[Llangollen in July]

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

[Stourport ring ish with a bit more]

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.

[Stourport ring ish with a bit more]

22 minutes ago, David Mack said:

On the other hand, the last time I did that route, in a boat drawing 3 ft, the only significant problem was a shallows in the cutting by Lode Lane Bridge in Solihull, well beyond the most urban sections, where soil from the steep path down from the road to the towpath had clearly been washing into the canal for some time. The level was an inch or two off, and the next day it was back up and we had no problem.

Went through Camp Hill and on up Ashted and Farmers Bridge last year with no problem. Never done Garrison.

[Stourport ring ish with a bit more]

1 hour ago, David Mack said:

For your last option you might be better going up Garrison...

Oops - yes. Got them the wrong way around didn't I. 

[Stourport ring ish with a bit more]

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. 

[French boating]

13 hours ago, MIKE P said:

They no longer do it

Very sad. Enjoyed that week. 

[Mooring near Dudley Canal Trust/Black Country Living Museum]

14 hours ago, doratheexplorer said:

Are you absolutely sure about this?  There are two bridges: The swing bridge is swung back, preventing access across but there's a second bridge right over the tunnel mouth which I've used at all hours in the past.  Can you not walk down to the tunnel mouth from the service block any more?

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

[French boating]

https://www.minervoiscruisers.com/info/index.php

 

British style wide beams by the same people that own Napton Narrowboats 

[Extending the Four Counties Ring]

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. 

 

[Mooring near Dudley Canal Trust/Black Country Living Museum]

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

[Severn Valley railway]

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

[Mooring near Dudley Canal Trust/Black Country Living Museum]

17 hours ago, John Wareing said:

We are moored at the BCLM tonight. We set off mooring on the off side on the overnight moorings just before the services - there is plenty of room for one moored boat and another using the services. My son had moored there a few years ago and said that the gate directly above had a CRT key.

 

Later on I tried to get out and saw it had a combination lock. I saw a DCT staff member at the bins and she came across to help, but she couldn’t remember the combination and couldn’t raise anyone on the phone who knew. But she undertook to find out by 4pm when we had booked on the trip boat into the tunnel. In the meantime a space came free on the towpath side and that’s where we are now.

 

At 4 I was given the code - there seems to be no problem in boaters getting the code if you ask the DCT. The reason they changed from a CRT lock to a combination lock was that they kept getting the CRT locks stolen at £80 a go.

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. 

[Mooring near Dudley Canal Trust/Black Country Living Museum]

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

[Mooring near Dudley Canal Trust/Black Country Living Museum]

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. 

[Mooring near Dudley Canal Trust/Black Country Living Museum]

39 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

Presumably you can use the moorings for 24 hours and then depart  - the locked gates do not stop you leaving ?

Generally when moorings are signed for '24 hours' it means that the maximum time you can stay is 24 hours - NOT - that you have 24 hour access to the services and unlimited time mooring.

 

 

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. 

[Mooring near Dudley Canal Trust/Black Country Living Museum]

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. 

 

[Stourport ring from Napton]

21 minutes ago, john6767 said:

That will be a busy couple of weeks, must be close on 200 locks.

 

Sounds like you are gong the best way round, that means you don’t do the Birmingham to Kings Norton bit, rather than doing it twice.

 

There is a pontoon on the river at Stourport, well there are actually two, but one is just visitor moorings.

 

The Severn locks are fine, they are manned so you just follow the traffic lights.  If you want you can phone the lock as you approach, there is a CRT guide to the Severn on the web site that has the lock phone numbers.  In the lock you will use a bow and stern rope round the risers.  If there is strong flow on the river at Diglis you should turn on the river in the slick water above the river lock, rather than turning opposite the weir, as you will need to come onto the pontoon for the lock off 5he river facing upstream.  Make certain the hire company gives you an anchor.

 

If you go into Birmingham via C-de-B then that would be the last place to stop overnight, you would go from there to the centre of Birmingham in one day.  Coming out on the North Stratford, once you get to Shirley lift bridge you can stop anywhere.

 

There are places to stop between Birmingham and BCLM, but I suspect you would not need to.  Assuming you are going via the Stourbridge flight rather than Wolverhampton, then you can stop at Merry Hill, and then the bottom end of the Stourbridge or on the S&W anywhere.  BCLM to Stourport sounds a long day!

 

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? 

[Stourport ring from Napton]

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. 

[Which is the more leisurely?]

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.