Ashby advice

[magictime]

I'm hoping to persuade my parents to join us for a few days' cruising this spring, but I'm mindful that my dad has a lung condition (IPF) which leaves him out breath at the slightest exertion (including walking up steps and slopes) and will need a bit of reassurance that the trip won't be too much for him. The Ashby seems ideal in many ways, being lock-free and having attractions like the steam railway and Bosworth Battlefield nearby as well as villages to explore along the way - and being relatively close to where my folks live in the East Midlands. But I have the impression that several of the villages en route might be a mile or two away from the canal, and of course it's not as if a Nicholson's Guide or similar is going to flag up every set of steps you have to go up to get off the towpath, or every hill between the towpath and the nearest village. So I'm just wondering if anyone who knows the area well can offer any pointers on how flat the surrounding area is generally, where a longish slope or set of steps might catch us out, whether Bosworth Heritage Centre is going to work for us, how much there is to see and do without walking more than say a mile from the towpath etc.

[frahkn]

As I remember most of the Ashby villages, and the steam railway,  have good (flat) access. The battle heritage centre, not so much.

[Dr Bob]

Yes, we were up there last year and it seemed pretty flat. Obviously the canal was!

There was a hill up to the pub at the top end of the canal, where the tunnel starts, but I think all the other pubs were close by and on the flat.

I seem to remember one called the dog and hedgehog (or something that may resemble that) which was  a walk but cant remember if it was uphill.

 

[Detling]

Depends on what you mean by hill, the dog and hedgehog, which is great for lunches, is about 1/2 a mile and about 100ft climb so a gentle slope, the battle exhibition centre has a slightly steeper climb, both from the canal or train, walking into Bosworth itself is flat.

[Beo]

We did the Ashby a few years ago. OH uses a wheelchair but is otherwise pretty strong but even so we were disappointed with the lack of opportunities for him to get off the boat and get to most of the pubs.

If it's only a few days we find the run from Mercia to Great Haywood has reasonable access off the canal: moorings outside the Dragon at Willington - level access into the pub; moorings near the Bridge at Branson (more of a restaurant than a pub but has lots of outside space) - all level access from the towpath; Alrewas is reasonably accessible although once off the towpath via short slope or level access you need to cross the canal for a short walk into the village; Fradley junction is level access off the towpath; there's a small slope off the towpath to walk to the pub and chip shop in Handsacre; if you can moor near the lock in Great Haywood it's levelish off the towpath but it's a steep bridge to get into the village. 

[Dr Bob]

29 minutes ago, Detling said:

Depends on what you mean by hill, the dog and hedgehog, which is great for lunches, is about 1/2 a mile and about 100ft climb so a gentle slope, the battle exhibition centre has a slightly steeper climb, both from the canal or train, walking into Bosworth itself is flat.

That's the one. A bit too 'foody' for a pub but the food was good. 

 

[roland elsdon]

Lots of good access points on ashby near to sealed roads, easy for bikes and wheelchairs.

At mkt bosworth big hill 1.5 miles into village centre ,  but the other way the water park is great and accessible by the new path. Thanks for spending our council tax money well bosworth shire. 

 railway accessible at both ends but big ramp up from moorings at bosworth- marina may assist. Shenton station tricky steep steps. Bosworth wharf good access by the cafe and lightly uphill to battlefield centre on sealed paths. Worth visiting centre.

shackerstone village and railway easy and flat apart from turnover bridge.

Hinckley bit remote from canal. Terminus tricky back to village, but ramp up on south side of the tunnel.

 

we have wheelchair bound friends and they have accessed the boat a few times easily on the Ashby

[magictime]

Many thanks all, and especially Roland for the detail there. 

3 hours ago, roland elsdon said:

Shenton station tricky steep steps.

Can I just ask about the impact of this, assuming we can't tackle those steps? Does it just mean we can't access the station from the canal that end, say, or does it mean we can't do the return trip from Shackerstone to Shelton and back because we can't get across the platform or something?

[roland elsdon]

No shenton station to canal is very tricky, the canal is on an aqueduct past st johns very steep steps up.field. Cant remember how you cross the tracks there but from cut its a nightmare. Used to moor on the aqueduct and cycle to work, dragging bike up and down steps.

I would suggest train from shackerston to bosworth station or visa versa. Shackerston station is easy to boat moorings and bosworth station involves a ramp down to the cut at the bottom of the hill. Its about 200 meters from bosworth station to the moorings and about 300 from shackerson.

 

return trips are easy!!! . Shackerstone station has an overhead high level steel over bridge, but i suspect that rail staff would assist in line crossing given it is not a through line.

of course a single trip would be possible, there is a taxi service at bosworth.