Warwickshire Ring - where not to stop

[libali]

10 minutes ago, IanD said:

If you *really* like locks, you should do the Rochdale/HNC ring (210 locks in 10 days?) like we did... 😉

 

Also has some great pubs, and magnificent scenery -- and Standedge Tunnel 🙂 🙂 🙂

 

Another one to add to the list 👍🏼

I've promised the other half we can go to Llangollen next (I do want to, but lack of locks has put me off!). Any really lock-heavy trips need to be done while the teens are still keen - both because it makes it more fun and also for assistance. 

Edited July 29, 2021 by libali

[john6767]

5 hours ago, doratheexplorer said:

I was nodding in agreement with all of this until the bit in bold.  There's plenty of mooring options before the drawbridge.  And right by the drawbridge itself isn't very nice.  Better to carry on through and moor after the railway bridge and winding hole.

If you moor by the Cuttle Bridge Inn, Water Orton rail station is an easy walk.

I would say it is safe by Shirley Drawbridge, but for sure out of choice for sure go on anywhere you fancy from there.  My choice as I said is always Wearing Green.

 

Water Orton is the other side of the sewage works, so a bit of a walk I would have thought, but certainly a possibility I did not think of!

[IanD]

13 minutes ago, libali said:

 

Another one to add to the list 👍🏼

I've promised the other half we can go to Llangollen next (I do want to, but lack of locks has put me off!). Any really lock-heavy trips need to be done while the teens are still keen - both because it makes it more fun and also for assistance. 

We (also including teenagers who love locks) thought large parts of the Llangollen were a bit boring -- few locks to do, little to see, not many good pubs or interesting places to visit -- and *very* busy in places. The last section with the aqueducts is indeed utterly splendid, but we (and they) preferred routes with more locks and more of interest throughout -- which includes things like the BCN and Manchester, not just countryside. Before doing it, make sure everybody is happy with views like this... 😉

 

You seem to like the same things we do; over the years I think our top trips have been Rochdale/HNC ring (10 days), HNC one way (a week), and Stourport Ring (a week). There's a certain locky common factor... 😉

Edited July 29, 2021 by IanD

[libali]

Interesting - those all appeal to me as lock-person. We definitely have something in common!

The Llangollen is an itch that needs to be scratched though, as it stems from his childhood holidays looking up at Pontcysyllte from ground level and yearning to be up there. Perhaps we can do a short break. 

With the older one moving to Cardiff in September, the Mon & Brec is looking likely at some point in the next few years. Distinct lack of locks there too 😐. 

[IanD]

6 minutes ago, libali said:

Interesting - those all appeal to me as lock-person. We definitely have something in common!

The Llangollen is an itch that needs to be scratched though, as it stems from his childhood holidays looking up at Pontcysyllte from ground level and yearning to be up there. Perhaps we can do a short break. 

With the older one moving to Cardiff in September, the Mon & Brec is looking likely at some point in the next few years. Distinct lack of locks there too 😐. 

Our kids (and their other halves) enjoy canal holidays with us even more now they're older (twenties) than they did in their teens. Possibly because they share our enthusiasm for food, pubs and beer as well as locks 😉

 

Also I pay for the holiday, which makes them even happier...

Edited July 29, 2021 by IanD

[john6767]

Hang on are we on the Llangollen now!  Well actually we are, well we are on the Montgomery at the moment.  We came back over that aquaduct thing on Monday.  The basin in Llangollen was actually completely full on Monday night, You would not believe how many boats Alvechurch have!  If you like busy then get here.

 

If you do the whole length of the Llangollen there is a reasonable number of locks, but the vast number of the hire boats only do New Martin lock, it is hillarious how just two locks can cause such a hold but, but most people have not done a lock and generally they have no idea what to do, so they take ages.  We hit lucky both ways, but when we when up there were at least 10 boats waiting at the top.

 

Edited July 29, 2021 by john6767

[libali]

12 minutes ago, IanD said:

Our kids (and their other halves) enjoy canal holidays with us even more now they're older (twenties) than they did in their teens. Possibly because they share our enthusiasm for food, pubs and beer as well as locks 😉

 

Also I pay for the holiday, which makes them even happier...

 

That's the hope (and the plan!) - certainly they seem to love it as much as we do now and are not inclined to stop coming, yet.

 

Looking at those photos, I should probably have mentioned my vertigo 🤢

 

We can get back on topic to Warwickshire now 😉. I haven't yet worked out our plans for the rest of the trip (I find I have to be in a certain frame of mind to use canalplan) but I'm sure I'll have several more questions now I've found you wonderful helpful people.

Edited July 29, 2021 by libali

[IanD]

1 hour ago, libali said:

 

That's the hope (and the plan!) - certainly they seem to love it as much as we do now and are not inclined to stop coming, yet.

 

Looking at those photos, I should probably have mentioned my vertigo 🤢

 

We can get back on topic to Warwickshire now 😉. I haven't yet worked out our plans for the rest of the trip (I find I have to be in a certain frame of mind to use canalplan) but I'm sure I'll have several more questions now I've found you wonderful helpful people.

Since you've got the time, you should definitely go via central Birmingham and the Northern Stratford rather than the GU via Knowle. An overnight stop at the Blue Bell Cider House at Warings Green is definitely recommended.

 

You could nip down the Southern Stratford and back but it's just a bit more of the same (nice rural canal), an interesting alternative if you're into industrial archaeology would be to go further into the BCN, maybe spend at least half a day at the Black Country Museum, maybe moor at Tipton, or maybe go through Netherton Tunnel, moor up at Withymoor Island Trust overnight and walk up to Ma Pardoe's (the Old Swan) in Netherton, which is one of the classic longstanding home-brew pubs -- one of only 4 in the whole of the England in the mid-70s, if that's the kind of thing you care about.

 

If you fancy this kind of thing and have enough time I'm sure there will be other suggestions about what to see and where to moor, there are plenty of safe places on the BCN but you do need to plan...

Edited July 29, 2021 by IanD

[libali]

We are, and I am, interested in the above but t'other half has a few routes he really wants to tick off his list. Llangollen is one, but Stratford is another. He accepts it might not happen, but he already thinks I'm trying to stop him doing Llangollen 😉, so if we can go to Stratford this time he might realise I'm not.

 

Another change of plan (there have been several since I last wrote!) - teenager is now arriving on Tuesday night rather than Wednesday lunchtime, so we're aiming to push on to Tamworth on a long first full day (rather than mooring overnight at Polesworth), so she can still come to Tamworth station late that evening. It will mean we won't have to hang around on the Wednesday waiting to meet her. 

[Ronaldo47]

The great thing we found about a Monday (or any other non-Saturday) start is that you virtually have the canal to yourself for most of Saturday.  

[libali]

All going well so far (occasional tree-across-canal and speeding stags notwithstanding). Moored at Hawkesbury, Alvecote, Curdworth and then two nights in lovely Birmingham. Wending our way toward Waring's Green now - thanks everyone for the recommendations and advice. We're all a bit over-excited about the bakery!

 

We've more or less decided not to go to Stratford (and if at the last minute we want to, we'll do the train option), so we have some wriggle room. Any suggestions on where we should give a little more time, stop for a half or a whole day? Never been to Warwick. 

[Sea Dog]

2 hours ago, libali said:

Never been to Warwick. 

Warwick's nice. The Cape of Good Hope shortly after the Hatton flight is a nice pub too. Moor there, or the Saltisford Arm just before is also a good place to moor it if they have room.

[Tim Lewis]

On 29/07/2021 at 14:52, Sea Dog said:

We go there quite a lot and were last there Friday just gone and had to breast up with friends well beyond the bridge in the last available space at about 4pm. Seems everyone on hire from Kate boats moors there for their last night! Fortunately, we had booked a table... Message: avoid Fridays and book.

 

Next morning, Saturday, was the opposite to busy - we were the only 2 boats going up Hatton and passed just one coming down. As we first caught site of the bridge by the depot there were 2 volockies gongoozeling. By the time we reached the "Welcome Hut", their assistance notable only by its complete absence, they were sat inside having their lunch. After we moored at the café for a cream tea, one appeared looking a bit gormless, he approached the top

 

I don’t slag off volunteer lock keepers for no reason, some very good friends do this and the one we had helping us on the Stockton flight yesterday worked his socks off to get us through. I can only agree though about Hatton, the only time we saw them today was on the couple of locks around the welcome station!

[nicknorman]

9 hours ago, Tim Lewis said:

 

I don’t slag off volunteer lock keepers for no reason, some very good friends do this and the one we had helping us on the Stockton flight yesterday worked his socks off to get us through. I can only agree though about Hatton, the only time we saw them today was on the couple of locks around the welcome station!

We’d be delighted if the Hatton volockies stayed in the hut when we’re going through. I don’t see the point of going boating on the canals if you want someone else to work the locks for you, well unless you are infirm I suppose.

[Proper Charlie]

We came down Hatton a few weeks ago during what must have been the wettest few hours in history. It’s times like this when you’re a bit short handed and the the locks are slippery and dangerous when help is most appreciated. No volockies although the bloke from the welcome station did help us through two locks. Lots of boats going up and down, especially Kate boats on their way back. We moored in one of the pounds near the bottom, wet through, knackered and fed up. Next day, volockies everywhere. I asked one of them where they were the previous day and was told that as it was raining so hard they didn’t think any boats would be using the flight. 

[nicknorman]

I think it will be a sad when when the general expectation is that Volockies will work you through locks. Why not just stay at home and watch videos of canal cruising?
Volunteers do a lot of good work eg offside vegetation clearing, painting etc. This is what they should be doing IMO, not working lazy people through locks.

[libali]

We came down Hatton this morning, alone save for passing one other boat around lock 34ish. The volunteers were great - most of the locks were against us but they went ahead and set several of them up - not interfering (we do like to do locks ourselves!) but helpful and chatty. Had a truly fantastic meal at the Cape of Good Hope - what a gem.

 

We're aiming to tootle along to Leaminigton for a visit tomorrow, but moving on for the night. Looking to moor somewhere around Bascote tomorrow and Braunston-ish the night after. Any thoughts? Do we have any hope of finding a mooring space around Bridge 95 or should we aim for somewhere else?

 

On 06/08/2021 at 14:53, Ronaldo47 said:

The great thing we found about a Monday (or any other non-Saturday) start is that you virtually have the canal to yourself for most of Saturday.  

 

Apart from queues through Lapworth (not too bad) we've had the canal - and most of the locks - pretty much to ourselves the whole time. Not what I was expecting.