john6767

It is supposed to be the pinch point that limits that section of the GU to 12’ 6” max, but perhaps it is in reality a bit more, although the bridge profile is also very curved.

We done both those areas over the last few days. Sally Oak on the W&B has a very busy towpath with walkers and cyclists, it does not feel threatening at all given the number of people about in the daytime at least. Busy with boats too. Camp Hill is a different matter! Approaching Bordesley junction from Birmingham it is a real post apocalyptic scene, every surface is covered in graffiti, and the surrounding area is a right mess. The top on Camp Hill locks is worse than it was, the services are closed and trashed and some of the surrounding buildings are demolished, there is no longer any secure mooring there. That said, yesterday there were few people about on the flight and the only issue was stiff paddles. From Camp Hill to Catherine de Barnes has few redeeming features, even when you get past to worst of the rubbish in the water at Olton, it’s in a gloomy cutting.

We came down Knowle locks earlier today, and coming up was a large Aqualine widebeam. I have seen that boat between Braunston and Napton, so I would expect it got to Knowle by water but how it got through Blue Lias bride I don’t how, as it looked to me to be wider than 12’ 6”, but I guess it can’t be. The volunteer lock keeper did not understand when I said he’s not going far, did not know that the locks from there are narrow!

Mooring by the sea wall at Sharpness is wonderful, particularly on a lovely summer evening! Taking a walk to the pub in Sharpness (harbour view?) is another experience, very 1970’s.

You will have seen on the other thread the current mooring situation in Gloucester docks, you may have to moor a bit down the canal and walk back. The G&S, including Gloucester lock is closed on a Tuesday, other than the bridge and lock hours on the G&S and Severn are 8 to 6. Make certain you understand the approach to Gloucester lock and contact the lock keeper at Upper Parting as you pass, you want the lock to be open ready for you particularly if there in fresh on the river. Going upstream as you will be on the Avon is hard work the locks are very fierce and you need to use bow and stern line, a centre line will no do. You buy the Avon licence online, £50 for 7 days, £60 for 14 days. When you get to Stratford I would suggest mooring on the river for a night at least assuming you have some licence left, before moving to the canal basin (48hr).

Slightly further afield if you fancy it, you can do a lot worse than Stratford-upon-Avon, canal basin, river and all the tourist and Shakespeare stuff you could ever want.

Stourport, the basins and locks are very interesting. Don’t think there will be too much boat traffic though, I think the Severn is on yellow. There is a pub that overlooks the river, and an Indian near where the services are in the basin.

Probably worth at least signage at Warwick Bar as well.

None of the closures impact the GU though. I can understand people missing the Digbeth Branch closure, but where were they intending to go when they got to Aston Junction, down the Aston flight?

I don’t think it would be amateur radio, it was rope between the uprights, and it was not that high, and very strong looking to just hold an aerial. Wish I had taken a pic of it now!

I noticed that too, my guess is for a hammock.

We came past there yesterday evening, I have never see it so busy, not a single spot on the section from bridge 103 past the farm. We moored on a bend just before bridge 102 which was the first spot on piling free. Up the North Oxford today, near Ansty now and lots of moving boats, but not that many moored, except in Rugby, on to Atherstone tomorrow, I expect it will get quieter but who knows!

The schematics of the control panel I thought were very useful, they certainly helped me

Stratford is not as low as Droitwich, Droitwich is really low!

Have a look on the Beta website all the wiring diagrams are on there.

The lowest bridge is the one at the tail of the last lock before that basin, that is slightly lower than the entrance bridge to the basin. If you are not too far away you could drive to Stratford and take some measurements and get an idea so you can make your own decision.

Caveat, I use the legacy theme, not tried with others. The layout is based on the browser window width, on a PC make the browser window narrow and when you get below about 960 wide it will switch to the layout that you see on a phone. On an iPad in full screen you get the normal PC style layout for a "wide" window but when you split the screen it will switch to the "narrow" phone style layout. Requesting the different site types on a mobile device does not make any difference as Invision looks to me to set the layout its self.

Had a look yesterday, it is on one of the picnic moorings, so I don’t think you can blame CRT, it is probably where Calcutt told them to put it. They could have gone a bit further back, but then there would not have been a tree the tie the blue string at the bow to.