Route descriptions 2008             Click Here to view 2009 Route Descriptions
Cruise 1. Barnoldswick-Castlefield. (Manchester) April 2nd - 9th. 67 Miles, 43 Locks. Canals - Leeds & Liverpool, Bridgewater Station - Colne or Skipton. Leaving our home base of Barnoldswick we will cruise towards the historic Anchor Inn and through the Foulridge tunnel. This cruise on the beautiful Leeds and Liverpool canal passes through beautiful scenery and the fascinating industrial towns of East Lancashire. The mighty Wigan flight is always challenging, but rewarding at the same time. We will pass through Worsley on our way into Manchester where this cruise will end.
Cruise 2 . Manchester - Middlewich. April 9th -16th. 72 Miles,10 Locks. Canals - Bridgewater, Trent & Mersey, Weaver Navigation. Station - Manchester. This cruise begins in the heart of the city of Manchester, there will be time to explore if required. We then retrace our steps to Waters Meeting and turn towards Lymm, one of our favourite overnight moorings. Joining the Trent and Mersey canal we cruise to Anderton, where we will descend to the River Weaver, spending a couple of days exploring this lovely river navigation. We will return to the Trent and Mersey on the lift, before cruising to Middlewich where this cruise ends.
Cruise 3. Middlewich - Compton. April 16th - 23rd. 58 Miles, 65 Locks Canals - Trent & Mersey, Staffs & Worcs. Station - Crewe. Leaving the fascinating town of Middlewich we cruise the Trent and Mersey canal, ascending the locks at Heartbreak Hill, or Cheshire locks as the boatmen called them, a lovely flight of 26 narrow locks between Wheelock and Kidsgrove. We will then travel through the Harecastle tunnel, a tribute to the canal engineers and follow the Trent and Mersey canal to Great Haywood, there will be time to visit Shugborough Hall, we will moor overnight on Tixall Wide. The Staffs and Worcester canal is one of our favourites and we will cruise through Penkridge to Compton where this cruise will end.
Cruise 4. Compton - Loughborough April 23rd - 30th. 62 Miles, 48 Locks. Canals- Staffs & Worc,Trent & Mersey, Soar Navigation. Station - Wolverhampton. We will turn at Compton and retrace our steps to Great Haywood, there we will rejoin the Trent and Mersey canal passing through Alrewas, Burton on Trent and Shardlow, we will join the river Trent and onto the Soar Navigation. This cruise ends at Loughborough.
Cruise 5. Loughborough -Stoke Bruerne. April 30th - May 7th. 76 Miles, 57 Locks Canals - Soar Navigation, Grand Union. Station- Loughborough. Leaving Loughborough we cruise the rural Soar Navigation to join the Grand Union canal in Leicester. We will turn at Foxton and ascend the wonderful staircase locks, always a popular spot for gongoozlers. The Leicester section of the Grand Union between Foxton and Buckby is truly rural with beautiful scenery. Overnight stops will include Crick and Welford, rejoining the main line at Buckby we turn towards Stoke Bruerne, a lovely canal village where this cruise ends.
Cruise 6. Stoke Bruerne - Aylesbury. May 7th - 12th. 42 Miles, 39 Locks (5 night short break) Canals - Grand Union. Station - Northampton. With time to explore Stoke Bruerne and it’s wonderful canal museum we will then continue cruising the Grand Union canal, through Leighton Buzzard and Marsworth, turning onto the lovely Aylesbury arm. This cruise ends in Aylesbury.
Cruise 7. Aylesbury - Rugby May 14th - 21st. 68 Miles, 49 Locks. Canals - Grand Union, Oxford. Station - Aylesbury. We will retrace our steps from Aylesbury to Buckby, via Stoke Bruerne, at Buckby we will carry on to Braunston , always a popular place to visit, before joining the North Oxford canal and descending Hillmorton Locks to Rugby where this cruise will end.
Cruise 8. Rugby - Kidsgrove May 21st - 28th. 87 Miles, 40 Locks. Canals- Oxford, Coventry, Trent & Mersey. Station - Rugby. Leaving Rugby we will cruise towards a very special canal spot, Hawkesbury Junction also known as Sutton Stop. Passing under the majestic bridge there and turning towards Coventry, where we will moor overnight with time to explore. We will then retrace our steps and cruise the Coventry canal to Fradley Junction where we will turn onto the Trent and Mersey. Cruising through Rugely, Great Haywood, Stone and Stoke before navigating Harecastle Tunnel to Kidsgrove where the cruise will end.
Cruise 9. Kidsgrove - Whaley Bridge. May 28th - June 2nd. 37 Miles, 22 Locks. ( 5 night short break) Canals - Macclesfield, Peak Forest. Station - Kidsgrove. We will turn onto the beautiful Macclesfield canal and cruise through Congleton, Macclesfield and Bollington to Marple, there we will join the Peak Forest canal and cruise towards Whaley Bridge allowing time to visit Bugsworth Basin a truly historical canal side spot.
Cruise 10. Whaley Bridge - Littleborough. June 5th - 11th. 37 Miles, 69 Locks. ( 6 night short break) Canal - Peak Forest, Ashton, Rochdale. Station - Whaley Bridge. Retracing our steps to Marple we will then descend the magnificent flight of 16 locks and cruise to Portland Basin on the outskirts of Manchester. A further flight of 18 locks take us into the city centre, where we join the Rochdale canal, and cruise to Littleborough where this cruise will end.
Cruise 11. Littleborough - Leeds June 11th - 18th. 54 Miles, 82 Locks. Canals - Rochdale, Calder & Hebble, Aire & Calder. Station - Littleborough. Cruising over the Pennines on the Rochdale canal is a wonderful experience, with rugged scenery and over night moorings at Todmorden and Hebden Bridge. At Sowerby Bridge we descend the deep lock at Tuel Lane and then turn onto the Calder and Hebble Navigation. Passing through Elland, Brighouse and Mirfield to join the Aire and Calder at Wakefield. The cruise ends in Leeds.
Cruise 12. Leeds - Barnoldswick. June 18th - 25th. 46 Miles, 43 Locks. Canal - Leeds & Liverpool. Station - Leeds. From Leeds we climb gradually to the summit of the Leeds and Liverpool canal, passing through Saltaire and Skipton , with time to explore these completely different but equally interesting towns. Ascending the mighty Bingley 5 rise one of the great engineering feats of the Inland Waterways. The cruise ends at Barnoldswick, having cruised through some beautiful scenery.
Cruise 13. Barnoldswick- Adlington June 27th -July 2nd. 40 Miles, 20 Locks. (5 night short break) Canal - Leeds & Liverpool. Station - Colne or Skipton. Leaving Barnoldswick we will cruise towards the historic Anchor Inn and through the Foulridge tunnel. This cruise on the beautiful Leeds and Liverpool canal passes through beautiful scenery and the fascinating industrial towns of East Lancashire. The cruise will end at Adlington.
Cruise 14. Adlington - Kidsgrove . July 2nd - 9th. 71 Miles, 56 Locks. Canals -Leeds & Liverpool, Bridgewater, Trent & Mersey. Station - Adlington. The mighty Wigan flight is always challenging, but rewarding at the same time. We will pass through Worsley on our way to Lymm. We join the Bridgewater canal at Preston Brook and cruise to Anderton, there will not be time to descend the lift on this occasion. From Middlewich we cruise the Trent and Mersey canal, ascending the 26 locks of Heartbreak Hill to Kidsgrove where the cruise ends.
Cruise 15. Kidsgrove - Stone July 9th - 16th. 54 Miles, 45 Locks. Canals - Trent & Mersey, Caldon Station - Kidsgrove. We will cruise through Harecastle tunnel, before turning at Etruria where we will join the beautiful Caldon canal, we will cruise to Leek and also the river section to Froghall. Endeavouring to moor at different places on the return journey, there will be time to visit the museum at Etruria. We then carry on down the Trent and Mersey to end this cruise at Stone.
Cruises 16 - 28
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