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Safe moorings London area and trip timings


Philip

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Sorry if this is a rather broad spectrum, but in a nutshell I'm planning a trip from Lea Valley Marina to Nantwich in August and am allowing myself two weeks and a couple of days extra to do it in. My question is about moorings on the Lea, the Regents Canal and the Grand Junction/Paddington Arm in the London area. Where are some safe moorings on these parts, also that aren't nearly always full?  Olympic Park or South Hackney for example?

 

Rough sketch of the itinerary is:

 

First afternoon: Stanstead to Broxbourne allowing for short trip up the first two or three miles of the Stort.

First full day: Broxbourne to Hackney/Bow/Stratford/Limehouse/Islington/Camden area.

Second day: Somewhere between Paddington and Bulls Bridge.

Third day: Down to Brentford and back and then probably stop around Uxbridge.

Fourth day: Hemel Hempstead to Berkhamsted area.

Fifth day: Marsworth area.

Sixth day: Cosgrove or anywhere north side of MK.

Seventh day: Weedon Bec/Long Buckby.

Eighth day: Long Itchington.

Ninth day: Hatton bottom.

Tenth day: Knowle/C de Barnes

Eleventh day: Birmingham.

Twelfth day: 'free day' so Birmingham again or maybe the BCLM.

Thirteenth day: Brewood/Wheaton Aston.

Fourteenth Day: Audlem.

Last day: Barbridge.

 

Does this look realistic? I've done plenty of single handling and reasonably proficient at locks if I don't mind saying! So I can pretty much keep to the timings of a crew.

 

As I'll probably be single handed for the most part - are there any parts of inner city London or the south-east side of Birmingham it is best to go through early in the day?

 

Any help would be appreciated please and thanks!

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I found that the last two time I went through London it was a case of not planning a mooring but mooring where I could only find one other boat moored up and hanging on the outside. The other option is of course to pre book a mooring with CRT

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Agreed. I planned to moor as close as I could to Camden Lock after coming up from the Lea, but had to carry on to Little Venice (in pouring rain) before I could find a 70ft mooring, and that was outside two shorter boats. It will be a little easier with a short boat.

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44 minutes ago, Richard T said:

Have you put your proposed journey into CanalPlan to see where it suggests your overnight moorings would be? https://canalplan.uk/

Some of your days appear to be quite long - what time of year will the trip be done at?

Without the side trips up the Stort or to Brentford:

This is a trip of 230 miles and 243 locks from Stanstead Marina to Barbridge Junction.

This will take 123 hours and 27 minutes which is 17 days, 4 hours and 27 minutes at 7 hours per day.

Edited by David Mack
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Thank you all.

 

I will be averaging more like 10-12 hours a day on the full days (minus the free day) - very much a 'start 7-8am, stop for the night between 18:00-20:00', although allowing for lunchtime, toilet, shower, diesel and water stops obv. Boat is 24 feet long so could squeeze in where this a bit of a gap. I've booked a couple of weeks off during the middle of August to do it in.

 

Is the Olympics area worth exploring? Looks interesting on the map!

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2 hours ago, Philip said:

Sorry if this is a rather broad spectrum, but in a nutshell I'm planning a trip from Lea Valley Marina to Nantwich in August and am allowing myself two weeks and a couple of days extra to do it in. My question is about moorings on the Lea, the Regents Canal and the Grand Junction/Paddington Arm in the London area. Where are some safe moorings on these parts, also that aren't nearly always full?  Olympic Park or South Hackney for example?

 

Rough sketch of the itinerary is:

 

First afternoon: Stanstead to Broxbourne allowing for short trip up the first two or three miles of the Stort.

First full day: Broxbourne to Hackney/Bow/Stratford/Limehouse/Islington/Camden area.

Second day: Somewhere between Paddington and Bulls Bridge.

Third day: Down to Brentford and back and then probably stop around Uxbridge.

Fourth day: Hemel Hempstead to Berkhamsted area.

Fifth day: Marsworth area.

Sixth day: Cosgrove or anywhere north side of MK.

Seventh day: Weedon Bec/Long Buckby.

Eighth day: Long Itchington.

Ninth day: Hatton bottom.

Tenth day: Knowle/C de Barnes

Eleventh day: Birmingham.

Twelfth day: 'free day' so Birmingham again or maybe the BCLM.

Thirteenth day: Brewood/Wheaton Aston.

Fourteenth Day: Audlem.

Last day: Barbridge.

 

Does this look realistic? I've done plenty of single handling and reasonably proficient at locks if I don't mind saying! So I can pretty much keep to the timings of a crew.

 

As I'll probably be single handed for the most part - are there any parts of inner city London or the south-east side of Birmingham it is best to go through early in the day?

 

Any help would be appreciated please and thanks!

 

There is a bookable mooring at the London Canal Museum at Kings Cross at £10 for the night

 

https://www.canalmuseum.org.uk/moorings.htm

 

Tim 

 

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1 hour ago, Philip said:

 

 

Is the Olympics area worth exploring? Looks interesting on the map!

Yes. The loop around the Olympic Stadium can be done easily, but note no mooring is allowed. Much more interesting to go through City Mill Lock onto the river then back up Carpenters Road lock (or vice versa), but these need to be booked in advance with CRT.

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There are bookable moorings at Little Venice and in Paddington Basin, if CaRT have started to take bookings again that is.

It might be worth spending £10 to make sure you have a mooring for the night.

 

Good moorings by the Cape of Good Hope, about 15 mins from Hatton Bottom Lock. The pub is good too.

 

My preference would be the North Stratford route into Brum. 19 locks but no more once you're at the top of Lapworth. The two lift bridges at Hockley Heath can be 'fun' if you're single handing though. And good mooorings beyond the bridge by the Blue Bell at Warings Green, another recommended pub.

 

(I'm writing this in the hope that pubs will be open in the future)

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Thanks again.

 

I think pre-booking sounds best with regards central London moorings. Paddington Basin looks a little too far from Brentford to do a day trip of Paddington-Brentford-Uxbridge.

 

Regarding the route into Birmingham, I did the North Stratford route last year and whilst I found it easy, the suburbs of Birmingham did seem to go on and on (was heading for Stratford-Upon-Avon) and felt like it was forever surrounded by trees. I'd like to do the whole thing with regards the Grand Union mainline and Knowle, Camp Hill and Farmer's Bridge locks seem interesting. 

 

What is classed as the 'mainline' beyond Bordesley Junction - the route up to Salford Junction or the route through Ashtead locks?

Edited by Philip
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7 minutes ago, Philip said:

 

What is classed as the 'mainline' beyond Bordesley Junction - the route up to Salford Junction or the route through Ashtead locks?

 

Neither really. Straight on at Bordesley you continue along the former Warwick and Birmingham Canal as far as Warwick Bar, where you join the Digbeth Branch of the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal, which rises through Ashted Locks to the B&F main line at Aston Junction.

Turn right at Bordesey and you follow the Warwick and Birmingham Junction Canal to meet the B&F at Salford Bridge Junction.

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I'd query the third and fourth days. You say you'll end up in Uxbridge the third day in the evening and expect to be in Berkhamsted the fourth day? Thats a very long day! The general problem with such ambitious itineries is you have to keep going until late which means youll have to stop wherever you are rather than timing it to arrive early and get a space at a nice/safe mooring. I doubt youll find space anywhere in central london (without booking) if you dont intend to moor until late evening. Other boats will have stopped and taken the best spots much earlier than that. But it doesnt matter if you just want to transit right through london. There is likely to be space somewhere around Hackney/Hertford Union or the Limehouse cut and from there in one day you can go right through the Regents to beyond Kensal where again there will be space somewhere. Anywhere will be safe enough if you arent leaving the boat unattended and aren't walking around towpaths after dark.

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32 minutes ago, Dave123 said:

I'd query the third and fourth days. You say you'll end up in Uxbridge the third day in the evening and expect to be in Berkhamsted the fourth day? Thats a very long day! The general problem with such ambitious itineries is you have to keep going until late which means youll have to stop wherever you are rather than timing it to arrive early and get a space at a nice/safe mooring. I doubt youll find space anywhere in central london (without booking) if you dont intend to moor until late evening. Other boats will have stopped and taken the best spots much earlier than that. But it doesnt matter if you just want to transit right through london. There is likely to be space somewhere around Hackney/Hertford Union or the Limehouse cut and from there in one day you can go right through the Regents to beyond Kensal where again there will be space somewhere. Anywhere will be safe enough if you arent leaving the boat unattended and aren't walking around towpaths after dark.

I'll amend the fourth day, looking at the map it is 20 miles and 30 odd locks which looks a bit much I agree. Perhaps Uxbridge or Harefield to Boxmoor/Hemel Hempstead area a bit more realistic?

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2 hours ago, Philip said:

I'll amend the fourth day, looking at the map it is 20 miles and 30 odd locks which looks a bit much I agree. Perhaps Uxbridge or Harefield to Boxmoor/Hemel Hempstead area a bit more realistic?

It would be a shame to miss out on the Rising Sun in Berko if you like quality ale and a great pub atmosphere.The pubs around Boxmoor and Hamel are much less interesting.

The Riser are doing takeouts at present.

24 minutes ago, doratheexplorer said:

One of the big issues with the Regents Canal is the lack of overnight moorings. Almost all the visitor moorings are 14 days, which is a bit pointless since the non-VM sections are 14 days anyway.

 

You can always stay on the 24 hours Limehouse Basin VM's overnight,interesting spot and into The Grapes (pub atmosphere) and Craft Beer Co. (ale).

Edited by Quaffer
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1 hour ago, doratheexplorer said:

One of the big issues with the Regents Canal is the lack of overnight moorings. Almost all the visitor moorings are 14 days, which is a bit pointless since the non-VM sections are 14 days anyway.

 

The VMs at Little Venice (OK, not strictly on the Regents) are 7 day closest to Byrons Pool and 14 days at the other end. I checked because a couple of years ago we got a ticket from CRT for spending more than 7 days there, and had to point out to them that we were moored on the clearly marked 14 day part.

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17 hours ago, Quaffer said:

It would be a shame to miss out on the Rising Sun in Berko if you like quality ale and a great pub atmosphere.The pubs around Boxmoor and Hamel are much less interesting.

The Riser are doing takeouts at present.

You can always stay on the 24 hours Limehouse Basin VM's overnight,interesting spot and into The Grapes (pub atmosphere) and Craft Beer Co. (ale).

Yes, the Limehouse ones are the only short stay (24/48hr) moorings I'm aware of.

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2 minutes ago, Slim said:

Be aware that these days moorings n the Uxbridge/Harefield/Rickmansworth appear full most of the time. Communications mean that the London moorings experience has spread that far.

You mean its the co-ordinated 'move' conference call ?

 

"Right Guys & Gals, .........… 3...……. 2...………. 1 Move"

Edited by Alan de Enfield
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58 minutes ago, Slim said:

Be aware that these days moorings n the Uxbridge/Harefield/Rickmansworth appear full most of the time. Communications mean that the London moorings experience has spread that far.

Apparently it's the covid19 effect. People don't need to be in central if they are working from home or furloughed. London boaters leaving 'London' and spreading out is also exactly what some people who complain about london have always wanted isn't it? You reap what you sow?

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19 hours ago, David Mack said:

The VMs at Little Venice (OK, not strictly on the Regents) are 7 day closest to Byrons Pool and 14 days at the other end. I checked because a couple of years ago we got a ticket from CRT for spending more than 7 days there, and had to point out to them that we were moored on the clearly marked 14 day part.

Or even Browning's Pool ?

3 hours ago, doratheexplorer said:

Yes, the Limehouse ones are the only short stay (24/48hr) moorings I'm aware of.

24hrs. There are however 14 day moorings around the corner on the Limehouse Cut

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What are you doing when you get to Barbridge? Do you plan to return to where you started at some point?

 

Reason i ask is i like a long day, but that schedule looks full on to me and i think you're being a bit optimistic on the southern end of your route. If you've got no specific reason to go to Barbridge/Nantwich I'd only go as far as Birmingham if i were you. Wolverhampton 21 will be a massive effort and in my opinion the shroppie is quite boring apart from Audlem being nice. 

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