The Original Narrow boat Trip - June 2000

In June 2000 Hen, Sim, Legg, Jez and Limbs hired a 65 foot (large but basic) narrow boat for a one-way canal trip from Trevor in North Wales to New Mills in the Peak District. The one-week trip was a little ambitious for our first cruise, especially as we weren't given any route advice and took a detour to see Stoke-on-Trent and the marvellous Harecastle Tunnel.

The route -

• The short  distance north-west from the base in Trevor to the end of the canal Llangollen

• Back south-east past Trevor and over the spectacular Pontcysyllte Aqueduct

• East along the rest of the length of the Llangollen canal, past Whitchurch to Hurleston Junction

• South down the Shropshire Union by mistake and a U-turn at the nearby Nantwich Junction

• North up the Shropshire Union to Barbridge Junction and East onto the Middlewich Branch

• North-east to the Trent & Mersey at Middlewich

• South to Kidsgrove - this is where we should have gone North-east

• Took a detour South through the superb Harecastle Tunnel to Stoke-on-Trent

• East onto the Caldon Canal for no good reason at all at Stoke

• Serious trouble managing to do a U-turn before retracing our steps back through the tunnel

• North-east at Kidsgrove onto the Macclesfield Canal

• Through Macclesfield to Marple Junction near Stockport

• South along the Peak Forest Canal to New Mills

Despite some very variable weather and regular grounding-out on the corners, the trip  was very enjoyable, except for the illness at the end of the week. An experience I was to repeat on future narrow boat trips.

We took far too many photos! Below is a selection in roughly chronological order.

 

Hen and Limbs have a quick McBreakfast at Birmingham New Street, before the trip	Legg and Limbs prepare for the shopping at Wrexham
The aqueduct doesn't scare us, but the rain does.	Jez proves to be waterproof
The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is the most spectacular in the UK  Find out more here.
Legg guards the galley	Nic (Cheese) joins us as our first stowaway
Cheese & Jez work those gates	Limbs and Legg man the alcohol-fired galley
Limbs, Jez, Cheese, Sim and Legg enjoying the only brief sunshine on the Llangollen Canal	Jez and Limbs working more gates
Hen driving, wearing the green T-shirt, as normal	We had plenty of phone equipment - including Limb's nice transportable GSM unit, modelled by Legg.
If Limbs is driving, is the galley still serving breakfast?	Thank God - breakfast is back on. Limbs and Legg are back in the galley.
Limbs suspects a galley invasion	Time for a shave - whilst the water tank is filling up.
We took a detour through the Harecastle tunnel to Stoke on Trent. The tunnel is very impressive. Stoke on the other hand ..	Hen fished this shirt out of the prop, burning himself on the exhaust at the same time. I blame this shirt and the Caldon Canal for my canal fever, starting the next day.
Legg likes his rest, when the others aren't snoring too loudly.	Tough work in the galley for Legg.
Back through the tunnel - Sim thinks it's time for a personal rave!	Hen doesn't agree. The tunnel is a bit damp.
Sim does his professional pose. On the fore-head deck.	Our second stow-away, Sally, arrives. We've made it to Kidsgrove again, on the return from our Stoke detour.
One of Macclesfield's many specialist shops.	Our final stow-away, Bristi, arrives in Macclesfield.
The happy family has grown! Bristi, Hen, Sally, Jez, Limbs, Legg, with Sim in front.	The funny thing about this was the fresh BWB sticker on this boat, "You have overstayed your allowed mooring time, please continue your journey." Those waterway police are ruthless when it comes to vehicle safety and illegal mooring
All over now - look at the relief on Sim's face. Hen can run to a chemist.