Junction and Stoke-On-Trent, at the junction the canal bears left for the Caldon or right to continue along your route via a Stoke Top Lock. From here there is a long distance of cruising with few lock obstacles before reaching Great Haywood Junction after around 16 miles.
From Great Haywood Junction you take a sharp right turn at 90 degrees to join the Staffordshire and Worcester Canal. Along this stretch the canal winds and weaves its way past Tixall Wide, Shugborough Hall and Gailey Round House and towards the end of the stretch you then start to descend to the Shopshire Union Junction at Autherley, via sets of locks that come in handfuls of 2 to 4 or 5.
At Autherley Junction you make an almost hairpin turn to the right to join the Shropshire Union Canal. This stretch of canal is one of the last to be built during the great era of canal building. It benefits from the greater knowledge of civil engineering of the time compared to the earlier canals and is straighter with less locks to impede progress. You will have little lock wheeling to do until you reach Audlem near Market Drayton. From there on its further easy cruising up to the junction of the Middlewich Arm, where you turn right at Barbridge and head for home over another area of picturesque scenery and lovely countryside.
At the end of the Middlewich branch you descen Wardle lock and turn left where you will go under the bridge dead ahead and find your back at base.
- Tetton Bridge
- Beware of the change in bridge profile when heading south.
- Wheelock Botto Lock No 66
- Towpath side lock appears intact but is closed.
- Wheelock Lock No 61
- The towpath-side lock is open, but marked as “narrow” and unsuitable for boats with a beam of over 6’10”
- Lower Thurlwood Lock No 54
- The towpath side lock is narrow and not suitbale for boats with a beam of over 6’10”
- Church Lawton Bottom Lock No 48
- The lock opposite the towpath side is apparently intact but closed.
- Red Bull Lock No 45
- Offside lock is not operational due to paddle problems.
- Harecastle Tunnel Opening Times
- Spring & Autumn – 8am to 5pm (last arrival for guaranteed passage 3pm)
- Summer – 8am to 6pm (last arrival for guaranteed passage 4pm)
- Winter – check Canal and River Trust Website
- Stoke Top Lock No 40
- A Canal and River Trust handcuff key is needed to open this lock.
- Newcastle Road Bridge No 115
- Low headroom at this bridge!
- Teddesley Road Basin (Penkridge)
- This is a private basin which belongs to Teddeseley Boat Co. The owners live in the house opposite, so don’t get caught using it.
- Filance Lock No 37
- Please be aware that due to a new bulge in the chamber wall the lock width has been reduced slightly and may pose a hazard to some wider boats. The new minimum dimension is approximatley 2.14m which is only just over 7ft.
- Gailey Wharf
- One of the water-points here does not have a standard 3/4″ BSP male connector, so you may have to use one of th eothers if you don’t have an adaptor.
- High Bridge No 39
- Due to the way the canal bends there is restricted visibilty through the bridge as you approach in either direction.
- Tyrley Bottom Lock No 7
- The pound between the 4th and 5th locks at the Tyrley flight can be challenging:
- 1) There are no lock landings in either direction.
- 2) There is a very strong by wash from lock 4 into the pound, which can pin a boat on o the offside wall.
- 3) There is a lip or ledge between the centre of the channel and the towpath. It is impossible to come alongside the towpath.
- 4) Trying to pass a boat in the opposite direction, or “hover” in the pound is tricky due to the strength of the bywash and a bad idea for the less experienced boater. It is best to have your next lock at your level, with the gate open, before leaving the lock that you are in.
- The pound between the 4th and 5th locks at the Tyrley flight can be challenging:
Detailed Route:
| Trent and Mersey Canal (Main Line – Middlewich to Preston Brook) | |||
| From Middlewich Top Wharf to: | |||
Middlewich Junction 
Junction of Trent and Mersey Canal Main Line with Wardle Lock Branch leading to Shropshire Union Middlewich Branch
|
½ furlongs, 0 locks | ||
| Trent and Mersey Canal (Main Line – Harding’s Wood to Middlewich) | |||
| From Middlewich Junction (Junction of Trent and Mersey Canal Main Line with Wardle Lock Branch leading to Shropshire Union Middlewich Branch) to: |
|||
| Tetton Bridge [see navigational note] | 1 mile, 4½ furlongs, 2 locks | ||
| Elton Moss Wharf | 2 miles, ½ furlongs, 3 locks | ||
| Wharf Bridge No 154
Wheelock . Also known as ‘Wheelock’
|
2 miles, 2½ furlongs, 0 locks | ||
| Wheelock Bottom Lock No 66 [see navigational note]
Locks from here to Red Bull Top Lock are duplicated except where noted.
|
2¼ furlongs, 0 locks | ||
| Wheelock Lock No 61 [see navigational note]
Towpath-side lock is open but marked as “narrow” and unsuitable for boats over 6’10” (September 2013). Also known as ‘Clock Lock’, ‘Office Lock’, ‘Kimmick Lock’, ‘Cardboard Lock’
|
6 furlongs, 5 locks | ||
| Wheelock Flight Top Lock No 59
Malkin’s Bank Flight Nos 59 to 64. Also known as ‘Cork’s Lock’, ‘Maddock’s Lock’
Having passed through Wheelock Flight |
3 furlongs, 2 locks | ||
| Lower Thurlwood Lock No 54 [see navigational note]
Towpath side lock is narrow and not suitable for boats over 6’10” (Sept 2013). Also known as ‘Woodall’s Lock’
|
2 miles, 1¼ furlongs, 5 locks | ||
Lawton Moorings  |
1 mile, 1½ furlongs, 2 locks | ||
| Church Lawton Bottom Lock No 48 [see navigational note] Having passed through Lawton Treble Locks | 3¾ furlongs, 4 locks | ||
| Red Bull Lock No 45 [see navigational note]
Townfield or Top of Church Pound Lock. Also known as ‘Townfield Lock’, ‘Top of Church Pound Lock’, ‘Kent’s Locks’
|
6¼ furlongs, 3 locks | ||
Red Bull Services    
Also known as ‘Red Bull Wharf’
|
2¼ furlongs, 2 locks | ||
| Hardings Wood Junction
Junction of Trent and Mersey Canal and Hall Green Branch
|
5 furlongs, 3 locks | ||
| Trent and Mersey Canal (Main Line – Etruria to Hardings Wood) | |||
| From Hardings Wood Junction (Junction of Trent and Mersey Canal and Hall Green Branch) to: | |||
| Harecastle Tunnel (northern entrance)
Kidsgrove. Also known as ‘Kidsgrove’
|
2¾ furlongs, 0 locks | ||
| Harecastle Tunnel (southern entrance)
An extra 45 minutes has been allowed for this passage
Having passed through Harecastle Tunnel (2919 yards long) [see navigational note] |
1 mile, 5¼ furlongs, 0 locks | ||
| Longport Road Bridge No 126 | 1 mile, 3¾ furlongs, 0 locks | ||
| Longport Wharf
Home of Stokeboats
|
¼ furlongs, 0 locks | ||
| Toby Carvery Festival Park
Canalside
|
1 mile, 6¼ furlongs, 0 locks | ||
| Etruria Junction
Junction with the Trent and Mersey Canal, Caldon Branch, Uttoxeter 30 miles
|
2½ furlongs, 0 locks | ||
| Trent and Mersey Canal (Main Line – Great Haywood to Etruria) | |||
| From Etruria Junction (Junction with the Trent and Mersey Canal, Caldon Branch, Uttoxeter 30 miles) to: | |||
| Stoke Top Lock No 40 [see navigational note]
Also known as ‘Etruria Summit Lock’, ‘Summit Lock’
|
¼ furlongs, 0 locks | ||
| Newcastle Road Bridge No 115 [see navigational note] Having passed through Stoke Locks (rise of 50 feet) | 2 furlongs, 3 locks | ||
| Newcastle Road Bridge No 95 Having passed through Meaford Locks (rise of 32 feet and 5 inches) | 8 miles, 4 furlongs, 9 locks | ||
| Stone Wharf
Home of Canal Cruising hire boats
|
2 furlongs, 0 locks | ||
| Great Haywood Junction
Junction of Trent and Mersey and Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canals
|
9 miles, 7¾ furlongs, 6 locks | ||
| Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal (Main Line: Autherley to Great Haywood) | |||
| From Great Haywood Junction (Junction of Trent and Mersey and Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canals) to: |
|||
| Tixall Wide (southwestern entrance) | 7¼ furlongs, 0 locks | ||
| Milford Bridge No 105
No waterpoint
|
1 mile, 3 furlongs, 1 lock | ||
| Radford Bridge Visitor Moorings
Stafford town centre is one mile to the west. Also known as ‘Stafford’
|
2 miles, 2 furlongs, 0 locks | ||
| Acton Moat Bridge No 92
Acton Trussell. Also known as ‘Acton Trussell’
|
2 miles, 3½ furlongs, 1 lock | ||
| Park Gate Lock No 40 | 1 mile, 3½ furlongs, 1 lock | ||
| Teddesley Road Basin (Penkridge) [see navigational note]
ex Teddesley Boat Company
|
½ furlongs, 1 lock | ||
| Teddesley Park Bridge No 89 | 2½ furlongs, 0 locks | ||
| Penkridge – Visitor Moorings below Lock |
1 mile, ¾ furlongs, 1 lock | ||
| Filance Lock No 37 [see navigational note]
No lock landing bollards or rings below lock
|
3 furlongs, 1 lock | ||
| Filance Bridge No 84 | 1¼ furlongs, 1 lock | ||
| The Cross Keys Inn
48-hour visitor moorings
|
a few yards, 0 locks | ||
| Gailey Wharf [see navigational note] |
2 miles, 2 furlongs, 5 locks | ||
| Calf Heath Bridge No 77
Winding hole is next to bridge
|
1 mile, 3 furlongs, 0 locks | ||
| Hatherton Junction
Junction of the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal and the Hatherton Canal (under restoration)
|
1 mile, 0 locks | ||
| Coven Heath Bridge No 69 |
3 miles, 4 furlongs, 0 locks | ||
| Autherley Junction Having passed through Autherley Narrows | 1 mile, 7¼ furlongs, 0 locks | ||
| Shropshire Union Canal (Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal – Main Line) | |||
| From Autherley Junction to: | |||
| Autherley Wharf
Home of Napton Narrowboats
|
½ furlongs, 1 lock | ||
| High Green Bridge No 14
Brewood. Also known as ‘Brewood’
|
4 miles, 7½ furlongs, 0 locks | ||
| Stretton Aqueduct
Over the A5 road (Watling Street)
|
1 mile, 2 furlongs, 0 locks | ||
| High Onn Bridge No 25
Church Eaton 1 mile northeast. Also known as ‘Church Eaton’
|
4 miles, 4½ furlongs, 1 lock | ||
| Cowley Tunnel No 33 (southern entrance) | 1 mile, 5½ furlongs, 0 locks | ||
| Cowley Tunnel No 33 (northern entrance) Having passed through Cowley Tunnel (81 yards long) | ¼ furlongs, 0 locks | ||
| Gnosall Bridge No 35 | 4 furlongs, 0 locks | ||
| Norbury Junction Services
Also known as ‘Norbury Junction Sanitary Station’
Having passed over Shelmore Embankment (1750 yards long) |
2 miles, 3½ furlongs, 0 locks | ||
| Norbury Junction
Junction with former Newport Branch
|
¼ furlongs, 0 locks | ||
| High Bridge No 39 [see navigational note] | 7½ furlongs, 0 locks | ||
| Anchor Bridge No 42 Having passed through Grub Street Cutting |
1 mile, 3¾ furlongs, 0 locks | ||
| Knighton Wharf
This was the wharf for the Cadbury factory.
Having passed over Shebdon Embankment (1530 yards long) |
1 mile, 7½ furlongs, 0 locks | ||
| Newport Road Bridge No 45
Knighton. Also known as ‘Knighton’
|
1 furlong, 0 locks | ||
| Goldstone Bridge No 55
Cheswardine 1 mile east. Also known as ‘Cheswardine’
|
3 miles, ¾ furlongs, 0 locks | ||
| Tyrley Top Lock No 3
Tyrley Flight Lock No 1. Also known as ‘Tyrley Flight Lock No 1’
Having passed through Woodseaves Cutting |
2 miles, 1 furlong, 0 locks | ||
| Tyrley Bottom Lock No 7 [see navigational note]
Tyrley Flight Lock No 5. Also known as ‘Tyrley Flight Lock No 5’
Having passed through Tyrley Locks (rise of 33 feet) |
3 furlongs, 4 locks | ||
| Newcastle Road Bridge No 62 |
1 mile, 1 lock | ||
| Orwells Boatyard
Also known as ‘Victoria Wharf (Market Drayton)’
|
4¼ furlongs, 0 locks | ||
| Adderley Top Lock No 8
Adderley Flight Lock No 1. Also known as ‘Adderley Flight Lock No 1’
|
2 miles, 5¼ furlongs, 0 locks | ||
| Adderley Bottom Lock No 12
Adderley Flight Lock No 5. Also known as ‘Adderley Flight Lock No 5’
Having passed through Adderley Locks (rise of 31 feet) |
2¾ furlongs, 4 locks | ||
| Audlem Top Lock No 13
Audlem Flight Lock No 1. Also known as ‘Audlem Flight Lock No 1’
|
1 mile, 2¼ furlongs, 1 lock | ||
| Audlem Lock No 14
Audlem Flight Lock No 2 . Also known as ‘Audlem Flight Lock No 2’
|
¾ furlongs, 1 lock | ||
| Audlem Lock No 15
Audlem Flight Lock No 3 is the top lock of main Audlem Flight. Also known as ‘Audlem Flight Lock No 3’
|
2 furlongs, 1 lock | ||
| Audlem Wharf
Also known as ‘Audlem’
|
7¼ furlongs, 10 locks | ||
| Audlem Bottom Lock No 27
Audlem Flight Lock No 15. Also known as ‘Audlem Flight Lock No 15’
Having passed through Audlem Locks (rise of 93 feet) |
3 furlongs, 2 locks | ||
| Nantwich Aqueduct Having passed through Hack Green Locks (rise of 12 feet) |
5 miles, 4½ furlongs, 3 locks | ||
| Nantwich Services
Also known as ‘Nantwich Sanitary Station’
|
2¼ furlongs, 0 locks | ||
| Nantwich Basin Entrance
Junction of the Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal – Main Line and the Chester Canal. Also known as ‘Basin End’, ‘Nantwich Marina’
Having passed over Nantwich Embankment |
¼ furlongs, 0 locks | ||
| Shropshire Union Canal (Chester Canal – Nantwich to Bunbury) | |||
| From Nantwich Basin Entrance (Junction of the Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal – Main Line and the Chester Canal. Also known as ‘Basin End’, ‘Nantwich Marina’) to: | |||
| Hurleston Junction
Junction of Llangollen Canal and Shropshire Union Main Line
|
1 mile, 7¼ furlongs, 0 locks | ||
| Barbridge Visitor Moorings (northwestern end)
48 hour moorings
|
1 mile, 1¼ furlongs, 0 locks | ||
| Barbridge Aqueduct | ¼ furlongs, 0 locks | ||
| Barbridge Visitor Moorings (24 hour) |
¼ furlongs, 0 locks | ||
| Barbridge Junction
Junction with Shropshire Union – Middlewich Branch
|
¾ furlongs, 0 locks | ||
| Shropshire Union Canal (Middlewich Branch) | |||
| From Barbridge Junction (Junction with Shropshire Union – Middlewich Branch) to: |
|||
| Aqueduct Marina |
3 miles, 1¼ furlongs, 2 locks | ||
| River Weaver Aqueduct No 10A | 3¼ furlongs, 0 locks | ||
| Wardle Lock No 4
Junction of Trent and Mersey Canal, Wardle Lock Branch and Shropshire Union Canal, Middlewich Branch. Also known as ‘Maureen’s Lock’
|
6 miles, 3½ furlongs, 2 locks | ||
| Trent and Mersey Canal (Wardle Lock Branch) | |||
| From Wardle Lock No 4 (Junction of Trent and Mersey Canal, Wardle Lock Branch and Shropshire Union Canal, Middlewich Branch. Also known as ‘Maureen’s Lock’) to: | |||
| Middlewich Junction
Junction of Trent and Mersey Canal Main Line with Wardle Lock Branch leading to Shropshire Union Middlewich Branch
|
1 furlong, 0 locks | ||
| Trent and Mersey Canal (Main Line – Middlewich to Preston Brook) | |||
| From Middlewich Junction (Junction of Trent and Mersey Canal Main Line with Wardle Lock Branch leading to Shropshire Union Middlewich Branch) to: |
|||
| Middlewich Top Wharf
Formerly home of Middlewich Narrowboats. Also known as ‘Middlewich Narrowboats’
|
½ furlongs, 0 locks | ||
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