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Warwickshire ring


luke1234

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Hi all!

 

Myself and my family are undoing a trip around the Warwickshire ring! Starting in Napton and ending there too. 

I am trying to use canal plan.org which we do normally but its spitting out some strange results. 

Please can you help with..

 

-Is there a better site to sue to plan routes?

-If you have completed the ring do you pass through Solihull? (as the planner is taking us the long way round)

-is the reason the plan is taking me a longer route because there are restrictions in Solihull? (our boat is 70 foot)

 

Thank you all very much 

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If you use the default Warwickshire ring from the cruising ring it includes locations that are on the Stratford canal and in Birmingham. If you delete them and add a location such as camp hill locks then you will get the route avoiding Birmingham. My preference would be the default canal plan option and go via the Stratford.

 

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Use the planner, but put some intermediate stops in, (ones you will probably want to stop at), then Canalplan works a bit better. Alter your cruising days to something a bit more flexible (put 10 hours in instead of 7, work out where you want to stop and stick it in as the next intermediate point...

 

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Canal Plan is the go-to tool for such things. I’m sure you’ll get the hang of it.

 

If you use the defaults for the cruising rings it is set up for the route via Hockley Heath and Kings Norton. You could amend amend it using the ‘route editor’ function or set up an out and back trip from Napton and add in the junctions as intermediate points (it won’t literally plan an out and back if you put in sequential places on a ring).

 

For the trip I think you are planning to do you only need Bordesley Junction, Fazeley Junction and Braunston Turn as the intermediate points for a clockwise trip which is the way most go from Napton.

 

The default route is 60ish hours and the shorter one is 52 hours 46 minutes. A 70’ boat shouldn’t give any problems. Current stoppages will be flagged rather than planned to be avoided. Have you planned with no date or used the actual dates?

 

JP

Edited by Captain Pegg
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12 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

If you use the default Warwickshire ring from the cruising ring it includes locations that are on the Stratford canal and in Birmingham. If you delete them and add a location such as camp hill locks then you will get the route avoiding Birmingham. My preference would be the default canal plan option and go via the Stratford.

 

Just had look. From the defaults it would need Hockley Heath and Deep Cuttings Junction removing and Bordesley Junction adding in their place.

 

For some reason it gives a warning that the route won’t be planned properly at the start.  A bit odd, especially as it seems to manage it.

 

For the OPs benefit the Canal Plan default timings are a bet pessimistic. Either route is achievable in a week and the longer route has its advantages which is why it is the one that used as the default. For one it allows an overnight stop in Birmingham.

 

JP

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18 minutes ago, luke1234 said:

Thank you all for your swift replies! We are going March 21 to 28, the longer route comes out at about 9 hours cruising per day (which is fine for us!) 

would you all suggest not going through Solihull is a better route. 

Thanks again 

 

9 minutes ago, luke1234 said:

Thank you! I also saw between camp hill and Salford junction there is a restriction to 70 foot (if we do take the short route do you think our 70 footer would squeeze in? 


It depends on your circumstances. How many crew and how experienced? Will they all be OK with long days almost every day?

 

One of the things that makes the Solihull route appear a lot quicker is that the default speed is a lot higher for broad canals than narrow canals. This isn’t really the case for the section from Knowle to Camp Hill which is pretty shallow. That route also means you’ll probably want to stop somewhere between Knowle and Catherine-de-Barnes and go through to Minworth and Curdworth in one day. It’s not a problem but it does restrict your options. There are a couple of mooring options in inner city Brum on that route but perhaps not the greatest for a family holiday.

 

Via the Stratford Canal you can stop in central Birmingham rather than trying to get straight through it. There are also more mooring options on the approach.

 

Getting a good first afternoon in is key. Set off in good time and you’ll be down Calcutt and Stockton locks at least, possibly further. Then you have a chance of being above Hatton by the end of day two and do Lapworth on day three. Otherwise you may find you have some very lock heavy days.

 

You won’t have problems with any hire boat on either route. Technically the locks in Birmingham are 70’ but you’ll fit.

 

JP

Edited by Captain Pegg
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It's an easy decision. If you want a night in the middle of Brum then go the long way. If you don't want Brum then go via Knowle. I love the centre of Brum....a really nice steak house.... but Mrs Bob likes the shortest route...but I have to do the Knowle locks as the gates are too heavy for her!

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All this Solihull or not had me confused, both routes go via Solihull, one in the north and one in the south!

 

Going North Stratford and into the centre of Birmingham in my opinion is better and you get more out of it by the experience of overnight in the centre of Birmingham, but it is more locks so you will need to be prepared to put in the days to do it in a hire week.

 

If you go into the centre of Birmingham then you probably want to plan going from somewhere between Lapworth and Shirley lift bridge into the centre in a day, and on the way out from the centre to Curdworth in a day.  If to go Knowle/GU then go from Catherine de Barnes to Curdworth in a day.  Both assuming you go clockwise, which starting from Napton you are best doing, so you don’t have the heavily locked part at the end.

 

Finally kept an eye on the stoppages at Bascote which are due to complete a week before the planned trip.

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35 minutes ago, David Mack said:

 

Been through them all in a 71'6" boat, so you'll have no problems at 70'.

Indeed, there isn’t a lock on the BCN - or any non-BCN canal in Birmingham - that a GU boat won’t pass through. And facing in the right direction too.

 

JP

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1 hour ago, Victor Vectis said:

< Affects mock yorkshire accent >

 

Knowle?

 

Pah. You had it lucky!

 

You should try Hatton.

 

In the rain.

 

Solo.

 

You should try Hatton.

 

On the hottest day of 2019.

 

Whilst running out fuel half way down and having to walk to the petrol station and back carrying 20L of fuel.

 

 

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4 hours ago, Dave Payne said:

 

You should try Hatton.

 

On the hottest day of 2019.

 

Whilst running out fuel half way down and having to walk to the petrol station and back carrying 20L of fuel.

 

 

You were lucky, Hatton must be one of the few long flights of locks that has a petrol filling station next to it half way down!

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21 hours ago, Captain Pegg said:

Just had look. From the defaults it would need Hockley Heath and Deep Cuttings Junction removing and Bordesley Junction adding in their place.

 

For some reason it gives a warning that the route won’t be planned properly at the start.  A bit odd, especially as it seems to manage it.

 

For the OPs benefit the Canal Plan default timings are a bet pessimistic. Either route is achievable in a week and the longer route has its advantages which is why it is the one that used as the default. For one it allows an overnight stop in Birmingham.

 

JP

Thank you for this worked first time! 

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8 hours ago, Captain Pegg said:

Indeed, there isn’t a lock on the BCN - or any non-BCN canal in Birmingham - that a GU boat won’t pass through. And facing in the right direction too.

 

JP

Hard work squeezing through Brades staircase but got through in the end.

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1 hour ago, luke1234 said:

Thank you for this worked first time! 

Hi All

 

We have a problem with the route on this plan, after printing the PDF itinerary it was fine until we get to bordesly junction, the plan then takes us along the birmingham canal to the left for a time, turns us around to come back on our selves! Please can you help? 

 

(you can see just in the top left hand corner under 23/3)

Screenshot 2020-02-21 at 19.22.11.png

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5 minutes ago, luke1234 said:

Hi All

 

We have a problem with the route on this plan, after printing the PDF itinerary it was fine until we get to bordesly junction, the plan then takes us along the birmingham canal to the left for a time, turns us around to come back on our selves! Please can you help? 

 

(you can see just in the top left hand corner under 23/3)

Screenshot 2020-02-21 at 19.22.11.png


what do you have for the intermediate places in route plan?

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23 hours ago, Captain Pegg said:

Just had look. From the defaults it would need Hockley Heath and Deep Cuttings Junction removing and Bordesley Junction adding in their place.

 

For some reason it gives a warning that the route won’t be planned properly at the start.  A bit odd, especially as it seems to manage it.

 

For the OPs benefit the Canal Plan default timings are a bet pessimistic. Either route is achievable in a week and the longer route has its advantages which is why it is the one that used as the default. For one it allows an overnight stop in Birmingham.

 

JP

As above! thank you

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Just to confirm that you should have no problems with the route via Camp Hill and Garrison locks.

However as there aren't many pleasant places to moor on that route, Catherine-de-Barnes to Curdworth in a day is normally recommended.

Both of those places are good to moor at and they both have decent pubs close to the canal.

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