he memory of my failed attempt growth and wildlife, and allows the towpath waiting boaters who helpfully offered advice to get around the Four Counties to reach the edge of the water. Strimmed unrequested by the frustrated CRT staff. I Ring in 1992, my fi rst true regularly, it appears immaculate, although never discovered if the sticking point was T experience of boating (WW it does not make for good mooring. the depth of the water or the extra width June 2014), was preying on my This section of the T&M is lightly locked of the dredger’s ‘spud legs’. In the end the mind last summer. Having never travelled – just four in 10 miles to Stone – and I dredger crew retreated to allow another batch the whole route since, I thought it was had forgotten how attractive it is. Quite of us through, and I was on my way again. high time I attempted to complete it, but contoured, it rarely makes a bold statement, As I came out of Stone Bottom Lock this time with a more realistic schedule. as befi ts an early Brindley canal (it opened (Star Lock), another boat came out of The genesis of this was an effort to get my in 1777). It is especially relaxing to steer on, the next one. We both made a beeline for local MP boating, along with local waterways particularly single-handed as I now was. the one remaining mooring space, only bigwigs, and bend his ear about the Trent It was on this section that my interest was for him to reach it fi rst. I was reduced & Mersey Canal. But the day trip from fi rst piqued by the ‘pub’ graffi ti, painted to begging to moor alongside him. It Fradley Junction took me close enough to the or sprayed on bridges at intervals. Who was an early indication of what I was Four Counties ‘corner’ of Great Haywood was responsible for these, and how old are to fi nd later – that the Four Counties is Junction that, after my political passengers they? They are not unique to the T&M a lot busier now than 22 years ago. departed, I thought I’d just keep going. – there are quite a few on the Coventry Canal. In fact, they are now close to On to Etruria Leaving Great Haywood becoming a heritage feature in themselves. The next morning I set off early, already On the way out of Great Haywood, I passed Approaching Sandon Lock, I found a aware I was behind schedule, to reach the a new stretch of ‘nicospan’ natural piling, still bottleneck of a queue where a Canal & summit at Harecastle Tunnel. Between fenced off, with freshly seeded grass rapidly River Trust dredger appeared to be at work Stone Top Lock and the nearby Meaford taking over the towpath edging. This type actually inside the lock. It turned out the locks is quite the most excellent suburban of canal edging is becoming more popular, crew were trying to get it through but it canalside development on the waterways: not with boaters perhaps, but certainly with appeared to be stuck. The rhythmic fl ailing Navigation Loop. The estate even fi nds room naturalists. It looks lovely, encourages reed of the dredger scoop was entertaining the for a winding hole, turning the waterway

Finally conquering the Four Counties After failing to complete the 110-mile ring in four days back in 1992, Andrew Denny recently had another attempt. Only this time, he opted for a more leisurely two weeks…

Downloaded by David A Calverley from waterwaysworld.com 42 | JANUARY 2015 | www.waterwaysworld.com Travels with Granny Buttons into a feature rather than grudgingly accommodating it. When I reached the top, though, I was dismayed to fi nd the bridge had been recently hit by a vehicle, with the broken parapet fenced off. ‘Welcome to Fortress Britannia!’ says the forbidding, stencilled rubric on the canalside entrance to Stoke City FC’s Britannia Stadium. I guess it must be more inviting on match days when the Oatcake Boat moors up here, which I was to meet the following New canalside balcony café at Great Haywood. day. I made the summit at Etruria as dusk fell, and moored close to Festival Marina. The following morning was a turnaround day – I chatted with hire-boaters who had returned from the to get their impression of the route. One family told me they’d ‘done the ring’ back in 1990, and had just returned from a repeat trip. They had found it considerably busier the second time around.

The summit and CRT dredger fruitlessly tries Harecastle Tunnel The pleasant canalside to 'claw' its way into Sandon development at I thought the trip to Harecastle Lock – with an audience Navigation Loop, Stone. of bemused boaters. Tunnel would be a short hop. I always

Nantwich embankment underestimate not just the time and distances through, even more so than a lifejacket, and the o cial start of involved, but the remarkable events and and considered this a sensible decision. the Union. scenery on canals. The T&M on this Emerging from the tunnel in the late summit level was once hugely industrial, and afternoon, I made my way down the Red nowhere more so than at the massive Shelton Bull fl ight, but not before stopping at steelworks that once overhung the canal. the popular pub after which it takes its Fifty years ago, British Steel might have name. One striking encounter in the beer said: “Look on my works, ye mighty, and garden was with an owl keeper called despair!” Nothing now remains except Ray, who regularly takes his birds to the the occasional interpretation board on the pub. Today it was a barn owl, but he towpath, and vegetation that is halfway to said he owns the snowy owl that played becoming a wildlife preserve. Shelton makes Hedwig in the Harry Potter fi lms. me aware that when man has killed himself off, nature will return with a vengeance. Heartbreak Hill Harecastle Tunnel will always be the After topping up with water, I began the highlight of a Four Counties Ring, but it’s long descent down what’s popularly known not without its risks, however. Last May, as ‘Heartbreak Hill’. Maybe it’s heartbreaking tragedy struck when a father fell off the back coming up, but coming down, I found it of his boat in the tunnel. No one is sure raised my spirits. That is, until darkness what happened, but the unfortunate boater descended and I began to hunt for a mooring was very tall, and the tunnel headroom has place. That’s when the ‘heartbreak’ hit home. decreased over the years. In places it is very It isn’t the effort to keep going that’s diffi cult, low. I chose to wear a hard hat when going but the effort to stop. And when it’s getting late, other boaters twitch their curtains to stare out at you with disapproving frowns (no matter how slow you’re going) and you want to moor up, just to stop them glaring at you. The next day, from Wheelock to , I started to notice the subsidence caused by mining. Long stretches are heavily piled with unattractive borders, but there’s still a charm to much of the farmland, and some of the canalside gardens. However, this post-industrial landscape was, for me, a disappointment and the

Granny Buttons rises in least rewarding section on the route. Stoke Lock 4 as a Virgin August was peak blackberry season, train passes overhead. with the temptation to stop and pick them making my progress slow. With Downloaded by David A Calverley from waterwaysworld.com www.waterwaysworld.com | JANUARY 2015 | 43 the other temptation of taking photographs, it was late afternoon before I arrived in Middlewich, the second ‘corner’ of the ring.

The Middlewich Arm Turning on to the of the , I immediately noticed a distinct change in character. The Shroppie – even the Middlewich Arm – is a canal of straights, TOP: Harecastle embankments and cuttings, and appears Tunnel minimum to ‘march’ across the countryside. And profi le warning. there are ravishing views – none more so ABOVE RIGHT: A Harecastle Tunnel than at , where, once the keeper awaits arrival rain cleared, the afternoon sun painted of a canal boat. the countryside like an old master. ABOVE: Barn owl You can make short work of the at Red Bull. Owl Middlewich Arm if you’re in a hurry, sanctuary owner Ray regularly takes his and sadly I was. Just four deep locks later Stunning scenery birds to the pub! at Church Minshull and I was clear of the arm at Barbridge visitor mooring. Junction and at by nightfall.

Nantwich when the boat started rocking and found I’d forgotten how singular Nantwich is. Its ourselves cast off by yobs with one rope heart is largely unspoiled, and it felt like an missing. Another boat had also suffered old-fashioned country town, the sort with an their attentions. Unwilling to waste a good ‘early closing day’. Remember those? They photo opportunity, before tying up my largely don’t exist now, but Nantwich still boat again I spent several minutes trying has some shops that shut early – or (for a to capture it adrift in the moonlight. long weekend) all day on Monday – and The mob returned an hour later to familiar brands such as Costa Coffee seem Overgrown dual lock harry the other boat but left me alone. on Heartbreak Hill. almost ashamed to put out their signs. I never found that missing rope – if the Nantwich aqueduct and the hoodlums didn’t take it another boat might accompanying embankment are the fi rst still on the Plain, but it ends pick it up around their propeller as they big ‘ statements’ of the canal that abruptly at , where the 15 locks go through the Newcastle Road Bridge. you encounter. They sweep around the start the stiff climb to . town like a rampart. They were chocka The highlight of the trip with boats, almost a mile of them, many To The next day we tackled Tyrley Locks. of them bearing signs commanding you This is where help arrived in the form of This was to be the high spot of my trip, to ‘tickover’. It’s a lovely view, and at my friend Steve. On his fi rst canal trip, he not least because I’ve always held these 1mph you are forced to savour it! proved to be a fast learner – by the time locks to be the most attractive fl ight in the I spent two nights on Nantwich we encountered the fi ve Adderley locks he country. A leafy, quiet sandstone cutting embankment and can commend it. Audlem was steering and lock-wheeling as speedily leads up to the fi rst two narrow locks with is a two-hour hop away (three or more as someone with years of experience. a magical acoustic (turn off your engine if you’re still on that blessed tickover), I overnighted at Market Drayton, where for a moment and listen). Another pair and it’s on this stretch that the Shroppie I was joined by my companion Christine gives you a glimpse of the open Shropshire character truly hits home. Here you’re for a few days. We were woken at 3am farmland, and then fi nally the top lock, with Downloaded by David A Calverley from waterwaysworld.com 44 | JANUARY 2015 | www.waterwaysworld.com Travels with Granny Buttons

Cast o from Market Drayton at 3am.

TOP: Crossing Telford's aqueduct over the A5 at Stretton on the Shropshire Union. ABOVE: Making the most of their moorings. LEFT: Boat Club. RIGHT: Gailey Lock and Roundhouse at sunset from below.

its delightfully well-kept gardens, just aches What mitigated our irritation were the Gailey Wharf, with its distinctive to pose beside your boat to be photographed. numerous canalside gardens, manicured round tower, is most beautiful in a After the locks I was soon plunged into lawns, even small sheds and chalets. I gorgeous sunset, and we experienced Woodseaves Cutting, perhaps the most was constantly saying: “They’ve really it thus on our trip, before reaching spectacular section of all. It must have made the most of this, haven’t they?”, and after dark. Another dusk trip been a massive undertaking, excavating Christine soon began to mock me for it. the following evening, from Penkridge this 80ft sandstone gorge in the 1830s, and One last encounter, before overnighting to the outskirts of , was less the lush summer vegetation, hiding the at , was with anglers at Little delightful as much of the route here is steep sides, gives it a feel of rainforest. But Onn. I’d already learned that the Izaak dogged by the noisy . what really crowns the view are the two Walton Angling Association was holding a However, beyond Radford Bridge quiet tall bridges, which make you feel like you match there, and I was keen to witness the returns, and the following day we were are boating through a ruined cathedral. process. I spent time in the company of able to navigate to Lock in some This set the tone for the rest of the John Ellis, the Canal & River Trust’s angling peace. Tixall Wide is really the ideal fi nal Shroppie. The gorges alternate with manager, and for the fi rst time in my life mooring of the Four Counties Ring if impressive embankments, often hidden by witnessed coarse fi shing close up, instead of you want to rest after your endeavours, more vegetation, and sometimes the only at the end of a sullenly raised roach pole. but I wanted to return to my mooring at clue to the transition is the emergency Lichfi eld, some two weeks after setting out. stop gates, ready to be slammed shut in The Staffs & Worcs So 22 years after heading off to cruise the event of an embankment breach. The Shropshire Union ended at Autherley the Four Counties in four days, in 2014 It’s also the start of many miles of Junction, and instantly the character changed it took me 14 days to fi nally complete it. long online moorings, with regular and back to the slow, winding & Four days would be even harder now that annoying ‘slow down’ and ‘tickover’ signs Worcestershire Canal. Three hours later, at the canals are more crowded and anyway, drawing out your trip. There are no offl ine Gailey, we began the descent to our destination if my two decades of boating has taught marinas on this section, and the boats are at Great Haywood – 11 locks over 12 miles, me anything, it’s that you shouldn’t rush strung out intermittently for over 20 miles. although most of them occur in the fi rst half. a route as delightful and varied as this. Downloaded by David A Calverley from waterwaysworld.com www.waterwaysworld.com | JANUARY 2015 | 45