Marple to Stone - £945pp
18th to 25th October 2021 (7 nights)
From: Marple (Upper Peak Forest Canal)
To: Stone (Trent & Mersey canal)
HIGHTLIGHTS: Marple,
Bollington,
Poynton,
Macclesfield,
Bosley Locks
Harecastle Tunnel
Etruria
The Potteries
This will probably be the final cruise of the 2021 season - we’re heading back to Stone to dry dock for a week (to re-black the hull again…. An expense we can’t really afford but alas, one that will need doing again). After that, we’ll probably tie up in Aston Marina for the winter – maybe doing a couple of festive specials again from there.
We’ll hopefully be tied up somewhere around Marple Junction when our guests come aboard about 1.30 pm. After the usual introductory blah blah and a glass of something fizzy, we’ll set off on our chug and get a couple of miles under our belt before the darkness draws in.
Overnight stopping places on this journey are not set in stone… our aim will be to cruise for a couple of hours before and after lunch each day. If folks want to stop and explore somewhere in particular, we can shorten or lengthen accordingly. Given the time of year, we’ll keep an eye on the forecast for the days ahead and make the best of the weather. If that means sitting a really awful day out then so be it… assuming there is an improving forecast on the horizon.
Worse case – we’ll get a bit wet and windswept lol.
Our Journey includes passing through High Poynton, Bollington, Macclesfield, Bosley lock flight (with views of ‘Cloud Mountain’) Harecastle Tunnel, Middleport Potteries, Etruria Industrial Museum , The Wedgewood factory and finally the Meaford lock flight before we arrive back in Stone.
There are a few nice pubs along the way so if desired we can probably take a night off cooking and eat out once (or twice)… it’ll be a nice end to the season and with Autumn leaves appearing, a picturesque journey.
Total distance is 42 miles, and 27 locks . There are 2 moveable bridges; 16 small aqueducts or underbridges and 1 tunnel (Harecastle Tunnel (2919 yards long) .