The Legacy of the Ring

The Ring

The Cheshire Ring is a circular canal route located in the North West of England. It's 97 miles (156 km) long and includes a total of 92 locks.

The Ring comprises six canals; the Macclesfield Canal, and sections of the Peak Forest, Ashton, Rochdale, Bridgewater, and Trent & Mersey canals.

The Cheshire Ring is the oldest circular cruising route on inland waterways.

What's in a name?

In 1965 the term "Cheshire ring" was first used to describe what was previously known as the Peak Forest circular route.

The Inland Waterways Association (IWA) introduced the name while fighting against the potential closure of the Rochdale Canal. In the IWA Bulletin of July 1965, a call was made for a vigorous campaign to develop and fully restore this interconnected network of waterways, which was described as the "Cheshire Canal Ring." In the subsequent November issue, the name was shortened to the "Cheshire Ring."

Britain's first canal

Our journey around the ring must start with the Bridgewater canal. Opened in 1761 it is considered to be the first true canal in Britain, and in the modern world.

The canal was constructed to transport coal obtained on the estates of the 3rd Duke of Bridgewater from Worsley to Manchester.

It was the idea of the Duke's land agent and engineer John Gilbert, who later also worked on the drainage of Martin Mere in West Lancashire.

This is one of the twelve Manchester Murals by Ford Madox Brown, displayed in the stunning Great Hall in Manchester Town Hall.

Brown was controversial in his day. He preferred to make ordinary folk more prominent in his scenes than their "betters".

In this mural Brown emphasises the people who will actually use the canal. A mother navigating the canal with her babies are the main subjects. The Duke by comparison is setback on a boat, being poured a brandy. In front of the Duke's footmen a boy is seen rescuing his dog from the water.

The mural provoked a great deal of criticism. One of the councillors described it as a "burlesque... one of the most painful things I have seen in the way of art for many a long year ".