Fazeley, Coventry, Trent & Mersey, River Soar, Leicester - what's this like?

[bpboat]

What are the canals like in these canals/areas?   Nice/horrible/interesting/safe?  

Any particular bits to avoid / or to visit and spend time in?

 

Firstly the canal between Minworth & Fazeley -

Then up to Fradley, right past Burton on Trent towards Nottingham

Then right onto River Soar down to Leicester

Then back down to Grand Union.

 

I look forward to your thoughts - thanks!

[nicknorman]

Minworth marks the border between Birmingham grot and  the countryside. So north of Minworth it is vey pleasant. The Curdworth locks are lovely save for M42 noise. From Curdworth bottom lock to Fazeley is rural if rather straight. All “safe”.

After Fazeley it’s a pleasant run to Fradley, rural with a few villages. Turning right at Fradley takes you through the pretty village of Alrewas (good place  to moor) and  a short river section, which can flood so check the signs (at Fradley, then at the river lock at Alrewas). After the river section there a tedious long straight right beside a noisy dual carriageway but once that is cleared it’s pleasant again until the edge of Burton. Like any large town or city one has to be a bit sensible about where to moor for the night so best to moor at Branston or after the town. Mooring overnight in Burton at the park is probably fine but one is occasionally troubled by bored kids.

 

After Burton it’s all very pleasant until the Trent, just be aware that the wide locks can be powerful but since you are going downhill it won’t be an issue. Trent is big and wide and normally pretty currentless, but of course in times of flood it can be dangerous. The Soar is lovely but of course going uphill in wide locks requires a bit of care. On rivers you need to think more about where to stop as there is no convenient towpath piling to tie up to - except on the canal bits of course.

 

Leicester is a shit hole, best passed through as quickly as possible with eyes closed. Then there is a long and rather tedious succession of wide locks climbing out of Leicester, which are very hard work. Best to pair up with another boat if poss. After Kilby things improve and Foxton is reached. Be aware that opening times are limited and there can be delays. The summit pound is lovely, probably the best on this route, if a bit shallow. Watford locks same as Foxton, then you are down onto the Grand Union main line.

 

[Rob-M]

In addition to Nick's review above, we enjoyed heading from Foxton to Market Harborough and on the summit level the Welford Arm.

[Arf]

1 hour ago, Rob-M said:

we enjoyed heading from Foxton to Market Harborough and on the summit level the Welford Arm.

Did a similar trip a couple of years ago - the summit of the GU, Market Harborough Arm and (especially) Welford Arm were the best bits.

 

If you've not already done it and have time, a there and back detour down the Cov and up to the end of the Ashby is well worth it too. 

[Jen-in-Wellies]

1 hour ago, nicknorman said:

Leicester is a shit hole, best passed through as quickly as possible with eyes closed

I'd add the caveat that there are good moorings in the centre of Leicester that can be used to break what would otherwise be a long day in to two. Been a while since I last boated through there. I've overnighted at Castle Gardens a few times. Not been to Frog Island moorings yet.

[PaulJ]

18 minutes ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

I'd add the caveat that there are good moorings in the centre of Leicester that can be used to break what would otherwise be a long day in to two. Been a while since I last boated through there. I've overnighted at Castle Gardens a few times. Not been to Frog Island moorings yet.

Theres also a cracking secure mooring just past Castle Moorings (cant remember name of it-maybe Friars Mill) as well as good moorings either side of  Leicester -Birstall and Aylestone area. Some lovely new mooring rings just been added a few weeks ago above Blue Bank lock too.

Ive never had a problem there personally though will admit the Golden Mile is a little grim 😃 

[IanD]

44 minutes ago, Arf said:

Did a similar trip a couple of years ago - the summit of the GU, Market Harborough Arm and (especially) Welford Arm were the best bits.

 

If you've not already done it and have time, a there and back detour down the Cov and up to the end of the Ashby is well worth it too. 

 

The moorings at the end of the Welford Arm are nice (assuming you can find a spot!), and the pub there is friendly, has very good beer and possibly the best fish and chips I've ever had in a pub -- on a par with the best chippie in Whitby, to put it in context 😉

[PaulJ]

This one!

[Jen-in-Wellies]

13 minutes ago, PaulJ said:

Theres also a cracking secure mooring just past Castle Moorings (cant remember name of it-maybe Friars Mill) as well as good moorings either side of  Leicester -Birstall and Aylestone area. Some lovely new mooring rings just been added a few weeks ago above Blue Bank lock too.

Ive never had a problem there personally though will admit the Golden Mile is a little grim 😃 

That's the one. For some reason I thought it was called Frog Island, but Friar's Mill it is. Not been there, as it hadn't been set up for mooring the last time I went through. https://canalplan.uk/place/rvth

 

Edited March 30, 2022 by Jen-in-Wellies

[PD1964]

Leicester is fine and a good place to stop and stock up for a day or two, never had any trouble there even mooring opposite the Castle Garden moorings on the pedestrian side. 

Edited March 30, 2022 by PD1964

[nicknorman]

42 minutes ago, PD1964 said:

Leicester is fine and a good place to stop and stock up for a day or two, never had any trouble there even mooring opposite the Castle Garden moorings on the pedestrian side. 

Yes of course one can moor at castle garden moorings (often full) or even the new facility (didnt know it existed). Plague, death and destruction are unlikely. But everything is relative, and relative to the rest of the route, Leicester is a shit hole. Lots of rubbish (mostly clothing) to get round the prop and stinking black sludge on the bottom.

Edited March 30, 2022 by nicknorman

[PD1964]

1 minute ago, nicknorman said:

Yes of course one can moor at castle garden moorings (often full) or even the new facility (didnt know it existed). Plague, death and destruction are unlikely. But everything is relative, and relative to the rest of the route, Leicester is a shit hole. Lots of rubbish (mostly clothing) to get round the prop and stinking black sludge on the bottom.

 It’s all down to personal experiences, so you had something around the prop and the moorings were full, I take it you didn’t want to moor opposite and didn’t enjoy it. Yes the Garden moorings get hogged sometimes, so do the new moorings, from what I seen last time by certain widebeams when I passed. But I’ve never had any trouble and found it a nice spot to spend a day or two in the city. It’s a City centre so obviously not picturesque like the countryside. But ok to stop over.

[Rob-M]

1 hour ago, nicknorman said:

Yes of course one can moor at castle garden moorings (often full) or even the new facility (didnt know it existed). Plague, death and destruction are unlikely. But everything is relative, and relative to the rest of the route, Leicester is a shit hole. Lots of rubbish (mostly clothing) to get round the prop and stinking black sludge on the bottom.

Last time we went through there was so much crap on the lock side at the lock before Leicester, it was swarming with rats.  The boat we were with removed an item of clothing off their blades in the lock before and after Leicester.  We've never stopped in Leicester, always have an early start and boat straight through.

[Puffling]

3 hours ago, PD1964 said:

Leicester is fine and a good place to stop and stock up for a day or two, never had any trouble there even mooring opposite the Castle Garden moorings on the pedestrian side. 

What about the mooring at Aylestone these days, is it still a recommended mooring?

 

It was often in use when I was there last year, but there was that apparent vandalism incident not long ago when a boat was apparently untied and a lock paddle opened.

[pearley]

3 hours ago, PaulJ said:

This one!

Don't bother thinking you can use the electricity pillars, never been connected.

[PD1964]

1 hour ago, Rob-M said:

Last time we went through there was so much crap on the lock side at the lock before Leicester, it was swarming with rats.  The boat we were with removed an item of clothing off their blades in the lock before and after Leicester.  We've never stopped in Leicester, always have an early start and boat straight through.

The worst bit with the lack of water is from Limekiln lock( this might be the lock your on about) coming into the city from North.

 The clothing thing I hear is maybe from the Sikh community when they get married throwing an item of clothing into the river for luck??? and once I went through there was a lot of coconut’s with candles in floating around, again another religious ceremony I hear. Is it any worse then going into Liverpool or any other city?

  It’s good to go into City’s and large towns every now and then to break up the sometimes boring countryside, especially when single handed.

[MaryP]

6 hours ago, IanD said:

 

The moorings at the end of the Welford Arm are nice (assuming you can find a spot!), and the pub there is friendly, has very good beer and possibly the best fish and chips I've ever had in a pub -- on a par with the best chippie in Whitby, to put it in context 😉

That Ian, is a high bar! Whitby fish and chips are amazing!

[enigmatic]

Leicester really isn't that bad, and I say it as someone who got rather more of the water on the filthiest stretch on me than planned and heckled by fishermen! There's parks to the north, the short really grungy section which takes very little time to pass through, a long very straight bit of river lined with apartment blocks, and then parks to the south. Gated moorings a short walk from a perfectly adequate city centre.

 

Stretch of canal south of Leicester is great (bar the annoying refusal of the gates to close on the double locks up from Leicester), especially the elevated section with views near Foxton.

[PD1964]

7 hours ago, IanD said:

 

The moorings at the end of the Welford Arm are nice (assuming you can find a spot!), and the pub there is friendly, has very good beer and possibly the best fish and chips I've ever had in a pub -- on a par with the best chippie in Whitby, to put it in context 😉

 And if you want to build up an apatite before, it’s a nice walk around the Welford reservoir.

https://northamptonshirewalks.co.uk/about/walk-116-welford-reservoir-circular-two-hidden-gems/

[BD3Bill]

Planning on doing this very route starting from Stockton/Braunston/North Oxford clockwise. So many thanks to all for the input ! 

 

[reg]

7 hours ago, PD1964 said:

Leicester is fine and a good place to stop and stock up for a day or two, never had any trouble there even mooring opposite the Castle Garden moorings on the pedestrian side. 

Please Never ever do this.

[Mike Todd]

25 minutes ago, reg said:

Please Never ever do this.

About four years ago (before the new moorings were open) we had to do that and had no problem whatsoever.

[PD1964]

41 minutes ago, reg said:

Please Never ever do this.

Why?

  Please give us your reason for saying that.

I never had any issues with mooring there when the Garden moorings were full.

[IanD]

2 hours ago, MaryP said:

That Ian, is a high bar! Whitby fish and chips are amazing!

It is, and the pub reached it. They are indeed amazing, Silver Street Fisheries is probably the best -- certainly better than The Magpie (and considerably cheaper!) last time I was there.

 

5 hours ago, Puffling said:

What about the mooring at Aylestone these days, is it still a recommended mooring?

 

It was often in use when I was there last year, but there was that apparent vandalism incident not long ago when a boat was apparently untied and a lock paddle opened.

 

I moored there and it was fine, there's a very good pub nearby too -- the Black Horse, up the appropriately named Narrow Lane 🙂

Edited March 30, 2022 by IanD

[PaulJ]

8 minutes ago, IanD said:

I moored there and it was fine, there's a very good pub nearby too -- the Black Horse, up the appropriately named Narrow Lane 🙂

I banged my head as I was tying the boat up to the railings just outside Aldi.

And thats the worse I know about it 😀