Cruising rings

Leaving the Birmingham conurbation behind at King’s Norton the increasingly rural northern section of the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal offers several hours of lock free cruising interrupted only by the occasional lift-bridge. Towards the bottom of the Lapworth flight of 25 locks there is a short arm to the left with one lock that links with the Grand Union, to the right the southern Stratford-upon-Avon Canal continues through almost constant greenery towards the eponymous town, meeting a flight of 11 locks at Wilmcote.

At Bancroft Basin in Stratford the canal meets the Upper Avon almost adjacent to the theatre dedicated to the town’s most famous son, William Shakespeare. There is a short navigable section of river to the left; to the right heading downstream the first lock is soon encountered. The Avon is a charming river that for much of its journey flows timelessly through idyllic countryside, its low banks affording panoramic views across Warwickshire and the Cotswolds beyond. At Evesham the river becomes the Lower Avon and although increasing in size it never assumes overpowering proportions.

Tewkesbury sees the Avon locking into the larger River Severn and the difference in scale is brought home by the turn upstream under Telford’s lofty Mythe Bridge. The Severn is commercial and though much of its trade has disappeared the size of its locks and the occasional large vessel leave no doubt as to its significance with the double river-lock at Diglis being particularly imposing.

Diglis Basins are accessed by broad-gauge locks. Beyond the basin the Worcester & Birmingham Canal is narrow gauge and it soon becomes apparent why it is known colloquially as ‘the 58’. A few hours spirited effort is required for navigators to negotiate Tardebigge, its 30 locks comprise the longest flight in the country, though weary lockwheelers can then rest on stretches that pass through dank tunnels and unspoilt countryside. Around Wast Hill tunnel the signs of conurbation reappear. King’s Norton Junction lies to the right, with the line ahead leading directly into Birmingham city centre.

Additional highlights

With much of the Avon Ring passing through Shakespeare Country the focus understandably falls on The Bard but the route has other intrinsic attractions and the River Severn between Tewkesbury and Worcester merits closer inspection.

Tewkesbury was once busy with waterborne trade. There is a sand spit on the confluence between the Avon and Severn and so the navigational advice not to turn upstream before all of Mythe Bridge is in view, though intended for large commercial craft, holds equally good for narowboats. The tidal effect is documented to Diglis and it is not unusual to see seaweed around Upper Lode Lock. A lode in Old English denotes a watercourse.

High embankments restrict views so the arrival of a town comes as a respite. A former busy port, Upton-on-Severn is now a haven for holidaymakers and host to festivals some of which are of international standing. Signs of where the civil war impinged upon its fabric are easily spotted. The White Lion pub is the same that appears in Tom Jones.

The confluence of the Teme and Severn below Diglis was the site of the Battle of Worcester. Near the old corn market is the house from which King Charles II led his troops. Worcester takes its name from Wignorna Caestra, the camp of the Wigoran tribe from the Wyre Forest, before becoming a city in 880 AD. Its centrepiece is the magnificent cathedral.

Synonymous with the City is the composer Edward William Elgar who proclaimed to his mother that he wanted to be so famous that people could write to ‘Edward Elgar, England’. His wish was granted.

Typical duration

Two weeks will allow ample time to navigate the route without hurry whilst also allowing opportunity to savour its features and attractions.

Distance in miles - 108

Number of locks - 131

The Birmingham Ring traces the major waterways in the Birmingham Canal Navigations and offers an excellent overview of this fascinating, and unique, network. Leaving Birmingham via the Old Main Line, perhaps the lodestone of the BCN, the route branches off at Wolverhampton to explore the Wyrley & Essington and Daw End sections which, though sadly under-utilised, must rate as some of the prettiest waters to be found in the Midlands, before returning to the heart of Birmingham along the Tame Valley and Birmingham & Fazeley.

Setting out from Birmingham’s much re-vamped water frontages of Gas Street and Brindley Place towards Wolverhampton the Old Main Line loops are the remnants of the earlier canal built by James Brindley which were cut through by Telford’s later modification. They make for short but fascinating diversions around little-explored backwaters.

Rising through Smethwick Locks traces of an earlier parallel flight can be seen to the right. The Engine Branch supplies water from a nearby reservoir; the arm takes its name from a pump engine that stood here. Near Spon Lane Junction the Stewart Aqueduct takes the Old Main Line over the New.

At Wolverhampton the Wyrley & Essington pursues a convoluted route that gives rise to its nickname the ‘Curly Wyrley’. Substantial redevelopment around Wednesfield has all but obliterated the site of the former Bentley Branch, now denoted by a theme-pub and cinema multiplex. The derelict chambers at Sneyd denote the branch that once raised the BCN to its highest level; its alignment indicates precisely which one was considered the more important in its heyday. The built up area around Bloxwich is quickly followed by the delightful Pelsall Common.

From Longwood the Rushall Canal locks down to link with the Tame Valley Canal directly beneath the M6 at Ray Hall. With a grey appeal all of its own the Tame Valley meets Perry Barr Locks in a sudden outburst of greenery. By the bottom of the flight the industry begins to hem in claustrophobically and at Spaghetti Junction the M6 roars directly overhead. Two lengthy lock flights, 11 at Aston and 13 at Farmer’s Bridge, herald the reappearance of the city centre. The flights are interspersed by the near-rustic Aston Junction from which the Digbeth Branch heads off toward the Grand Union. At the top of Farmer’s Bridge Locks Brindley Place and its environs have undergone a renaissance in recent years and offer a cosmopolitan mix of bars, clubs and restaurants in the heart of the city.

The Black Country Cruising Ring comprises a combination of canals each memorable for different reasons. Leaving the much-revamped water frontages of Birmingham via the New Main Line and negotiating parts of the elegant Staffordshire & Worcestershire and the Trent & Mersey before returning along the Coventry and the Birmingham & Fazeley the voyage offers vivid contrasts between heritage and contemporary life.

At the height of the industrial revolution the Black Country and surrounding area was dotted with hundreds of furnaces. Today most of the old heavy industry has gone but the waterway legacy that remains offers the inquisitive traveller a fascinating glimpse into an age long past.

The New Main Line was a modification made by Thomas Telford to the earlier route cut by James Brindley. It was built in Telford’s typically bold style, with twin towpaths and innovative engineering techniques, and shortened the distance between Birmingham and Wolverhampton by several miles.

At Wolverhampton the route falls through 21 locks, the longest flight on the BCN. By the time the bottom is reached the canal has become rural and remains so virtually all along the Staffs & Worcs to Great Haywood. Distinctive Roundhouses were a feature of this canal; the one at Gailey is the last on the Staffs & Worcs to be inhabited. The wide waters at Tixall give the impression of a lake. The Trent & Mersey Canal to Fradley is also largely under-developed; Rugeley and the towers of a power station indicate its former importance in the coal trade. Both the Coventry and the Birmingham & Fazeley Canals can be so tranquil that it is difficult to grasp their former significance and it is only at Minworth Locks that the canal regains its industrial feel. By Salford Junction, where the M6 roars directly overhead, the transformation is complete and the now-urban canal claws its way upwards through a flight of 11 locks at Aston quickly followed by another 13 at Farmer’s Bridge.

Featuring the Bridgewater Canal, the first canal to be built in the modern waterways era, the Cheshire Ring was formulated after successful campaigns for the restoration of several key sections around the route and is one of the original cruising rings. Commencing at Preston Brook Tunnel it follows the Bridgewater to Castlefield and takes in the Rochdale, Ashton, Peak Forest and Macclesfield Canals before returning via the Trent & Mersey.

From Preston Brook the Bridgewater Canal carves through notably flat landscape and for several miles runs almost parallel to the Manchester Ship Canal. Dunham Massey Hall has a 250-acre deer park and a working Elizabethan Mill; Castlefield Basin is a series of wharves for goods brought here by canal with the railways of a later era striding overhead. A short section of Rochdale Canal lifts the route through the ‘Rochdale 9’ locks and completely refurbished surroundings that would be unrecognisable to boaters of only a generation ago, passing by Manchester’s vibrant gay and Chinese quarters and under the former Rodwell Tower, now renamed 111 Piccadilly. With the 2002 Commonwealth Games held in Manchester acting as a catalyst the transformation to the entire area has been dramatic; improved access and additional lighting are just some of the changes.

At Ducie Street Junction the Ashton Canal passes the modernised Piccadilly Village with the prospect of a few hours energetic lockwheeling to follow before Portland Basin. This was built to allow narrowboats to make the tight turn out of the Peak Forest Canal and is known locally as Weaver’s Rest due to the large number of weavers who drowned here during hard times in their industry. The basin is home to a museum and a boat trust dedicated to saving historic wooden vessels.

The Peak Forest Canal is lock-free until Marple where the locks are distinguished by little stone bridges in front of the bottom gates. At the top of the flight the Peak Forest continues to its terminus at the historic Buxworth Basin and Whaley Bridge; the fork to the right leads onto the Macclesfield Canal and increasingly rural scenery until the conurbations of Macclesfield and Congleton begin to encroach. At Hardings Wood Junction the Trent & Mersey Canal drops towards the Cheshire Plain through a heavily locked section, which is perhaps unsurprisingly known as ‘Heartbreak Hill’. Many of the locks were duplicated in an effort to speed up traffic. A few hours of gentle cruising through open countryside leads to Anderton and its spectacular vertical lift. Preston Brook Tunnel is narrow and requires caution; to its north lies the Bridgewater Canal.

From the Shropshire Union Canal through the rolling Cheshire Plains to the Trent & Mersey Canal, the Staffordshire & Worcester Canal and back via the Shropshire Union the Four Counties Ring is one of the more rural Cruising Rings and is best savoured slowly.

At Barbridge Junction the Middlewich Branch of the ‘Shroppie’ diverts from the main line through pretty countryside towards Wardle Lock. A small section of canal, the Wardle Branch, completes the connection to the Trent & Mersey at Middlewich. The locks here can be busy in summer. Big Lock can take two boats side by side. Middlewich evolved as a result of the Romans discovering salt here, they called the town Salinea.

Turning right at Middlewich the Trent & Mersey continues the rural theme but soon the long climb up ‘Heartbreak Hill’ requires some spirited lock wheeling before reaching Harecastle Tunnel. Passage is only permitted under instructions of the tunnel keeper. The brown water denotes the presence of leached minerals as the canal heads through the heart of The Potteries. At Etruria the Ski Centre, China Gardens and Waterworld immediately precede Festival Park Marina, site of the 1986 Stoke Garden Festival, shortly after which the Caldon Canal branches off towards Froghall and its famously low tunnel. Stoke City Football Club, perhaps forever associated with Sir Stanley Mathews, is to the left and Trentham Gardens merit the detour of about a mile to the right.

Great Haywood Junction takes the Staffs & Worcs Canal through Tixall Wide, an expanse of water created to mitigate objections of the resident at Tixall Hall who did not want his view spoilt. Past Shugborough Hall and the scenery remains tranquil as the canal wends its way lazily through old settlements and the occasional lock. Approaching Autherley Junction the canal narrows for about half a mile, with room for one boat only. At Autherley Junction the Shropshire Union negotiates a stop lock and then continues to a solitary lock at Wheaton Aston before a series of locks including flights of 5 at Tyrley, 5 at Adderley and 15 at Audlem drop the line back down towards the Cheshire Plain. At Hurlston junction to the left the Llangollen wends its way towards the Welsh hills, ahead on the right lies Barbridge Junction.

Non-tidal rivers combined with broad and narrow gauge canals offer a mixture of waterway experiences including the Rivers Trent and Soar, the Grand Union (Leicester Line) and Oxford Canals and the Coventry and Birmingham & Fazeley Canals before returning to the River Trent along the Trent & Mersey Canal.

Derwent Mouth Lock is considered the junction between the Trent & Mersey Canal and the River Trent. Navigators should beware of the weir at Trent Lock; the River Soar continues to Leicester where the Grand Union Canal (Leicester Section) locks up towards Saddlington Tunnel, a roost for bats. A branch to the left connects with Market Harborough, scene of the first recognised canal rally in Britain in 1950. Beyond Foxton Locks lies the prospect of several hours lock-free cruising before a short flight drops to Norton Junction.

To the right the Grand Union Canal continues to Braunston and the narrow Oxford Canal that wends its way through peaceful countryside for mile after mile on its journey to Hawkesbury, its level passage interrupted only by Hillmorton Locks. These were duplicated to speed up traffic. Arms and loops along the way indicate an original route that was even more convoluted before modifications. The cast bridges were made by the Horseley Iron Works on a branch of the Birmingham Canal Navigations at Tipton.

At Hawkesbury Junction, also referred to as Sutton Stop after the occupants who once lived here, the Oxford Canal joins the Coventry Canal. The sharp turn from one into the other can present a challenge to navigators of larger craft.

The Coventry Canal heads towards Bedworth as the conurbation begins to encroach. At Marston Junction the Ashby Canal offers over 20 miles of lock-free cruising, restoration efforts are in progress at its further end.

Eleven locks at Atherstone and two at Glascote drop the line to Fazeley Junction and the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal. The line between Fazeley and Whittington appears to be part of the Coventry Canal but the Birmingham & Fazeley nameplates in lieu of Coventry Canal bridge numbers indicate that this section was constructed by, amongst others, the Birmingham & Fazeley Company.

The conurbation is again left behind and at Fradley Junction the Trent & Mersey Canal continues through Staffordshire countryside until the waft of hops indicates the proximity of the breweries of Burton upon Trent. At Stenson the narrow gauge locks change to broad as the River Trent approaches.

Superlatives flow thick and fast as the South Pennine Ring traverses the rugged Pennines back and forth, taking in the Calder & Hebble Navigation from Sowerby Bridge, the Huddersfield Broad and Narrow Canals and the Ashton Canal before returning via the Rochdale Canal. The journey is particularly remarkable in so much that until recently much of the route was derelict.

From Sowerby Bridge Basin the Calder & Hebble Navigation heads eastwards. Various improvements have given it the appearance more of a canal than a river but it is prone to changes in water levels. Flood defences along the route minimise such effects by preventing high water levels entering the artificial channels. Short branches and old basins make for interesting diversions.

Locks on the Calder & Hebble are operated by a handspike in place of the more usual windlass. A long-distance footpath connects with the towpath near Brighouse.

At Cooper Bridge Junction the Huddersfield Broad Canal, or Sir John Ramsden’s Canal, leaves the Calder & Hebble and continues for some 3½ miles to link with the Huddersfield Narrow Canal at Aspley Basin in the centre of Huddersfield before the route begins its long climb up the imposing Pennines. Restoration of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal, which has been dubbed ‘The River of Gold’ since being reopened in May 2001, has proved to be a catalyst for widespread regeneration. Reclamation efforts at, for example, Slaithwaite where the canal had been totally lost, are impressive.

Locks on the Huddersfield Narrow are denoted by E and W on the east and west side of the Pennines. Dropping down the west side of the hills to Dukinfield Junction the Huddersfield Narrow meets the Ashton Canal, a waterway much enhanced by developments associated with the Commonwealth Games of 2002 held in Manchester.

Ducie Street Junction in Manchester sees the Ashton Canal meeting the Rochdale Canal and a journey of 32 miles back across the Pennines to Sowerby Bridge.

Restoration of the Rochdale Canal began in earnest in the 1980s and it was reopened throughout in 2002. Reservoirs around the summit level are a consequence of a large number of locks on a relatively short length of canal. The deep lock at Tuel Lane near Sowerby Bridge replaces two earlier locks that were lost to road development and is an imposing 19 feet (5.8m) deep.

The Stourport Ring visits no fewer than three cities of contrasting hues, the newly recognised City of Wolverhampton, industrial Birmingham and the ancient City of Worcester. Commencing at Aldersley Junction the route follows the line of the Birmingham Canal Navigations, the Worcester & Birmingham Canal and part of the River Severn navigation before returning to Aldersley along the southern section of the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal.

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Access to Birmingham Canal Navigations from Aldersley involves a lengthy haul up the ‘Wolverhampton 21’, the longest flight of locks on the BCN. The flight emerges a short distance from Wolverhampton City Centre with the Wyrley & Essington branching off to the left.

Modern development at Bilston conceals the former site of British Steel and its blast furnace, one of the last to be demolished in the Black Country in the 1980s. At Tipton the line to the right leads to Dudley Limestone Caverns whilst the route ahead drops through Factory Locks towards Birmingham.

Brindley Place, Gas Street and Broad Street are at the heart of a totally rejuvenated Birmingham waterfront. Passing through the former stop-lock at Worcester Bar the canal turns through a sharp right and leaves the city behind. A long rural stretch of the Worcester & Birmingham Canal leads to the first of 58 locks before Worcester. The River Severn between Worcester and Stourport is a pleasing run that passes through swathes of open countryside. On the left below Bevere Lock is The Camp Cider House; it routinely floods in winter and locals access it by rowing boat. To the right above the lock is the entrance to the Droitwich Canals, now undergoing restoration. The sandstone cliffs near Lincombe Lock were once a hermitage.

The Staffs & Worcs Canal is accessed via four narrow locks into Stourport Basins. The broad gauge locks a few yards downstream near to the Angel pub are normally the preserve of larger river vessels. The southern section of the Staffs & Worcs is almost entirely rural. The market town of Kidderminster has undergone substantial canalside redevelopment. At Stourton the Stourbidge Canal heads for the BCN. Bratch Locks at Wombourne have what appear at first glance to be impossibly short pounds between the locks; the secret of their operation is in the side pounds behind the wall to the left. The canal skirts to the west of Wolverhampton before returning to Aldersley.

From the lower reaches of one of the world's best-known rivers, the River Thames, to the land of dreaming spires and academia of Oxford, continuing northwards along the Oxford Canal and returning via the Grand Union Canal, the Thames Ring offers an eclectic combination of narrow canal, broad canal, tidal and non-tidal river waters.

Upstream from Brentford the tidal Thames passes the Royal Botanical Gardens and the first in a number of small islands. Teddington Locks are the largest locking system on the river and denote the transition from tidal to non-tidal. The weir is a gauging point for water flow and flood warnings are issued from its monitoring station. Past Hampton Court Palace the Desborough Cut is an artificial channel avoiding a twisting loop of river. The weir at Shepperton Lock is the most southerly point reached by the Thames and the journey now reads like pages from a gazetteer of famous places; Windsor Castle, the playing fields of Eton, Henley and its regattas.

At Isis Lock the Oxford Canal heads northwards and locks become few as the channel wends its way through the rolling Oxfordshire countryside. Because of the contour method of construction used by engineer James Brindley the canal traces a convoluted course as it follows the contours of the land and on the summit pound around Wormleighton a stretch of 3 miles loops back on itself to within less than 1,000 yards of its starting point.

Tooley’s Boatyard at Banbury, built in 1790, has been restored as a working exhibit and there has been much redevelopment of the surrounding area. At Napton-on-the Hill as the Oxford Canal skirts past Napton Junction, known locally as Wigram’s Turn after a boating family that once lived here. Braunston Turn sees the broad-gauge Grand Union Canal continue past the historic village of Braunston and its church, noted for its traditional boaters’ weddings.

Blisworth Tunnel is one of the longest navigable tunnels in the country; the Stoke Bruerne Museum lies beyond its southern portal. The long pound through Milton Keynes is remarkable for its lack of locks. At Bull’s Bridge Junction the Paddington Arm heads for its eventual meeting with the Thames at Limehouse whilst the main line locks back down to the Thames at Brentford.

Lancashire and Yorkshire are brought together in a combination of canal and river navigations centring on the Pennines that offers one of the few rings suitable for wider beamed boats. From the Bridgewater and Leeds & Liverpool Canals along the Aire & Calder and Calder & Hebble Navigations and returning via the Rochdale Canal, the Two Roses Ring is an compelling mix of fascinating history, impressive engineering and spectacular countryside.

The Castlefield area of Manchester was populated by Romans as early as AD79. Supplies were brought via the River Irwell, utilised hundreds of years later in the construction of the Manchester Ship Canal. The modern Outdoor Events Arena is Romanesque and its canvas covers dangle over the canal arms. Nearby Liverpool Road Railway Station, built in 1830, is the oldest in the world and so Castlefield can claim to be at the forefront of not only the canal revolution but the ensuing railway one also.

The Bridgewater Canal meets the Leigh Branch of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal at Leigh. The high embankments are indicative of subsidence. At Wigan the Leeds & Liverpool rises through 21 locks and runs flat for several miles to Johnson’s Hillock Locks. The derelict Walton Summit Branch was originally the line of the Lancaster Canal.

The meandering route to Skipton and beyond is greeted with vista after vista of sumptuous scenery; the lock keeper assists passage through Bingley Five Rise Locks. The waterfront at Leeds has undergone a transformation with disused warehouses converted to shops and restaurants. The route continues along the Aire & Calder Navigation, a commercial waterway carrying large vessels. Stanley Ferry Aqueduct crosses the River Calder in a cast iron trough.

From Wakefield the Calder & Hebble continues to Sowerby Bridge. Flood locks and defences along the route minimise the effects of varying water levels. Short branches and old basins make for interesting diversions.

Locks on the Calder & Hebble are operated by a handspike in place of the more usual windlass. A long-distance footpath connects with the towpath near Brighouse.

The imposing Tuel Lane Lock marks the meeting with the Rochdale Canal at Sowerby Bridge in grand style. Passing through majestic scenery dominated by the imposing Pennines the green gradually fades as Manchester draws closer and the Rochdale Nine Locks in the heart of the city lower the line once more towards Castlefield.

Sections of the Coventry, Oxford, Grand Union and Birmingham & Fazeley Canals are components in the Warwickshire Ring which, despite the almost constant proximity of conurbation and industry, manages to carve a surprisingly rural route through manicured fields and ancient meadows for much of its length.

From Fazeley Junction the Coventry Canal heads through former coalfields. Two locks at Glascote lift the canal to a long pound until eleven locks raise it into Atherstone.

Nuneaton is the birthplace of authoress George Elliot. The Griff Arm to the right is the remains of a once-extensive system of private canals.

Hawkesbury Junction, also referred to as Sutton Stop after the occupants who once lived here, is where the northern section of the Oxford Canal joins the Coventry Canal via one of the tightest turns on the system. A stop lock is the last lock encountered for several hours cruising before the three at Hillmorton, which were duplicated to speed up traffic flow. At Braunston Turn the Grand Union Canal makes its way towards London, the Oxford continues to Napton Junction from which the Grand Union Canal branches towards Birmingham.

The Saltisford Arm above the two Cape Locks is the remains of the Warwick & Birmingham Canal. The Hatton Flight, or ‘Stairway to Heaven’, is a flight of twenty-one broad locks that elevate the canal an impressive 146 feet.

At Kingswood Junction the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal is to the left. The Grand Union continues via five broad locks at Knowle and along the Olton Summit. Camp Hill Locks are in urban surroundings. Ahead is Warwick Bar, once the site of a toll office. To the right the Birmingham & Warwick Junction Canal, now part of the Grand Union, drops towards Salford Junction. Nechells Shallow Lock, permanently open, marks the approach of Salford Junction. Once this is negotiated the attendant industrialisation gradually peters out as the Birmingham & Fazeley wends its way to Fazeley Junction.