Suggested Routes - Rugby (7 Days)

[Intrepid86]

Hello all,

 

I have booked a hire boat out of Clifton Cruisers in Rugby (which my grand parents founded many years ago but alas sold when they retired) for the end of May with my family of 4. 
 

We have 7 days, and both I and my partner have experience of navigating the cut as teenagers. However, whilst we have helped move a few boats over the years our recollection of the waterways from a holidaying prospective have faded. 
 

If we are heading out of Rugby with 6 / 7 hour cruising a day which route would be suggested? I’d like something scenic but with exposure to locks and tunnels if at all possible for the teenagers.

 

Suggestions very gratefully received!

Edited May 4, 2021 by Intrepid86
Typo

[Nightwatch]

My opinion, go South. Hill Morton is a good set of locks. Then Braunston, then down the South Oxford. And return.

 

Others will be along soon to put me back in my cage I’m sure.

[Jennifer McM]

Have a play on https://canalplan.org.uk/ all you need to know, including watering points, sanny services, overnight mooring, is on the website. You can add how many hours cruising you're planning in a day - set your criteria. 

[Rob-M]

You could go to Foxton, this would give a mixture of narrow and wide locks, a couple of tunnels and the Watford and Foxton staircase locks.

[David Mack]

30 minutes ago, Jennifer McM said:

Have a play on https://canalplan.org.uk/ all you need to know, including watering points, sanny services, overnight mooring, is on the website. You can add how many hours cruising you're planning in a day - set your criteria. 

And if you use the 'Furthest Place' option it will tell you how far you can get in lots of different directions for the hours per day you specify.

 

You could also do the Warwickshire Ring via Camp Hill, although that will require somewhat longer days.

[big d]

I hired a boat from Clifton a few years back now, took my brother and his family, 4 adults 2 kids and a dog, we did the Warwickshire ring in 7 days. People told me I couldn’t be done but we did it. 7-8 chugging hours per day. Enough spare time to go sledging at snow dome and in and out of Birmingham in one day. This was in the first week of October. 

[cuthound]

If you dont mind doing lots of locks and cruising for 8 hours per day, I would definately do the Warwickshire Ring via Camp Hill locks.

 

You would be hard pressed to find a more varied weeks cruise anywhere.

 

I must admit I have a soft spot for the Warwickshire Ring as it was my first canal experience 48 years ago and I now live along side part of it.

 

 

[john6767]

Four routes spring to mind;

 

. Warwickshire ring, it would mean longer days than you said even if you do the short version by GU to Salford Junction, rather than going into the centre of Birmingham. Lots of hire boats do that in a week, and some go go 8nto the centre of Birmingham, going clockwise is best.

. South Oxford, say to Banbury area, go as far south until you have used up half the time.

. South GU to Cosgrove, which would leave to time to spare

. Leicester Line to Market Harbrough, again should leave time to spare

[OldGoat]

Echo much / all of the above.

When we were younger and with some older youngsters we thought little of doing 8 hours per day. With a team of youngsters (!!) working hard at the locks we fairly whistled through.

 

I'd seriously consider going into Brum - there have been huge changes there recently (as seen from Youtube). The centre is heavily pedestrianised  and there's lots to see. Good moorings and relatively quiet