This very popular ring route takes you south from Preston Brook through the salt 'wiches' of Northwich and Middlewich on the Trent & Mersey canal. Then onto Kidsgrove and through the famous Harecastle tunnel to Stoke-on-Trent, where you can visit the Wedgwood potteries and the Gladstone pottery museum.

Here you can detour onto the Caldon canal before you continue south to Great Haywood, onto the Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal into the very beautiful Tixall wide, through the pleasing countryside and river valleys to Autherley junction. Then onto the southern end of Shropshire Union canal.

Through rock cuttings and beautifully wooded areas to Tyrley locks and onto the picturesque black and white timbered buildings of Market Drayton. In time you come to the Audlem flight of locks and down into the dairylands of Cheshire. Wending your way to Barbridge junction.

Now onto the Middlewich branch of the Shropshire Union Canal to Middlewich, then onto the Trent & Mersey canal and back home to base at Preston Brook. The round trip of the Four Counties ring takes about 65 hours cruising time. The detour up the Caldon canal would add a further 17 hours to your round trip.