RS2021

Think 2mph max - if you're lucky. Probably less, but no problem you don't want to go faster in the Brecon Beacons. I've only ever done Brecon off season and had no problem getting a mooring. I wouldn't expect to have a problem unless something like the Jazz festival is on.

Wightwick Manor, Shugborough Hall (near Great Haywood) and the Back to Backs in Birmingham are all owned by the National Trust which own hundreds of historic properties and landscape in the UK. If your in the US you can join the Royal Oak Foundation which will give you free access to all these properties. Possibly not worth it for just these three, but if your planning other sightseeing outside the boating it might be worth a look.

I'd be very tempted to add Stourbridge and the Delph in as suggested. Compton chippy. Wightwick Manor - Arts & Crafts. Plus the De Morgan gallery, pre Raphaelite paintings and ceramics from this couple. The Bratch. Glass museum and cone. Bull & Bladder pub for Bathams and after the Netherton tunnel you can do a bit of the New Main Line to get to the BCLM before heading to Brum on the Old Main Line.

We visited the Shrippie Fly (by road) last night. The place was the busiest I've seen it in recent visits. The beer was excellent, the food good and the service great.

The Shroppie Fly facebook page says new landlords 5 days ago, so not there in July.

The Red Cone is due to fully reopen in October after extensive restoration. The Red Cone visitor centre and the Glass Museum over the road complement each other well and you can easily do both. If your not in a rush it might be worth waiting for both to be open.

The only hire company which you would call upmarket and fits bow thrusters is Beacon Park Boats on the Mon and Brec. Bow thrusters are generally not fitted to hire craft on the canals and can cause damage to the canal, especially when used near the bank on shallow canals. The Mon and Brec would also fit the bill for villages and pubs for the top half but the bottom half has more remote sections.

I presume you mean pick the boat up at Llangynidr. If so you have the Coach and Horses a couple of locks down from the yard. There are a couple of good pubs in Talybont on Usk and the Royal Oak at Pencelli is worth a stop. Obviously plenty of options in Brecon.

There's a story about the size of the Space Shuttles boosters being based on the size of a Roman horse's back end... Google it if you haven't read it.

Reminds me a lot of the older boats Rose Narrowboats used to operate.

Beacon Park Boats also have a fully electric boat now. Small and quirky, but they recon you can do a weeks hire on one charge. Not heard any real world feed back.

Narrow day boats. So not Wigan or Etruria. Probably BCN. Can I see a couple of 'ampton boats?

To feed more water from the river sections into the canal.

Agree. Great cobs and beer to. Its possible to moor much closer, almost due south of the pub just before to narrows and use an excellent path to the pub. Check out a good map or Google maps satellite view.