Canal Cargo

The Cheshire Ring has much to offer the boater. The Ring is made up of four waterways; the Ashton and Peak Forest Canals, the Bridgewater Canal, the Macclesfield Canal and the Trent and Mersey Canal. There are 92 locks within 97 miles. The Cheshire Ring has much to offer the boater. The Ring is made up of four waterways; the Ashton and Peak Forest Canals, the Bridgewater Canal, the Macclesfield Canal and the Trent and Mersey Canal.

There are 92 locks within 97 miles. Those wanting to discover more about the Ring and other points of interest there are on the journey can look at a number of publications about the Ring. A straight forward map of the Cheshire Ring can be found in the Geo maps series (Cheshire Ring at £4.95).

Details of pubs, hire craft, places of interest are given for the whole of the Cheshire Ring. Pearson’s publish a book in their Canal Companion range of guide books (£9.95) and covers the route with large scale and detailed maps accompanied by a wide range of commentary and descriptions of waterside towns and villages.

Britain’s Waterways – Cruising Rings, a Geo publication written by Brian Roberts, (£9.95) has, as the name implies, a section for each of the Rings around the country. The Cheshire Ring section has a comprehensive map and details of visitor attractions.

After the boater has spent the day opening locks, time should be made to read the book “The Cheshire Ring” by John Oliver priced £17.99. The story is about a bank robber gang of crooks who spark off a bizarre chase around the Ring. A respectable elderly couple set off on a leisurely narrow boat holiday with son and daughter in law little knowing that the proceeds from bank robbery have been stashed in their boat. The gang give chase in a hired boat which involves the M15. The pursuit takes them around the scenic Cheshire Ring system. Along the way all these inexperienced boatmen have to contend with scores of lock, child vandals and unhelpful gongoozlers.

All the above titles are available from Canal Cargo, by online purchase or telephone order. The cost of postage and packing is not included in the above prices.
Canal Cargo has been supplying books, maps and guide book to the boater and anyone interested in canals and waterways for the past 10 years.

In addition to publications about the canal system in England and Scotland the site has guides to the European waterways of France, Germany and Ireland. There are also DVD’s of the canals and rivers produced by Video Active available on the site.