advice/local knowledge required

[Detling]

The boat is currently in Nottingham and we would like to transfer to Mercia over the christmas period. As there is a river section Beeston to Shardlow not long, but we are going uphill, so the current is going to make a big difference. There are two web sites that show the height at Shardlow,

 

https://riverlevels.uk/river-trent-castle-donington-shardlow

 

https://check-for-flooding.service.gov.uk/station/2100

 

But these are for flooding and probably use the same guage, but they don't show the red/amber/green as used by CRT  (and insurance companies) I wonder if any of you know how the heights relate, obviously anything over 1.5m is way to high (I suspect top of red) but what about 0.75m or 0.5m etc.

 

Any local tips welcome.

 

 

[matty40s]

The most difficult bit of that journey if there is any flow is just East of Cranfleet Lock where the river forces itself through the end of the sandstone Red Hill ridge below Thrumpton.

Once you get to Cranfleet cut you have safe mooring, then stay right until you get to Sawley.(more safe mooring except in exceptional flood times). From there, the short run from the flood lock to Derwent Mouth can be done easily on Amber although it can be tricky where the Derwent and and Trent meet.

[Jen-in-Wellies]

17 minutes ago, matty40s said:

The most difficult bit of that journey if there is any flow is just East of Cranfleet Lock where the river forces itself through the end of the sandstone Red Hill ridge below Thrumpton.

Have done this section going upstream with the lock marker boards at Beeston just in the red. The river shallows and narrows at the end of Red Hill, speeding the flow. We really had to push the engines on the boats to get past this and in to the deeper, wider, slower water approaching Cranfleet. Not something I'd want to do again in similar conditions. Believe the red marker board at Beeston! It is telling the truth if you are on a narrowboat. Similarly, the junction between the Trent, Derwent and the cut to the T&M up to Shardlow can get tricky, with currents going in all sorts of directions with the river in the Red.

Rather than try and relate the EA gauges to the lock boards, I'd just go to the lock and look at the board and the river state and make my decision then. There is room to wind the boat and return to Nottingham, if you conclude that cowardice is the better part of discretion that day.

Jen

Edited December 4, 2021 by Jen-in-Wellies

[Detling]

Thanks Jen-in-Wellies I was being lazy and hoping to find out before I got to Beeston. I will of course look at the board there and the info that it means what is says is good.  I had heard that the last 2 miles was the hard bit, just before the junction where it gets easier again. Obviously it all depends on the rain over the next two weeks. 

[matty40s]

13 minutes ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

 Believe the red marker board at Beeston! It is telling the truth if you are on a narrowboat. 

Not often I would contradict you Jen, but I would say do NOT believe the Beeston marker.

Since the hydro electric scheme went in, the marker does not give a good reference of level or flow. A red below Cranfleet can now show Amber at Beeston.

[Jen-in-Wellies]

Just now, matty40s said:

Not often I would contradict you Jen, but I would say do NOT believe the Beeston marker.

Since the hydro electric scheme went in, the marker does not give a good reference of level or flow. A red below Cranfleet can now show Amber at Beeston.

It has been a few years since that red board incident, so it sounds like things have changed. Thanks for the heads up. Seems to be another place where a new hydro scheme, or flood prevention scheme with moving weirs make the old system of height boards unreliable. Water height no longer directly relating to flow speed, which is what you really want to know.

Jen

[roland elsdon]

We got stuck at Beeston on red 3 years ago. Waited for amber and took off. 
We were ok but fought through past the hydro to Cranfleet, under 1 mph a lot of the time. Engine was pretty hot by the time we got into cranfleet, and we did wonder if we were actually going forward.

The marker at Cranfleet was indeed red. 
Tied up on the canal . The Trent up to Sawley was fine the next day.

[David Mack]

Cranfleet hass just closed due to excess water

Notice Alert

Upper Trent
Location: Cranfleet Flood Lock
Starts At: Cranfleet Flood Gates
Ends At: Cranfleet Flood Gates

Sunday 5 December 2021 18:00 until further notice

Type: Navigation Closure
Reason: Water resources

---

 

Original message:

CAUTION STRONG STREAM 

Cranfleet Flood Gates have been closed. We advise users of all boats not to navigate because the strong flows make it difficult and dangerous (Locks may be closed).

 

 

You can view this notice and its map online here:
https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notice/21160/cranfleet-flood-lock

 

[Detling]

At 1.6m on the gauge I am not surprised looking at historical data that seems about when they close the flood lock. But what the current is then no idea from above it would suggest 3 or above mph which makes life awkward.. 

[Richard T]

My experience is that the river needs to be at 1.3m or lower as measured on the level at Shardlow shown on Gaugemap https://www.gaugemap.co.uk/#!Map/Summary/121/123 for the river to be in amber at Derwent Mouth Lock.

The gut below Cranfleet can be a problem if there is any fresh in the river - you need to be able to run at close to max revs for about 20minutes without overheating to counter it. There is a considerable pull from the hydro at Beeston if it is turned on. Keep well to the north bank to avoid it.

If in doubt about moving stay put in a safe place.

[frangar]

We once got caught on Soar & trent in flood in august due to some heavy rain locally. 
 

Turning left onto the trent from the soar made the boat go over like a mirror dingy with the current…and Derwent mouth was a series of small whirlpools & eddy currents that made life very interesting. Was very grateful to reach shardlow. 
 

I wouldn’t fancy doing it again like that but you live & learn. 

[Detling]

Thanks Everybody I will look at derwent lock on the way to Nottingham that will give me some idea before I rock up at Beeston.