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Lancshoppy

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Everything posted by Lancshoppy

  1. OK we may be mad doing this in July, but we've never been to Llangollen so it's on the itinerary with a 69ft boat in the middle of next month. We expect to get to the basin on Thursday, spending the previous night somewhere around Chirk. I've read that the basin tends to be busier early in the week, so what do the experts think are the chances of mooring on a Thursday? Is there anyone you can call to find out before committing to the narrows, and if there's nowhere to moor, what are the options heading back towards Trevor. Any advice based on experience welcome. Thanks
  2. Hope you enjoy it. We pick up on Saturday. I agree - lets try not to bump into anybody I'll be interested to hear how you get on with the Avon ring. It's not one I've done.
  3. Went through Camp Hill and on up Ashted and Farmers Bridge last year with no problem. Never done Garrison.
  4. Oops - yes. Got them the wrong way around didn't I.
  5. Picking up from Alvechurch next weekend planning on going down to Worcester, up the river to Stourport, up Merry Hill and through the Netherton, back down Wolverhampton, up to Great Heywood, then Fradley and Fazeley before either up Aston and Farmers and back through Birmingham, or down Garrison and Catherine-de-Barnes and up Lapworth (depending on time). Looking for any information on water levels, weed amount, general condition of the canals at the moment please - the sort of stuff you get by travelling rather than from the CR stoppages website. Thanks in advance for any insider information.
  6. Very sad. Enjoyed that week.
  7. I used the bridge by the tunnel a few years ago, but last year it was closed off by a gate with a code lock
  8. https://www.minervoiscruisers.com/info/index.php British style wide beams by the same people that own Napton Narrowboats
  9. I agree with your experience of the Rochdale 9 and Manchester in general. Its the only place I've ever had serious prop foulling and they seem to have done as much as possible to make boats feel unwelcome through that stretch. However we really like Birmingham Centre and have traveled that way many times. Aston and Farmers aren't great locations but the locks are pretty easy. The moorings by the sealife centre are some of my favourites anywhere. It somehow feels really special to moor in the heart of such a big city. A run out through Dudley and Wolverhampton is a must at least once to see the clear water and the fish. Only place I know that the water is that clear. Don't be afraid to experience the old main line either. It's weed ridden and slow, but throttle back and take it steady. The Wolverhampton are a slog to be endured, but always seem to be quicker than expected. I'd recommend this way and restore your faith in city travel.
  10. There's mooring for about 4 or 5 boats on the tow path side (museum side) which is protected by a gate locked with a waterways key, so you can exit and return anytime. The service block and waterpoint are on the opposite side, next to the museum shop and ticket office, and there's signed mooring space for a couple of boats there as well. During the day, when the museum is open, there's a foot bridge across the canal and gates out to the road on that side, but the bridge is swung back and the gates locked when the museum closes, so there's no way to exit, or get back to your boat if you've been to the pub / shop etc. After posting this, and complaining last year, I was told that they would look at signage to make it clear there was no access. I haven't been back since last summer so I don't know if anything happened. Good moorings and I'll go back. In fact might stop there next month, but was cross that the access limitation wasn't clear. I hope it has been sorted so it doesn't ruin anyone's holiday
  11. Looking ahead a bit here, but if I'm coming from Stourport direction, and planning to visit the Seven Valley Railway for the day, where does anyone recommend to moor, and would you stay the night in the same place or plan the day to allow time to carry on further up the canal? Thinking about next summer. Thanks
  12. Thanks for the update. By the time we realised, the DCT had gone, but it's good to know for the future. I'd still like to see a sign telling you to contact DCT when you moor there. I've had an acknowledgement from CRT saying they are looking into it.
  13. Just emailed CRT today. They say I should see a response within 5 working days. Thought I'd give them a chance for their say before contacting BCLM
  14. Ok - correction and clarification. Adjacent to the services, on the non tow path side, it is signed 48hr mooring by CRT. All the gates that access that side of the moorings are locked by BCLM with heavy duty combination padlocks, which suggests they own, or think they own, it. If they do CRT should not sign it as 48hr moorings. The tow path side is also signed 48 hr mooring, and access is via a gate locked with a water point key. There's no issue with this side, but there's no way to access the services side on foot. What is like to see is a CRT locked gate from the road to the services side moorings, but failing that, at least signage explaining the situation so no one gets trapped away from their boat.
  15. Fair enough, you can stay on the moorings for a maximum of 24 hours, and the gates do not stop you driving your boat away, but there should be some indication that you can't leave your boat during the time you are moored there as you may found access to it blocked. It's not unusual to want to go for a meal, or the local Tesco, and expect to be able to return for the night. I don't know anywhere else that effectively locks you in outside office hours.
  16. Update as of 21.07.21 as I am sitting on the CRW Moorings here. BCLM have changed all their locks to combination locks meaning if you moor on the services side you can neither leave or gain access after they lock the gates at night. The swing bridge is pulled open and locked. The path by the tunnel entrance is closed by combination locked gates, as are the gates to the road. If you go to the pub, tough!! You're sleeping on the pavement. 2 girls got trapped there tonight having gone to use the services from their boat on our side. Luckily the boaters here tonight teamed together to swing a boat across the canal and get them back. The services side moorings are signed as CRW 24hr. I'll be writing to BCLM and CRW to find out what the situation is, as it needs a sign at least. This could ruin someone's holiday, without thinking about the H&S implications.
  17. Thanks. We're actually thinking if going down Wolverhampton and yes, it's 258 locks in total, hence the need for a sanity check. Any suggestions for moorings that way down to Stourport?
  18. We've booked out of Napton for 2 weeks in July and (Covid allowing) thinking about doing the Stourport ring anti-clockwise going up to Brum via Catherine-de-Barnes. We plan half a day (and overnight) at the Black Country Museum and would like at least a few hours around Stourport and Worcester and go back to Napton down Lapworth. It's going to need a couple of long days, but we've got a good crew of 5, and don't mind a bit of work if there are some short days to counterbalance it. Has anybody done this trip? I'm looking for somebody to sanity check me that it'll work. Also looking for suggestions of places to visit and good practical advice. We've done plenty of canal work, but have always shied off rivers as I don't want the stress of worrying abut getting stranded by a flood half way around a holiday. By practical advice, I mean - Where do you pick up the crew entering the river at Stourport? What's the best advice for turning into the lock at Diglis? Are we going the right way around? Should I be terrified of the weirs? How do we deal with the river locks? And, of course, recommendations where to moor on the way down to Stourport and up from Worcester. Assuming to leave the Black Country museum first thing in the morning, and moor at / near Stourport so to do the river first thing in the day as well. Thanks in advance for anything to help us plan.
  19. The four counties from Autherley can be done in a week, so a relaxed fortnight. We combined the Chester and four counties together out of Bunbury a couple of years ago and this was an easy fortnight. It sounds like you have the same sort of idea for cruising times as us at 6/7 hours a day with some time extra to stop and explore. One of the most enjoyable trips we did was Napton up into Birmingham and onto Autherley via Wolverhampton. Pump out at their Autherley base at the end of week one and back via Great Haywood, Fradley, Fazely and down the Coventry and Oxford back to Napton. With your timings this was a comfortable 2 weeks with time in Birmingham, a day at the black country museum and another day at Shugborough hall. We are going back out of Napton in July and thinking of the Leicester ring, but I freak out at the idea of getting delayed due to the river and not getting the boat back in time.
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