For more information visit:Chadkirk Info )
In some parts of the UK canal network a number of canal’s can be linked together to make a cruising ring.
These are great ways to have a narrowboat holiday as you never have to turn round and head back and you see new places everyday. They are also fabulous places to walk and if you are feeling energetic you can use them as long distance paths and spend days exploring them.
The Cheshire Ring is made up of the Trent and Mersey Canal (Kidsgrove Staffordshire to Preston Brook near Runcorn), the Bridgewater Canal (Preston Brook to Castlefields Manchester), Rochdale Canal (Castlefields to Piccadilly basin Manchester city centre), Ashton Canal (Piccadilly Basin to Portland basin in Ashton Under Lyne), Peak Forest Canal (Portland basin to Marple near Stockport) and the Macclesfield Canal. (Marple to Kidsgrove).
It is 97 miles, 93 locks and takes about 55 hours of cruising to get around. For more information visit:Cheshire Ring Info )
Now to the intermediate Cache (Not the final!), please note the Information A to F and use these numbers in the formula to obtain the coordinates for stage 7 In Stage 7 are the final 2 numbers G and H,Enter all the numbers into the last formula to find the final cache.
Within the car park, at it’s entrance, there is an information board.
A = The century that Chad lived.
Now walk up the lane towards the Chapel. When you get to N53 24.485 W002 05.508 you will find a piece of farm machinery.
B = The number of spokes on the wheel closest to the path.
Alternative since the wheel has been subsumed by green stuff look for a nearby bench Edwin S.... B=Number of letters in the surname
Now stand at N53 24.524 W002 05.517 where you will be stood in front of Chadkirk hall.
C = There is a date on the building, 17C8.
Now move round to the church, which is well worth a look inside. The 1994/95 restoration is superb. There are information boards by the church and in the garden. On one at N53 24.521 W002 05.490 has a picture of the Chadkirk church bell
D = (number of information boards by the church - 2)
Now rejoin the road through the same gate you came in and continue round to N53 24.538 W002 05.519
E = The date Sir Doughty signed the document is 23/E/05
Again continue up the road, very soon you will see the well on your left. There is another information board here
F = The number of descriptive paragraphs of the well on the RHS of the information board.
Carry on up the hill, as it starts to flatten out you will see a flight of stone steps leading up to the canal, climb these and turn right at the top.
The next stage is a small container hidden on the Towpath of the Lower Peak Forest Canal. It can be found at
N53 24.(A-1) C (9-B) W002 05.(B-E) (F-1) (E-D)
The final 2 numbers are in this container (H & G).
The final cache coordinates are :N53 24.(A-2)(H+C)(F+1) W002 0H.(B-E)(G-E)D
Continue along the canal and you will find the entrance to Hyde Bank Tunnel at N53`24.630 W002`04.936.
Retrace your steps away from the tunnel and take the path leading off to the left and the final cache. The final is about 25 metres from the path.
Once you have found the cache and signed the log continue along the path dropping down to the picnic area and then back onto the path and return to the car park.