Don't be Discouraged, Heartbreak hill doesn't refer to steep climb
but is a nickname given to the cheshire locks by boaters.
Heartbreak hill is a flight of 26 locks spread out over 7 miles
dropping the canal from harecastle tunnel and the summit of the
canal onto the cheshire plain
The locks were opened in 1777, but the traffic using the canal
got so great that the canal company appointed the engineer Thomas
Telford to improve the navigation in 1830, an additional tunnel at
harecastle was built and all the 26 locks of the cheshire locks
were duplicated except for the two Pierpoint locks, why these 2
were not duplicated is not now known. I assume that the money ran
out
Red Bull locks form the top 6 locks of the cheshire locks, No.s
41-46 and drop the canal down 55ft from the summit pound and pass
the pub 'The Red Bull' which gives the flight its name, all 6 locks
were duplicated but the lock outside the red bull is now singled
and the old lock now serves as a beer garden ( not a bad reuse, in
my opinion)
The lower 3 locks pass through pasture fields and are accompanied
by the Kidsgrove to Crewe electrified railway. This section of the
flight is very visually pleasing and a pleasure to work
through.
