Neil Ryan

So after a 2 year delay due to Covid, we are finally hoping to do the Stourport Ring next summer (July 1-11). We are going clockwise out of Alvechurch and plan to spend our 5th night in Wolverley. We have decided that we want to travel via Wolverhampton, so we are looking for recommendations of where to moor for the evenings (6th and 7th nights) before the Black Country Museum on the 8th. Close to a pub or eating establishment of any kind would be an asset. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Thanks to everyone who have been a great help in our planning for next summer. We are definitely going to do the Stourport Ring and we will definitely be going clock-wise starting at Alvechurch. My question(s) this time, are around the two route variations. 1. Hanbury to Worcester (straight down or via Droitwich) 2. Stourton to Dudley (via stourbridge and Netherton or stay on Staffs and Worcs through Wolverhampton) We have 11 days so we have lots of time. 2 (maybe 3) boats traveling together Traveling July 3-13, 2020 I think nice scenery is more important than industrial (I think we will see enough of that through Birmingham) Pubs are important Safe moorage at night is important Nothing you say will be held against you!! Thoughts??

we had originally planned on the Avon ring but were swayed to the Stourport ring due to the length of time and number of locks. The other factor was the amount of time on RIvers and that chance that they may be closed due to flooding which would affect our group. We actually will have the boats for 10 nights/11 days. Is the Avon ring a hard stretch in 10 days? What would be the most scenic?

Thanks JP that looks awesome and a fantastic start to our planning process. I just downloaded a nice map and will start filling in. Also ordered the Pearson's guide. Might have to meet for a pint at the Queens Head? NR

I live about a 5 minute walk from said seals! They are very fat...

We all live in Victoria BC, which many people consider more English than England. We even have double decker buses, cricket pitches and marmite. We are also the craft beer capital so lots of great local pints to choose from. However, it is not cheap. In a local pub you would expect to pay $8-9 for a pint which is right around 5 pounds.

Thanks again for all the info! I think we are going to have to change our plans and just call it a pub trip rather than a boat trip!! I really appreciate all of the response and suggestions. I think for our group the clockwise rotation definitely makes sense, for a number of reasons. I think if we can get through the top lock on the first afternoon then we really are not in a rush to get through and by the time we get to the bottom we will be seasoned lock users (not really). There are three couples in our group who have been on the canals so we do have a bit of an idea. Hopefully on our walk down to the Queens Head we will have a chance to see them in action as well and get a good idea. As for the walk down to the Pub: we are all avid hikers/bikers/skiers who live on a small Island on the West Coast of Canada so walking is very much a way of life. I don't think a 2 mile walk is that big of an issue and with the late day I think it will be a perfect cure for the jet lag. I am going to print of a large map of the ring and start plugging in the pubs (and maybe a couple of other things to see if we have time???) We are also pretty early risers (especially with the jet lag) I could see us being ready to start motoring by 6:30 or 7 (sunrise is at 4:42) on that second morning to tackle the Tardebigge. Is there a time that the locks are not open or is there early morning etiquette that we should be aware of whether it be other boats or those living near the canals.

Wow, that is awesome JP. I think you should join us on the trip! I think I need to find a good map and start plotting these places down. Thanks again for all your help.

Thanks for the info. That was well worth the read!

Thanks for all of the input on my last post. Would love to compile a list of the can't miss pub/restaurants on the Stourport Ring. We are going to travel clockwise for 10 days out of Alvechurch. If they are also places to moor for the night that would be awesome as well.

Wow, glad to see that canal boat forums have the same passion as classic Porsche forums. Honestly, I really appreciate all of the input. As you can imagine it is very hard to plan for 16 people, 6000 miles away. I think we have decided to head clock-wise and tackle the locks first. I think that might be less life threatening for a group of 50 year olds than saving for the last day.

I like the Captain's plan to stop at Tardebigge and walk down the locks to the Queen's Head. Be great to get a view of the locks and see how it's done. Maybe even practice going in and out with one if its not busy.

Maybe a great place for our first evening before tackling the locks in the morning! Thanks for the advice NR

So could we realistically head down the flight until we've had enough and then moor for the night or are you required to pass through all of the Tardebigge locks at once? If we are not leaving Alvechurch until 3, how far could we get in 2-3 hours? Thanks for your help

I appreciate the comment about not waiting. Great advice. I did watch a 24 minute condensed version of the trip and there seemed like lots of places where cruising together was more of an option. Also stopping for lunch. My biggest concern right now is selecting places to stop for the night each evening. Our goal is to not cook the evening meal so finding a place to eat each evening would be awesome. I guess with the late evening it would be possible to do some traveling after dinner if needed.