Duncs Posted April 30, 2019 Report Share Posted April 30, 2019 Hi all, I am a first timer boater (if that’s the correct terminology), myself and a group of friends, 2 males and 3 females, mainly retired have booked a Narrowboat for the first week in June. We have hired from Norbury Wharf and our destination is Kinver. After spending a few hours trying to plan our trip, I have identified the following potential night time stops, Navigation Inn Gnosall, Wagon and Horses Wombourne, The Vine Kinver, Round Oak Wombourne, The Bridge Brewood and then last night at the Norbury Junction, don’t really want to travel on the last day as the boat has to be back for 09.30 am. I would appreciate any feedback advice warnings etc, many thanks, Duncan and motley crew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan de Enfield Posted April 30, 2019 Report Share Posted April 30, 2019 (edited) Welcome to both boating and the forum. Edited April 30, 2019 by Alan de Enfield Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex Brummie Posted April 30, 2019 Report Share Posted April 30, 2019 Should be no problems. An easy week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonesthenuke Posted April 30, 2019 Report Share Posted April 30, 2019 Avoid the Vine in Kinver. Terrible food/service and a hygiene rating of 1. Plenty of other places in the village. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Pegg Posted April 30, 2019 Report Share Posted April 30, 2019 If it’s a standard week hire it would be seven nights and six full days. You are one short in your list. As said above it’s a pretty relaxed schedule of 4 to 5 hours a day. On the Staffs & Worcs section the best pub is probably the Navigation at Greensforge lock. Compton is a good stop for provisions and fish and chips plus both an eating and a drinking pub although neither are any reason to stop in their own right. Are you looking for pubs to predominantly eat or to drink? The Round Oak at Wombourne is a standard Marston’s pub, the Waggon & Horses doesn’t appeal so I’ve never stopped there. At Kinver you will be best served walking in to the village where there are better pubs and restaurants than The Vine which based on recent reports isn’t necessarily a place you want to seek out. Kinver is well worth a visit but it’s a bit of a walk up to Kinver Edge and the rock houses. You’ll need to go south of Kinver to Whittington winding hole to turn but also consider that the canal between there and Wolverley is very picturesque. JP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hudds Lad Posted April 30, 2019 Report Share Posted April 30, 2019 purely on personal experience i'd say avoid the Navigation Inn at Gnosall at all costs and go to the Boat Inn instead, other opinions are of course available 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam1uk Posted April 30, 2019 Report Share Posted April 30, 2019 2 hours ago, jonesthenuke said: Avoid the Vine in Kinver. Terrible food/service and a hygiene rating of 1. Plenty of other places in the village. Last report I saw was that it had closed. Possibly I now understand why. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam1uk Posted April 30, 2019 Report Share Posted April 30, 2019 Apart from the boating, Wightwick Manor (National Trust) is well worth a visit and is just across the road from decent moorings. At Kinver, you can walk up the hill to the cave houses (also NT). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard T Posted April 30, 2019 Report Share Posted April 30, 2019 Another vote for Wightwick Manor - its an Arts and Crafts house with a lot of original furniture and fittings and lovely gardens. We found the chip shop at Swindon to be good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sea Dog Posted April 30, 2019 Report Share Posted April 30, 2019 6 hours ago, adam1uk said: Last report I saw was that it had closed. Possibly I now understand why. We moored at Kinver last month and it was still going then. Didn't visit it though, since we'd previously had a long stand awaiting service when it was practically empty - it gave us so much time to ponder on why it was so empty and reconsider... that we reconsidered! Nice enough setting though; it ought to be a gold mine. This reminds me of a visit to the Plough and Harrow in the village a couple of years back. We arrived when they were busy but weren't serving food - so the barman popped upstairs and rustled us up a pair of burgers! Batham's bitter and the trademark lunchtime cobbs are both worth the walk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtB Posted April 30, 2019 Report Share Posted April 30, 2019 42 minutes ago, Richard T said: We found the chip shop at Swindon to be good. Us too. Noted for bright orange coloured chips which taste great but look really odd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Machpoint005 Posted April 30, 2019 Report Share Posted April 30, 2019 Make sure you have Emergency Pasta Sauce (and some pasta) on board, in case you fail to reach a suitable eatery one night. Emergency Beer (and wine) goes without saying, of course! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duncs Posted April 30, 2019 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2019 Thanks guys, you have already given me some good tips, in particular avoiding the Vine , just looked on trip advisor and not one good review ! I am struggling to find a mooring for our second night, Canal Plan has us around Autherley Stop, so any ideas for the Saturday night would be really welcome... over to you the experts ..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Pegg Posted April 30, 2019 Report Share Posted April 30, 2019 (edited) 32 minutes ago, Duncs said: Thanks guys, you have already given me some good tips, in particular avoiding the Vine , just looked on trip advisor and not one good review ! I am struggling to find a mooring for our second night, Canal Plan has us around Autherley Stop, so any ideas for the Saturday night would be really welcome... over to you the experts ..... Compton. It’s about half an hour beyond Autherley and you will likely achieve a faster average cruising speed than the Canal Plan default of 2.5 mph and your first day and a bit has very few locks. If you have six and a bit days how about you mix up the stopping points between out and back and aim for something like;- Day 1 : Norbury to Gnosall Day 2 : Gnosall to Compton (fish and chips or pub) Day 3 : Compton to Swindon (Green Man is a proper local pub with food) Day 4 : Swindon to Whittington and back to Kinver Visitor Moorings Day 5 : Kinver to Wombourne (Round Oak) Day 6 : Wombourne to Brewood Day 7 : Brewood to Norbury Shortest day of 4 hours 17 mins. Day 2 and Day 6 are between 6 and 7 hours but that’s to clear Wolverhampton. JP Edited April 30, 2019 by Captain Pegg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen-in-Wellies Posted April 30, 2019 Report Share Posted April 30, 2019 (edited) 11 hours ago, jonesthenuke said: Avoid the Vine in Kinver. Terrible food/service and a hygiene rating of 1. Plenty of other places in the village. Food Hygiene ratings explained: Ever wondered what the food hygiene ratings mean that you see in pubs, cafes and restuarants? Most people know that higher is better, but what might you typically find in a kitchen with each rating? Jen-in-Wellies explains. 5 Might just about be acceptable to your Mum. 4 Similar to your own kitchen. Mine on a good day. 3 The rats have been trained to wash their paws before entering a food preparation area 2 Rats in the kitchen have obvious bubonic plague symptoms. 1 Fewer rats than 2, but only because they have already died and the plague fleas are looking for customers to bite. Jen ? Edited April 30, 2019 by Jen-in-Wellies 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bearwood Boster Posted April 30, 2019 Report Share Posted April 30, 2019 The fish & chips at Compton are yummy.? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob-M Posted April 30, 2019 Report Share Posted April 30, 2019 3 minutes ago, The Bearwood Boster said: The fish & chips at Compton are yummy.? Certainly agree with that, it is one of our regular stops when around that area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonesthenuke Posted April 30, 2019 Report Share Posted April 30, 2019 1 hour ago, The Bearwood Boster said: The fish & chips at Compton are yummy.? And the servings are huge. We get two fish and one chips and we throw some of the chips away. 10 hours ago, adam1uk said: Last report I saw was that it had closed. Possibly I now understand why. I cannot confirm its closed, but it (The Vine) has been shutting before 9 PM due to lack of customers. As we tend to walk past around that time (to go to other places in the village) I am not sure if its open earlier or not. There is a sign on the pub saying the tenancy is for sale (or whatever the correct terminology is). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchcrawler Posted May 1, 2019 Report Share Posted May 1, 2019 Well from Tripadvisor they were open last week but it doesn't look good https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g1135311-d4817592-Reviews-The_Vine_Public_House-Kinver_Kinver_Parish_Staffordshire_England.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonesthenuke Posted May 3, 2019 Report Share Posted May 3, 2019 On 01/05/2019 at 13:43, ditchcrawler said: Well from Tripadvisor they were open last week but it doesn't look good https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g1135311-d4817592-Reviews-The_Vine_Public_House-Kinver_Kinver_Parish_Staffordshire_England.html Yes those reviews are shocking and rather as I expected. I have not being the the place for about 2 years based on past experience, though I have to say it was good about 5 years ago. The local gossip is that the chain that own the pub demand such high rent that no sensible landlord would take it on, so that those that do are wannabees rather than competent in the trade. Its a great shame given the potential. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bearwood Boster Posted May 3, 2019 Report Share Posted May 3, 2019 It is as it could be such a fab place.Great position,lovely old buildings & a tourist boat destination.So sad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dccruiser Posted May 4, 2019 Report Share Posted May 4, 2019 On 30/04/2019 at 09:38, Hudds Lad said: purely on personal experience i'd say avoid the Navigation Inn at Gnosall at all costs and go to the Boat Inn instead, other opinions are of course available Seconded was at the boat last night Rick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duncs Posted May 5, 2019 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2019 On 30/04/2019 at 18:38, Captain Pegg said: Compton. It’s about half an hour beyond Autherley and you will likely achieve a faster average cruising speed than the Canal Plan default of 2.5 mph and your first day and a bit has very few locks. If you have six and a bit days how about you mix up the stopping points between out and back and aim for something like;- Day 1 : Norbury to Gnosall Day 2 : Gnosall to Compton (fish and chips or pub) Day 3 : Compton to Swindon (Green Man is a proper local pub with food) Day 4 : Swindon to Whittington and back to Kinver Visitor Moorings Day 5 : Kinver to Wombourne (Round Oak) Day 6 : Wombourne to Brewood Day 7 : Brewood to Norbury Shortest day of 4 hours 17 mins. Day 2 and Day 6 are between 6 and 7 hours but that’s to clear Wolverhampton. JP Thanks for all your advice and tips, I think I am going to bow down to your experiences and plan based on Capt Peggs suggestions. Day 1 : Norbury to Gnosall Day 2 : Gnosall to Compton (fish and chips or pub) Day 3 : Compton to Swindon (Green Man is a proper local pub with food) Day 4 : Swindon to Whittington and back to Kinver Visitor Moorings Day 5 : Kinver to Wombourne (Round Oak) Day 6 : Wombourne to Brewood Day 7 : Brewood to Norbury Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Pegg Posted May 5, 2019 Report Share Posted May 5, 2019 (edited) 13 minutes ago, Duncs said: Thanks for all your advice and tips, I think I am going to bow down to your experiences and plan based on Capt Peggs suggestions. Day 1 : Norbury to Gnosall Day 2 : Gnosall to Compton (fish and chips or pub) Day 3 : Compton to Swindon (Green Man is a proper local pub with food) Day 4 : Swindon to Whittington and back to Kinver Visitor Moorings Day 5 : Kinver to Wombourne (Round Oak) Day 6 : Wombourne to Brewood Day 7 : Brewood to Norbury If you wanted to shorten day 2 the obvious thing to do would be to extend the first part day to Wheaton Aston which is about 2 hours cruising from Norbury. JP Edited because I confused myself. Edited May 5, 2019 by Captain Pegg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duncs Posted May 5, 2019 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2019 I am concerned about getting the boat back for 09.30 am, don’t want to risk penalties so going to be a whimp and play safe, have a few beers at Norbury Junction. Many thanks for editing my route, could you recommend a pub and mooring in Compton for the Saturday night ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Featured Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now