Quite fancy riding the length of the Shropshire Union canal from where i grew up in Wolverhampton to Chester where i now live. Reckon its a distance of 60 miles or so. Anyone done this? Is it a mud fest or hardpack, and most importantly, any good pubs for lunch??

Chester to Waverton is ok done that many times

Cant help you sorry , just watch out for thorns, rode from warwick to brum on sunday on the canal and ended up with 11 punctures !!
ran out of tubes , patches and glue and ended up walking !
Love riding the canal normally

I’ve cycled it on the part from Gnosall (Stafford) as far north as Audlem and can confirm very little of it is made up, so muddy hard going unless in the peak of summer.

I ride canals a lot, best thing I ever did was to go tubeless.