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Pershore to Stratford Upon Avon


Phil and Jess

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Hi Everyone,

 

We have hired 2 60ft narrow cruiser boats for our first time on the Canals for a group of 14 Adults. We hired them from Pershore for 1 week. 

 

Knowing absolutely nothing about Canals I would like to know how long it would take to get from Pershore to Stratford Upon Avon please.

 

Thank you in Advance

 

Phil & Jessica

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It depends on how long you cruise each day, how many pubs you stop in and how long people lie in.

Canalplan gives

This is a trip of 29 miles, 2¾ furlongs and 14 locks from Pershore Bridge Moorings to Stratford Lock Junction Footbridge.

This will take 13 hours and 17 minutes which is 1 day, 6 hours and 17 minutes at 7 hours per day.

 

The long way round is...

 

This is a trip of 79 miles, 6 furlongs and 116 locks from Pershore Bridge Moorings to Stratford Lock Junction Footbridge.

This will take 48 hours and 2 minutes which is 6 days, 6 hours and 2 minutes at 7 hours per day.

Edited by matty40s
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A shortish day to Evesham (not far ATCF but much longer as the river meanders. It always surprised me that the first view of Evesham abbey was off the stern of the boat). A longer day, or two short days to SoA.

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If you only have a week, then the 'ring' from Pershore to the severn; server to Worcs; Worcs to B'ham; B'ham to Stratford then on to Pershore is not really an option. For heavens sake, you are on holiday, goto Stratford and return, and have some time off the boats. Als, if you have unfavourable weather, you will not be too exposed for too long.

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33 minutes ago, matty40s said:

It depends on how long you cruise each day, how many pubs you stop in and how long people lie in.

Canalplan gives

This is a trip of 29 miles, 2¾ furlongs and 14 locks from Pershore Bridge Moorings to Stratford Lock Junction Footbridge.

This will take 13 hours and 17 minutes which is 1 day, 6 hours and 17 minutes at 7 hours per day.

 

The long way round is...

 

This is a trip of 79 miles, 6 furlongs and 116 locks from Pershore Bridge Moorings to Stratford Lock Junction Footbridge.

This will take 48 hours and 2 minutes which is 6 days, 6 hours and 2 minutes at 7 hours per day.

Thanks for the Info Matty. 

 

It's my wife's 50th Birthday and she wanted to go on a Canal in England. She has a lot of her friends coming over from California. They have never been on or even seen a canal before. I would imagine we will be stopping at a few pubs on the way. As we have the boats for the week.. Then we can take our time getting there if it's about 7 hours per day.  Looks like we might have time to come back and go to Tewkesbury before taking the boats back

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53 minutes ago, Phil and Jess said:

Hi Everyone,

 

We have hired 2 60ft narrow cruiser boats for our first time on the Canals for a group of 14 Adults. We hired them from Pershore for 1 week. 

 

Knowing absolutely nothing about Canals I would like to know how long it would take to get from Pershore to Stratford Upon Avon please.

 

Thank you in Advance

 

Phil & Jessica

Umm - The Avon is not a true canal - it's a canalised river. pleasant as it is you won't get a true flavour of the British canal system. One of the disadvantages is that you can't stop just anywhere as the banks slope - so difficult to jump ashore.

However, if you get to Stratford, you can go up the Stratford canal, which is a true canal with lots of locks where you can stop as you please.

Doing a cruising ring will give you a flavour of two rivers and a canal.

One of your countrymen - and from California to boot has posted videos on YouTube one or two of which are on whatever route you finally choose. He goes under the handle of "Minimal List".

 

Apologies for interfering...

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I second the view, that a week is not long enough to do the entire ring and enjoy it. Head upstream to Stratford upon Avon. Beware the Locks going upstream can be quite fierce, open the paddles slowly, going back downstream will be easier. Plenty of time to leave the river at Stratford and enter the basin, take in some Shakespeare culture, and many nice shops and restaurants. You should have time to cruise some way along the Stratford Canal before having to turn round. These will be narrow Locks unlike the river, and it is a very picturesque canal.

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7 minutes ago, OldGoat said:

Umm - The Avon is not a true canal - it's a canalised river. pleasant as it is you won't get a true flavour of the British canal system. One of the disadvantages is that you can't stop just anywhere as the banks slope - so difficult to jump ashore.

However, if you get to Stratford, you can go up the Stratford canal, which is a true canal with lots of locks where you can stop as you please.

Doing a cruising ring will give you a flavour of two rivers and a canal.

One of your countrymen - and from California to boot has posted videos on YouTube one or two of which are on whatever route you finally choose. He goes under the handle of "Minimal List".

 

Apologies for interfering...

Thanks for your input OldGoat.. Not Interfering at all. I welcome any / all comments as I know nothing. 

 

I like the idea of getting onto the Stratford Canal for the taste of a real Canal rather than a river. 

 

I have also read a few posts from people saying the Full Ring will be a bit tight time wise for what he want. As English Pubs and sightseeing will be the order of the day. while doodling along the river / canal without a care in the world.. Sounds perfect ?

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3 minutes ago, Phil. said:

I second the view, that a week is not long enough to do the entire ring and enjoy it. Head upstream to Stratford upon Avon. Beware the Locks going upstream can be quite fierce, open the paddles slowly, going back downstream will be easier. Plenty of time to leave the river at Stratford and enter the basin, take in some Shakespeare culture, and many nice shops and restaurants. You should have time to cruise some way along the Stratford Canal before having to turn round. These will be narrow Locks unlike the river, and it is a very picturesque canal.

Yes I agree this would be the best option. Nothing wrong with an out & return, the scenery will look a bit different on the return. You might see somewhere that you may want to stop at on the way back. You might like to stop at Wilmcote and see Mary Ardens (Shakespeares mum) house which is only a short walk from the canal.

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17 minutes ago, Phil. said:

I second the view, that a week is not long enough to do the entire ring and enjoy it. Head upstream to Stratford upon Avon. Beware the Locks going upstream can be quite fierce, open the paddles slowly, going back downstream will be easier. Plenty of time to leave the river at Stratford and enter the basin, take in some Shakespeare culture, and many nice shops and restaurants. You should have time to cruise some way along the Stratford Canal before having to turn round. These will be narrow Locks unlike the river, and it is a very picturesque canal.

Thanks Phil... yeah, seems like great advice. It's exactly what we will do.  That way we get River and Canal.  Thanks for the warning about the locks.. That's going to be a weird experience for someone who's never even seen one let alone trying to operate one.. We might spend the whole week stuck in Pershore getting out of the first lock  hahaha

Edited by Phil and Jess
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18 minutes ago, Phil and Jess said:

Thanks Phil... yeah, seems like great advice. It's exactly what we will do.  That way we get River and Canal.  Thanks for the warning about the locks.. That's going to be a weird experience for someone who's never even seen one let alone trying to operate one.. We might spend the whole week stuck in Pershore getting out of the first lock  hahaha

You will have a great time. We did the bit you will between 24/4 and 12/5 but the other way. https://nbachernar.wordpress.com/2019/05/page/1/

The link will show you some of the photos where we stopped, and what you will encounter if your interested.

edited to add,,,it was written as we went round so you need to scroll to the bottom to get to the bits of interest to you.

Edited by Phil.
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52 minutes ago, Phil and Jess said:

Thanks for the Info Matty. 

 

It's my wife's 50th Birthday and she wanted to go on a Canal in England. She has a lot of her friends coming over from California. They have never been on or even seen a canal before. I would imagine we will be stopping at a few pubs on the way. As we have the boats for the week.. Then we can take our time getting there if it's about 7 hours per day.  Looks like we might have time to come back and go to Tewkesbury before taking the boats back

If you are hiring from Pershore you are on the River Avon, not on a canal, so it is quite different to being on a canal.  It is a couple of days to get to Stratford where you could go onto the Statford canal, but you will have to do quite a few locks if you wanted to get anywhere, but you cold just go up 4 locks turn round and come back down that would at least give to a taste of what a canal is like, but you would be in a built up area all the time.

 

The boat will be licenced on the river Avon (it is its own navigation authority), you should check if it is also licenced for the Canal and River Trust network, if not you would need to buy a CRT visitor licence in Stratford to go on the canal.

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By the way :   just remember that the Bard wasn't really from Stratford at all - it's just a tourist trap.

 

Shakespeare was a highly educated and well travelled aristocrat - not a country wool trader - but he had to keep his real identity private because much of his work was extremely politically sensitive and controversial at the time.

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1 hour ago, Phil and Jess said:

Thanks Phil... yeah, seems like great advice. It's exactly what we will do.  That way we get River and Canal.  Thanks for the warning about the locks.. That's going to be a weird experience for someone who's never even seen one let alone trying to operate one.. We might spend the whole week stuck in Pershore getting out of the first lock  hahaha

Here's a time lapse video from Bancroft basin in Stratford to Wilmcote.  A copy of Pearsons Canal Companion  Avon Ring available from Amazon or your hire company would help you plan your trip.  http://www.jmpearson.co.uk/severn-and-avon-canal-guidebook.php

 

Edited by Flyboy
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9 hours ago, TheBiscuits said:

Drat! That spoils the joke then.

I only know as we met some hirers at Pershore lock last year, they had just set off and were quite Bergius as it was their first lock. Mrs-M explained to them what to do as they had already forgotten the instructions given by the hire company.

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Thank you so much for all your replies and information. It's very much appreciated. Really looking forward to our trip at the end of June. I do have one further question if I could have your suggestions please...   Boat security... How safe is it leaving the boats moored up while we go into pubs / towns etc.  Do we need to lock the boats doors.. Do they come with locks etc.. Do we need to bring anything with us to lock them up?...

 

Sorry if this is a silly question but we are really new to this and are totally clueless.

 

Thanks

 

Phil & Jessica

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34 minutes ago, Phil and Jess said:

Thank you so much for all your replies and information. It's very much appreciated. Really looking forward to our trip at the end of June. I do have one further question if I could have your suggestions please...   Boat security... How safe is it leaving the boats moored up while we go into pubs / towns etc.  Do we need to lock the boats doors.. Do they come with locks etc.. Do we need to bring anything with us to lock them up?...

 

Sorry if this is a silly question but we are really new to this and are totally clueless.

 

Thanks

 

Phil & Jessica

Boats do have locks but a determined burglar could still gain entry via windows etc.  Thefts from boats are pretty rare and are usually from ones that are left for long periods unattended.  If you don't leave any valuables on show or bikes on the roof and moor up near other boats you will have no problems. Don't worry and enjoy your trip.

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In most places it is perfectly safe to leave boats moored up.  Probably you will have a key for either front or rear doors, and the others will have bolts on the inside, so it can be left secure.  The hire company may suggest you remove and hide an electic isolator or similar from the starting circuit while you away from the boat - they don't want it vandalised or stolen either!   Don't leave anything valuble obviously on display while you are out.

 

June is nice.  Th days are really long so if you want you can cruise early and/or late to leave plenty of time for sightseeing.

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Not wishing to rain on your parade but just bear in mind that the Avon can go into flood with very little warning meaning that you will have to moor up and sit it out. This can happen during the summer as much as in the winter. However, with the loose timings of a week spent cruising to Stratford and back there should be enough slack to accommodate a flood event without too much stress. Just something to keep in the back of your mind. Hope you all have a marvellous time. The Avon is by far and away my favourite English river.

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