Bugsworth Basin - Canal & Basin

Navigating The Route

This is a linear Treasure Hunt around Bugsworth Basin Canal & Basin, with Explorers following Ida Solvit's diary on the trail of a vanished barge of silver and the lost loot it may have carried around Bugsworth Basin.

The quest covers 1.5 miles and should take around 1.5 hours to complete, plus the 1 mile walk back to the start. You'll begin at the Tesco store Whaley Bridge car park, close to the recycling area, head up to the canal, follow the towpath beside the basin, cross bridge 58 and explore the other side of the canal basin area known as The Wild.

This Trail is not suitable for wheelchairs. Although it is marked as pushchair friendly, some stretches may be a little tricky to negotiate, though as long as you are happy to carry a lighter pushchair for short stretches, it should be accessible.

The route is pretty flat apart from getting up to the canal at the start, but it can be muddy after rain and some stretches have gravel and cobbles underfoot. Expect steep cobbled ramps, steep steps, an unmade roadway, a slight gravelly hill and one stretch of road with no pavement.

The Trail follows the towpath beside open, unfenced water, so keep away from the water's edge and watch for trip hazards. Take great care on cobbles, the steep ramps, steep steps and the road with no pavement, and be alert for moving and stationary vehicles in the pub car park.

There is an optional choice along the way: you can either continue along the towpath or take the pathway to the left through the woods, where there is a fairy garden. Both routes re-join further along.

This is a linear Trail, so please allow time to walk the 1 mile journey back to the start when you have finished. To get back to your expedition vehicle, continue in the same direction to return along the towpath, with the canal on your left. At the canal junction, follow the towpath right, then take the footpath right and down through the tunnel.

Getting There

By car: Start your treasure-hunting expedition at the Tesco store Whaley Bridge car park, close to the recycling area (SK23 7PB).

By public transport: Make your way to the Tesco store Whaley Bridge car park, close to the recycling area, to begin the quest. The Trail is linear, so allow time for the 1 mile walk back to the start when you have finished.

Need the Loo?

Plan ahead, Explorers - there aren't any public toilets along the route.

Bring Your Furry Sidekicks

Four-legged Explorers are welcome to join the quest. 🐾

Keep dogs close beside the open, unfenced water, around the pub car park and on the road with no pavement. The towpath, muddy patches after rain, gravel, cobbles, steep ramps and steep steps mean paws and boots may all need a steady pace.

Food & Drink Stops

Refreshments are limited, so stock up before you set off. There is a Tesco's at the start and finish for snacks, and the Navigation Inn is across the way.

For a proper treasure-hunter's pause, pack supplies and enjoy a picnic beside the basin.

Want to Make a Day of It?

Bugsworth Basin

Bugsworth became one of the largest inland ports in the country, and this quest gives you plenty of time to soak up its canal-side character. The original canal was planned to go to Chapel Milton, two miles east of here, but that would have needed a further 12 locks, so it was cheaper to bring the tramway here instead.

Gongoozling Along the Towpath

The towpath is perfect for a slower post-quest wander, with opportunities for gongoozling as you watch canal boats go by. It's a gentle way to linger by the water once Ida Solvit's clues have been unravelled.

The Wild

After crossing over bridge 58, the route takes you to the other side of the canal basin area, known as The Wild. It's a lovely extra stretch to explore as part of the basin adventure, especially if your Explorers enjoy the greener side of a treasure hunt.

The Fairy Garden

If you choose the optional woodland route, keep an eye out for the fairy garden in the woods. Both route choices re-join further along, so this makes a small magical detour without sending your crew off-course.

Navigation Inn

The Navigation Inn across the way has a surprising showbiz twist: it used to be owned by Pat Phoenix, who played Elsie Tanner in Coronation Street, 1960-1973 and again 1976-1984. She married three times, the third to Anthony Booth, which made her stepmother-in-law to Tony Blair before he became Prime Minister in 1997.