The Four Counties Ring by narrowboat.
A 110-mile circuit on the Trent & Mersey, Staffs & Worcs and Shropshire Union canals, through the Harecastle Tunnel and down Heartbreak Hill. Where to start, how long it takes, and what's closed this winter. Every figure is linked to its source.
- Hire bases
- 10
- from 9 firms
- On Mooch
- 7
- with a trip page
- Boats sleep
- up to 12
- largest boat listed
- Week, 4-berth
- £1,220–£1,510
- 1 of 9 firms publish a price
Penkridge Lock 38 and Rodbaston Lock 35 on the Staffs & Worcs Canal are closed for works from 2 November to 18 December 2026, so the Four Counties Ring can't be completed until then. Anglo Welsh lists the ring as not currently open. Source
At a glance
- Length
- 110 miles · source
- Locks
- 94 · source
- Lock work
- Moderate (0.9 locks per mile)
- Hire bases
- 10
- Status
- Cut at Penkridge and Rodbaston locks until 18 December 2026 · source
- Canals
- Trent & Mersey, Staffs & Worcs, Shropshire Union · source
- Time needed
- Most crews take two weeks; energetic ones manage it in one · source
- Harecastle Tunnel
- 2,676 m, one-way convoys, about 30 minutes · source
- Big flights
- Audlem (15 locks) and the Cheshire locks known as Heartbreak Hill · source
Good for
- A proper circuit: you never cover the same water twice
- A 17-mile lock-free pound between Tyrley and Wheaton Aston
- Nine hire bases on or near the ring, so you can start almost anywhere
- Through the Potteries, the Shropshire countryside and the Trent valley in one trip
Watch out for
- Cut at Penkridge until 18 December 2026, with more lock closures from January to March 2027
- 94 locks: most firms put it at 55 to 65 hours of cruising
- Harecastle Tunnel has to be booked, and in winter opens four days a week
- Heartbreak Hill is a long run of locks in the Cheshire section
Lock work is locks per mile across the whole canal: under 0.6 light, under 1 moderate, 1 or more heavy.
The short answer
Most firms put the circuit at 110 miles, 94 locks and about 60 hours of cruising, which is a comfortable two weeks.
Anglo Welsh sells the ring from Great Haywood as a 10-day hire (about 55 hours), and Black Prince from Stoke-on-Trent as 10 nights (about 60 hours).
Andersen quotes 7 nights from Middlewich at about 8 hours a day. Most crews take longer.
The ring, anticlockwise from Great Haywood
The ring crosses four counties: Cheshire, Staffordshire, Shropshire and a short stretch of the West Midlands. Anticlockwise from Great Haywood it climbs the Trent valley to the Potteries, drops down the Cheshire locks, then runs back south on the Shropshire Union and the Staffs & Worcs.
- 1
Great Haywood
Where the Staffs & Worcs meets the Trent & Mersey, beside the National Trust's Shugborough estate.
- 2
Stone
The former canal company headquarters, with four deep locks.
- 3
Barlaston and Trentham
The World of Wedgwood is reached from the canal near Trentham Lock.
- 4
Stoke-on-Trent
Five locks climb through the Potteries to the summit. The Caldon Canal branches off at Etruria, where Black Prince's Festival Marina base is.
- 5
Harecastle Tunnel
Telford's tunnel of 1827, 2,676 metres long, worked in one-way convoys under tunnel keepers.
- 6
Kidsgrove
The Macclesfield Canal leaves at Hardings Wood Junction, at the top of Heartbreak Hill.
- 7
Heartbreak Hill
The Cheshire locks down through Church Lawton, Hassall Green and Wheelock. Sources count 26 locks in 7 miles or 31 to Middlewich.
- 8
Middlewich
A salt town. The ring turns onto the short Wardle Canal and the Middlewich Branch.
- 9
Barbridge and Hurleston
The branch rejoins the Shropshire Union main line; the Llangollen Canal leaves at Hurleston.
- 10
Nantwich
A half-timbered market town, with Telford's cast-iron aqueduct over the A534.
- 11
Audlem
15 locks raising the canal 93ft, with a canal shop at Audlem Mill.
- 12
Market Drayton
Bridge 62 gives direct access to the town centre.
- 13
Tyrley to Wheaton Aston
After Tyrley's five locks, 17 miles without a lock, through deep cuttings and high embankments.
- 14
Norbury Junction
A former canal junction, now a hire base with a pub.
- 15
Autherley Junction
A stop lock where the Shropshire Union meets the Staffs & Worcs, on the edge of Wolverhampton.
- 16
Gailey and Penkridge
Gailey's round toll-keeper's tower is now a canal shop. Penkridge has two locks in the town centre.
- 17
Tixall Wide
A lake-like widening of the canal, just before Great Haywood.
Sources: Wikipedia, Canal & River Trust, Canal & River Trust, Harecastle Tunnel, Anglo Welsh, Andersen Boats
The ring, by hire base
Each firm's published figures for the full circuit from its base. Distances differ slightly depending on where you join. Hours are cruising time. All are greyed out until the Penkridge closure lifts on 18 December 2026.
| Round trip | Distance | Locks | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| From Great Haywood (Anglo Welsh)(not running until the closure lifts)Anglo Welsh | 110 miles | 94 | 55 |
| From Great Haywood (Drifters)(not running until the closure lifts)Drifters, Great Haywood | 110 miles | 94 | 60 |
| From Stoke-on-Trent (Black Prince)(not running until the closure lifts)Black Prince | 109 miles | 94 | 60 |
| From Nantwich (ABC Boat Hire)(not running until the closure lifts)ABC Boat Hire, Nantwich | — | 94 | 61 |
| From Autherley Junction (Napton Narrowboats)(not running until the closure lifts)Napton Narrowboats | 110 miles | 94 | 65 |
| From Middlewich (Floating Holidays)(not running until the closure lifts)Floating Holidays | 110 miles | 94 | 61 |
Source: Canal & River Trust
When to go
When the hire firms here run, when their prices peak, and when the canal shuts for winter works. Each row is from the firm's or the navigation authority's own page.
Paler blocks cover part of the month.
Four Counties Ring weather by month
At Shawbury, the warmest month is July (average high 21.1°C), the wettest is October (68.8 mm) and the sunniest is May (181 hours). It gets about 682 mm of rain a year.
°C, average daily low to high; the number is the high
mm a month
hours a month
Show the numbers
| Month | High °C | Low °C | Frost days | Rain mm | Sun hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7.5 | 1.2 | 11.7 | 57.4 | 50.2 |
| Feb | 8.1 | 1.2 | 10.8 | 43.3 | 71.2 |
| Mar | 10.3 | 2.3 | 8.2 | 43.4 | 108.6 |
| Apr | 13.2 | 3.9 | 4.4 | 47.1 | 148.3 |
| May | 16.3 | 6.7 | 0.9 | 53.5 | 180.8 |
| Jun | 19.1 | 9.6 | 0.0 | 59.0 | 172.7 |
| Jul | 21.1 | 11.5 | 0.0 | 57.5 | 178.5 |
| Aug | 20.7 | 11.4 | 0.0 | 64.2 | 156.3 |
| Sep | 18.1 | 9.3 | 0.0 | 61.1 | 127.1 |
| Oct | 14.2 | 6.6 | 1.8 | 68.8 | 92.0 |
| Nov | 10.3 | 3.5 | 6.7 | 60.8 | 58.8 |
| Dec | 7.7 | 1.3 | 11.2 | 66.3 | 47.7 |
Station: Shawbury, Shropshire: about 17 km from Market Drayton, 47 km from Middlewich. Averages of the monthly figures for 1991–2020, worked out by Mooch from the Met Office historic station data, Shawbury (Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0). They are not the Met Office's official climate averages.
Where to hire
10 hire bases from 9 firms, side by side. Filter by what matters to you; each row comes from the firm's own pages, read 4–7 November 2026. For fleet sizes and first-timer help, see each firm in narrowboat hire, compared.
Showing 10 of 10 bases
| Firm and base | Sleeps | Dogs | Fuel included | Short breaks | Week, 4-berth | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Black Prince Holidays Stoke-on-Trent (Festival Marina) At Etruria, at the top of the Stoke locks. | 2–10 | First pet free, second £30, maximum two. Some boats are pet-free. | No | Yes | Not published | See it on Mooch Compare |
ABC Boat Hire Nantwich Canal Centre On the Shropshire Union at Nantwich, just south of Barbridge. | 2–12 | Pets go free, normally up to three per boat. Cleaning or damage may be charged. | Not stated | Yes | Not published | See it on Mooch Compare |
Anglo Welsh Bunbury Three miles off the ring, on the Shropshire Union north of Barbridge. | 2–12 | Its FAQ says up to three well-behaved dogs travel free. | Not stated | Yes | Not published | See it on Mooch Compare |
Anglo Welsh Great Haywood At the junction of the Staffs & Worcs and the Trent & Mersey, on the ring. | 2–12 | Its FAQ says up to three well-behaved dogs travel free. | Not stated | Yes | Not published | See it on Mooch Compare |
Napton Narrowboats Autherley Junction Where the Shropshire Union meets the Staffs & Worcs. | 2–10 | Pets welcome on all boats; no fee stated. | Yes | Yes | Not published | Website Compare |
Andersen Boats Middlewich At the bottom of Heartbreak Hill, where the ring turns onto the Middlewich Branch. | 2–8 | Every boat is pet-friendly; up to two dogs free, three maximum. | Yes | Yes | Not published | See it on Mooch Compare |
Countrywide Cruisers Brewood On the Shropshire Union south of Wheaton Aston. | 2–8 | Not stated | Not stated | Yes | Not published | See it on Mooch Compare |
Norbury Wharf Norbury Junction On the 17-mile lock-free pound. | 2–10 | Not stated | No | Yes | Not published | Website Compare |
Floating Holidays Middlewich Wharf In Middlewich. Floating Holidays publishes the ring from here at 110 miles and 94 locks. | 2–4 | Pets allowed if put on the booking form; £35 per animal per booking. Not on beds or sofas, not left alone aboard. | No | Yes | Not published | Website Compare |
Cheshire Cat Narrowboats Overwater Marina, Audlem | 2–8 | Well-behaved pets free; no limit stated. Kept off beds and seating. | Yes | Yes | £1,220–£1,510 | See it on Mooch Compare |
Worth knowing before you go
Book Harecastle, especially in winter
From 1 November 2026 to 28 February 2027 the tunnel opens Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays only, and every passage must be booked at least 48 hours ahead. Source
You need a horn and a tunnel light
Boats can only go through Harecastle with a working horn and tunnel light, and the Trust can't lend them. Check your boat has both at handover. Source
Plan around the last passage
In the 2026 summer timetable the last northbound passage was at 3pm. Black Prince suggests heading south from Stoke first, rather than trying the tunnel on day one. Source
More closures this winter
From January to March 2027, works are planned at Autherley stop lock, Audlem, Nantwich and on Heartbreak Hill. Check the Trust's notices before booking a winter or early-spring hire. Source
Locks take 15 to 20 minutes each
Anglo Welsh's planning figure. With 94 locks, that works out at roughly 23 to 31 hours in locks. Source
Take a handcuff key
Some locks on the Trent & Mersey have anti-vandal locks that need a handcuff key. Ask your hire firm. Source
Questions
How long is the Four Counties Ring?
110 miles with 94 locks, according to the Canal & River Trust and Wikipedia.
How long does the Four Counties Ring take?
The Canal & River Trust calls it a solid two weeks. Hire firms put it at about 55 to 65 hours of cruising, and some sell it as a 10-night hire. Wikipedia says energetic crews can do it in a week.
Is the Four Counties Ring open?
Not right now. Penkridge Lock and Rodbaston Lock on the Staffs & Worcs are closed for works from 2 November to 18 December 2026, and more lock closures are planned from January to March 2027.
Do you need to book the Harecastle Tunnel?
Yes, through the Canal & River Trust. In winter 2026 to 2027 every passage must be booked at least 48 hours ahead, and the tunnel opens four days a week.
Where can you start the Four Counties Ring?
Hire bases on the ring include Great Haywood (Anglo Welsh), Stoke-on-Trent (Black Prince), Middlewich (Andersen, Floating Holidays), Nantwich (ABC), Norbury Junction (Norbury Wharf), Brewood (Countrywide Cruisers), Audlem (Cheshire Cat) and Autherley Junction (Napton Narrowboats).
More canal guides
How this was put together
Figures come from the Canal & River Trust, the hire firms' own pages and Wikipedia, read on 4 November 2026, and each is linked where it's used. Lock hours and closures change, so check the Trust's Four Counties Ring page before you travel. Spotted something wrong? Email hello@moochtravel.com.