The Four Counties Ring


Four Counties, four canals, 94 locks and more early morning starts than I want to think about.


Map of the route! Copyright Kim Sheil 2002 

Saturday afternoon: Norbury Junction
Collect the boats from the boat yard and set off north.
Look at me!  The locals have a meeting 

Saturday night: High Offley
No pictures yet. We have only been to the pub once and it was evening.
The pub is miles from anywhere and takes a bit of good navigation down roads
about a car and a half wide to find it, although it is right at the canal side.
Two small cosy bars, beer brought up in a plastic jug from the barrels in the cellar,
beer tasted good. Landlady very friendly towards folk / Morris groups.

Sunday Midday: Market Drayton
Sign on a pub  Watering point near Market Drayton  Narrow street  Old looking pub 
Since the trip has been re-ordered thanks to the boatyard we will not actually be going into the town.
Version 1 of the plan had us there on Wednesday, the market day, and it would have been busy
but there won't be much to do there on a Sunday.

Sunday night: Audlem
No pictures yet

Monday night: Wheelock
Information sign at Wheelock  Canal-side Italian restaurant, note the ice on the canal 

Tuesday night: North end of Harecastle Tunnel
North entrance  North entrance  The horses were lead over the hill while the boats were taken through the tunnel by leg power 

Wednesday morning: Longport
Bottle kiln 

Wednesday morning: Etruria
Information sign at Etruria  Swans on ice  Kim talking to a swan 

Wednesday night: Salt
Canal bridge near Salt  The Holly Bush Inn, Salt.  The Holly Bush Inn, Salt - yes that is snow on the thatch. 

Thursday night: Brewood
No pictures yet. Note that the name is pronounced as if it were spelt "brood".

Friday night: High Offley again
Still no pictures. We are actually going to go past the boatyard, turn round after a few
miles then stop at the same pub again. That way we are close to the boatyard and are at
a good pub again.

Saturday night: Home in Southampton
Home to Southampton 

All images (apart from the map) copyright Peter Sheil 2002 Map of the route copyright Kim Sheil 2002