The good and the bad

THEY are all here, on the Trent and Mersey, between Hardings Wood Junction, and so far as we head south, Rugeley. Just passed five moving boats in five minutes. Stone was packed out as ever, writes Emma Payne.

If you head onto northern waters, everybody is heading to Liverpool! Such a great place to visit ! And the canals on our way up were all in reasonable condition, just the odd paddle out and a water pumping issue in Wigan.

Recommend the journey

But what a wonderful trip out from Yardley Gobion, via the northern Trent & Mersey, Bridgewater, and of course the Leeds and Liverpool. Thoroughly recommend the journey, but stay a while in Liverpool, three days isn't long enough. The CaRT staff have been fantastic, helpful and communicative. Liverpool is a fantastic, and entertaining place to visit for both adults and those bored teenagers, museums for the former, shopping for my two girls .

However, on the way back we came through Manchester (they need to take heed from Liverpool and Birmingham's attitude to canals). We moored at Castlefields, and set off at 5.30am to go through the Rochdale Nine and Ashton canals. Too early on the Rochdale as we stepped over the homeless sleeping between Canal Street and the 'lewdness' of Piccadilly. Luckily it was pouring with rain so the problems of the Ashton were tucked up indoors still....

Predict a breach

Then onto the Macclesfield, and Peak Forest. I predict a breach will happen on the Peak Forest very shortly, the bank is in bad repair as it clings to the hillside.

Whilst all the other canals are in reasonable condition, safety wise , bar the odd bunch of reeds, say at Hoo Mill, the Macclesfield is in another world. The man who runs that canal is either a non-boater or blind . Every bridge has such vegetation growth on the offside, you can't see two feet of the bridge hole as you approach every bridge.

Thick vegetation

Not soft vegetation, but big thick brambles and tree stumps. I have an old boat, and don't mind the odd scrape, but even I was getting fed up by the end. The mowing contractor is definitely different from other canals. On the Trent & Mersey you can virtually more anywhere, not on the Macc. Mowing definitely is a half hearted operation.

I wonder if CaRT litigation team would like to take a walk to the bottom gates of Lock 14 on The Marple Flight? A hole big enough to swallow a small child has obviously been in the tailgate bridge for a while, as the orange warning fencing has been mowed over. Only time before someone breaks a leg or worse.

Bizarre

It's really bizarre, because all the other canals from Yardley to Liverpool are okay. CaRT, what are you trying to do to one of your best assets?

But all in all a great trip, wonderful canals, beautiful countryside and great cities, we are lucky people indeed!