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Mal in Somerset

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    Somerset
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    Accountant

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  1. I was chatting to my friendly coal merchant a couple of weeks ago - I said I had been using Supertherm for a few years now and he suggested I should switch to Newheat which he said was a better product and also a bit cheaper!
  2. I understand the Brookline fleet has been acquired by Clifton Cruisers and is currently being moved to Rugby.
  3. We used to moor near Braunston Tunnel and we got used to its little quirks, but this summer we have done the three tunnels near Preston Brook a couple of times. Now they are nasty tunnels!!! One way so very narrow and very wiggly!!
  4. We are currently on the Maccy and have started to see a numbet of boats doing the ring!
  5. The other thing to watch out for are the timings through Wango Lane Bridge which is closed to canal traffic between 7.30 and 9.30 and 14.00 and 18.00. Going to Liverpool we got through Coxheads at 11.45 on the Friday. The 2 boats in front were booked onto the link for the Saturday and they really had to race to get to Wango Lane by 2pm. Another boat moored at Bridge 10 and went through after 6pm. We had a night above bridge 10 and a night at Litherland before going down on the Sunday.
  6. There is a very good Indian takeaway, Ayaans, opposite the Lord Combermere
  7. We did the Montgomery Canal last year on the recommendation of Chris the lock keeper. He was working at Grindley Brook and approached us by saying " You are going down onto the Montgomery aren't you?" and gave us all the details! You need to book passage through the locks in advance. The locks are open from 12 to 2 each day and you need to have booked by 10am on the day of travel, so you have to spend at least one night on the canal unless you turn around straight away at the arm before bridge 70. Realistically you can get as far as just beyond Crofts Mill lift bridge 81 - the winding hole is at Gronwyn Wharf between Bridge 81 and 82 (not the arm immediately beyond bridge 81). It is navigable for a bit further but is very shallow and there is nowhere to turn. Whilst we were there a German couple didn't realise and a few walkers rescued them and hauled them back out. So in all it's about 7 miles and 5 locks each way (not counting Frankton locks) and is extremely rural with virtually no canal traffic. There are pubs at Queens Head and Maesbury Marsh (The Navigation). The Queens Head was extremely busy and so we moved on to The Navigation, where we had a great evening with good food and beer and the owners were great fun - Just don't mention my piano playing!!! There is also a farm with a caravan and camping park with an excellent cafe just beyond bridge 80. Make sure you check opening times as nearly everything is closed early in the week with opening times increasing towards and over the weekend. Also we tried to get a pump out at the CRT sanitary point at Maesbury Marsh and it barely worked at all! Overall I would thoroughly recommend, particularly if you want to get off the Llangollen motorway for a couple of days!!
  8. No one's mentioned bananas yet!! Never let them on your boat - mind you for me it's the devil's vegetable that is banned from our boat! Sweet corn!!!!
  9. If you are in the area and like your real ales another Everard's pub that comes highly recommended is The Seven Stars in Rugby. It normally has up to 12 real ales on and a couple of real ciders - Oakham JHB and either Tiger or Old Original are usually available together with a number of regional real ales. It has won Rugby CAMRA pub of the year for the last few years. It doesn't do hot food except on Wednesday evenings which is Pie and a Pint night, but if you are lucky you may be able to get one the landlord's excellent home made scotch eggs. They go pretty quickly! It's just over a mile's walk from the Brownsover Road moorings via the Tesco's Car Park and the footpath over the railway.
  10. I'd thoroughly recommend a trip to Market Harborough and back., however with a crew of 6 you may find this a bit light on locks... If you wanted to do this route I'd aim for something like: Day 1 - part day an hour or so to The Admiral Nelson at the third lock (moor up between the 2nd and 3rd lock) - You might want to do this stop on the way back depending on timings. Day 2 - Crick - remaining 4 locks in Braunston flight, tunnel then turn left at Norton and up Watford flight (7 locks including 4 in staircase) and through Crick Tunnel - Good food at the Wheatsheaf and Red Lion or pop into the Crick Club and meet a few locals. Day 3 - Market Harborough - Husbands Bosworth tunnel and Foxton staircase (10 locks in 2 fives and visit the Boilerhouse Museum if open) Harborough is a lovely market town a short walk from the wharf - if you like real ale visit the Beerhouse tap rooms. (check times for Foxton staircase!) Day 4 - Welford Wharf - return through Foxton and turn left at Welford Junction a lovely rural bit of canal with 1 small lock The Wharf pub is good and take a walk around the feeder reservoir/s Day 5 - Back to Norton Junction visit the White Horse in Welton - moor up near Welton Hythe marina and walk across the fields. It's a lovely country pub but a bit of a walk from the canal. Day 6 - Turn left at Norton Junction and descend the Buckby flight (7) then past Gayton Junction and through Blisworth tunnel. Overnight near Stoke Bruerne top lock then reverse back and wind before the tunnel. Good pubs - Boat and Navigation (we prefer the Boat) also excellent Indian Restaurant by the top lock. Day 7 - Back to Braunston ready for boat return in the morning (see day 1) Whatever you decide I hope this helps!
  11. Good to meet you! We started from the Tardebigge visitor mooring at 7am and cleared the bottom lock at 10.40am. You were the only boat we met! ⛴?
  12. We've done this route a number of times. We normally stop by the Stourbridge Arm before heading off up Stourbridge and Black Delph flights. There are a lot of locks but it only takes about 5 hours to Merry Hill and there are good moorings on the embankment overlooking the shopping centre. From there it's an easy cruise to Gas Street. If you actually moor alongside Gas Street it can be very noisy (particularly at weekends) and you get the occasional idiots trying to untie your moorings or climb on the boat. There are quieter moorings by the Sea Life centre or if you are concerned about security you can contact Sherborne Wharf who normally have a couple of secure visitor moorings available for a fee. From there it's an easy run round to the North Stratford. We don't tend to start looking for moorings until we get through Brandwood tunnel. In the past we've moored opposite Lyon's boatyard, The Drawbridge Shirley, The Blue Bell Warings Green, The Wharf Hockley Heath (we're here at the moment!), Lapworth Cricket Club, The Boot Lapworth, Kingswood Junction between the locks and the GU, Tom 'o' the Wood Turners Green, or Shrewley. Take your pick depending on how much you want to do each day! If you are looking to move in the next few days avoid getting too close to the top of Hatton flight as its a Horsefly paradise at the moment!
  13. I agree with Athy too!! The moorings above Cropredy lock are usually occupied about a week in advance - however if there is room to double moor you can always ask. We have been going to Cropredy by boat for a number of years and have always allowed "latecomers" to breast up if there's space and most of the regular festival boaters are the same - unfortunately we're not going this year! The stretch between Cropredy bridge and the festival site entrance is occupied by long-term moorers and traders, however if you continue on past the festival site there are usually some moorings between Keens bridge and Slat Mill bridge. You'll have a half mile to mile walk to the site depending on where you get in! Shopping wise the best options are Morrisons or Tesco in Banbury or Tesco at Brownsover, Rugby. However we tend to buy from the food stalls at the festival, which saves having to cart to much stuff backwards and forwards. I would thoroughly recommend Leon's which does excellent vegetarian food!
  14. There's an excellent butchers 10 minutes walk away on the right as you head into Coven (closed Mondays).
  15. Here's some views of Welford feeder reservoir from August 2017 and February 2018.
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