Thank you to all those who have replied. I have done the Ashton in the past from east to west a number of times - no problem - on the first occasion I did get a phone call from the police a fortnight later enquiring whether I had seen a dead body which would have entered the canal near lock 4 about the time we were passing - that was in the days when you had to purchase a licence for the Rochdale Nine.
What I really wanted, was any information such as direction ease/difficulty of a tunnel or stretch of locks which would indicate it would be better to go in a particular way given that I have the choice. Richard n.b. Mad Hatter
