Trip around the Leicester ring

[Philip]

I'm hoping to do the Leicester ring in a couple of weeks, subject to the River Soar not being in flood. I've planned just over 2 weeks for it although I have some slack with extra days off at the end in case I fall behind schedule. The following is is a rough itinerary I have in mind, so I'd be be grateful if anyone could point to any days which look unrealistic please? The section from Derwent Mouth through to Norton Junction via Soar, Leicester and Foxton will be completely new ground! I'll just add that I tend to average 9-10 hours per day cruising most of the time at this time of year (not shy of the occasional 12 hour day), so I'm basing the plan around this.

 

Day 1 (first full day): Middlewich to Red Bull

Day 2: Red Bull to Sandon/Great Haywood

Day 3: Sandon to Alrewas

Day 4: Alrewas to Shardlow

Day 5: Shardlow to Mountsorrel or Birstall with short trip up the Erewash Canal - about 2-3 miles before turning around.

Day 6: Mountsorrell or Birstall to Kilby Bridge

Day 7: Kilby Bridge to bottom of Foxton, including the Market Harborough arm.

Day 8: Foxton bottom to Crick including Welford Arm

Day 9: Crick to Stoke Bruerne

Day 10: Stoke Bruerne to Braunston

Day 11: Braunston to bottom of Hatton

Day 12: Hatton bottom to Catherine de Barnes

Day 13: CdeB to Birmingham centre via Ashtead/Farmer's Bridge

Day 14: Birmingham to Brewood

Day 15 (last full day): Brewood to Audlem

 

From day 9 onwards it's a route which I did August year before last, also as you will probably guess the detour to Stoke Bruerne depends if the trip is going to plan and I how I feel at the time. If I can't be bothered then I'll just have a chill out day and go from Crick to Braunston and thus save a day.

 

Any thoughts or advice?

 

Edited April 8, 2022 by Philip

[Scholar Gypsy]

I would say the rest of the Erewash is more interesting than the Market Harbrourgh Arm. 

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

You will need a chill out day. 
You planning on enjoying any stop overs?

 

If you like your hours do the BCN challenge. 
 

Personally I like a rest of 3 weeks moving from Cambrian Wharf to Brindley Place. 

[IanD]

1 hour ago, Scholar Gypsy said:

I would say the rest of the Erewash is more interesting than the Market Harbrourgh Arm. 

Here's where we stopped when we did the ring in a fortnight:

 

 

 

[Philip]

57 minutes ago, Goliath said:

You will need a chill out day. 
You planning on enjoying any stop overs?

 

If you like your hours do the BCN challenge. 
 

Personally I like a rest of 3 weeks moving from Cambrian Wharf to Brindley Place. 

 

I prefer to go long hours to get to the places I want to and see as much canal scenery as I can. I don't mind the odd day off or 'sightseeing' day, but generally I Iike to cruise from early morning to 6-7pmish and then go for a pint and a good meal (hopefully) once tied up. I could take another week of annual leave to allow for shorter days, but this means less leave for the rest of the year which I could otherwise use for another boat trip somewhere.  

19 minutes ago, IanD said:

Here's where we stopped when we did the ring in a fortnight:

 

 

 

Thanks, will have a look. 

Edited April 8, 2022 by Philip

[Philip]

1 hour ago, Scholar Gypsy said:

I would say the rest of the Erewash is more interesting than the Market Harbrourgh Arm. 

 

I'd like to do all of it but really depends on the weather and the forecast over the next couple of days. If it looks like the Soar might be in flood I'll be going to Leicester as an out and back trip via the West Midlands and the GU Leicester Section/Foxton.

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

7 minutes ago, Philip said:

 

I prefer to go long hours to get to the places I want to and see as much canal scenery as I can. I don't mind the odd day off or 'sightseeing' day, but generally I Iike to cruise from early morning to 6-7pmish and then go for a pint and a good meal (hopefully) once tied up. I could take another week of annual leave to allow for shorter days, but this means less leave for the rest of the year which I could otherwise use for another boat trip somewhere.  

Thanks, will have a look. 

Hopefully you got a good crew. 
Always makes it a tad easier. 
👍

Im gauging it as a single hander where I’d take maybe twice the time. 
 Birmingham to Wolverhampton always catches me out, only the 3 Factory locks ? but seems to take an age. So I have to go for a pint. And then do Brewood the next day. 

[Philip]

29 minutes ago, Goliath said:

Hopefully you got a good crew. 
Always makes it a tad easier. 
👍

Im gauging it as a single hander where I’d take maybe twice the time. 
 Birmingham to Wolverhampton always catches me out, only the 3 Factory locks ? but seems to take an age. So I have to go for a pint. And then do Brewood the next day. 

 

Will be single handed most of the time.

 

I did do Birmingham to Brewood via Factory/Wolverhampton in August 2020 with a quick detour through Netherton tunnel and back; it was still light when I reached Brewood. Next day was below lock 11 Audlem. 

Edited April 8, 2022 by Philip

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

1 minute ago, Philip said:

 

Will be single handed most of the time.

 

I did do Birmingham to Brewood via Factory/Wolverhampton in August 2020 with a quick detour through Netherton tunnel and back; it was still light when I reached Brewood. Next day was below lock 11 Audlem.

Hats off to you that’s proper proper good going on your own. 
 

Shit, I’m gonna have to up me game 😃

 

a few times I’ve tried to get from the shroppie fly to the anchor but never made it. Just ran out of steam (me not boat) an hour or so before getting there. That’s probably

me limit.
Must try harder. 😃 


 

[Philip]

10 minutes ago, Goliath said:

Hats off to you that’s proper proper good going on your own. 
 

Shit, I’m gonna have to up me game 😃

 

a few times I’ve tried to get from the shroppie fly to the anchor but never made it. Just ran out of steam (me not boat) an hour or so before getting there. That’s probably

me limit.
Must try harder. 😃 


 

 

I have to add that I had help from a friend at Audlem and Adderley... I've done Audlem to Wheaton Aston in a day beforehand with just time to tie up and go for a meal at the Hartley Arms, but I have to be honest I try to avoid doing this now as it's too long a day - I don't mind the locks, I just find the 17 mile pound between Tyrley and Wheaton Aston a bit much to do in one go after 20-odd locks in the morning/early afternoon. Somehow I find it an easier day doing the long pound first then doing all the locks in the afternoon and early eve before stopping at Audlem for the night.

Edited April 8, 2022 by Philip

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

Another long day for me is leaving Birmingham and heading for Fazely 

I can get to wishaw easily but I know if I go any further I’ll be had enough. 

 

I think the trick is to know when to stop before I’ve had enough…and before the pubs have stopped serving food. 

[Philip]

Is the Erewash reasonably ok to do single handed- any good places to moor for the night or places to avoid? Also are there safe overnight moorings at Birstall and Thurmaston? I can't decide whether to stop around Birstall or go into Leicester and use the secure offside moorings in the centre, then an early start the next day to hopefully get to not far below Kibworth locks.

Edited April 9, 2022 by Philip

[Scholar Gypsy]

22 minutes ago, Philip said:

Is the Erewash reasonably ok to do single handed- any good places to moor for the night or places to avoid? Also are there safe overnight moorings at Birstall and Thurmaston?

Yes, I would say so. I did it in 2019. Day 1 was Kegworth to Langley Mill which was a bit much, Day 2 Langley Mill to Ilkeston, stopping well before the M1 crossing which is noisy. Nice moorings also at Sandiacre (beneath the church). Day 3 Ilkeston to Nottingham, I can send map links if you like.

https://scholargypsy.org.uk/2019/06/06/spring-cruise-3-erewash-canal/ 

As I remember, the Birstall moorings were rather full, but there were some nice spots either side of Thurmaston. I arrived in Leicester at 2000 and left at 0500 so did not get a very close view of it at all!

Edited April 9, 2022 by Scholar Gypsy

[Philip]

53 minutes ago, Scholar Gypsy said:

Yes, I would say so. I did it in 2019. Day 1 was Kegworth to Langley Mill which was a bit much, Day 2 Langley Mill to Ilkeston, stopping well before the M1 crossing which is noisy. Nice moorings also at Sandiacre (beneath the church). Day 3 Ilkeston to Nottingham, I can send map links if you like.

https://scholargypsy.org.uk/2019/06/06/spring-cruise-3-erewash-canal/ 

As I remember, the Birstall moorings were rather full, but there were some nice spots either side of Thurmaston. I arrived in Leicester at 2000 and left at 0500 so did not get a very close view of it at all!

 

Thanks for your help - great pictures and trip report of the Erewash! With it being quite early on in the trip and before the Soar passage I wonder whether it'd be better to leave the full Erewash for another trip and just do a little bit of the southern end...but then again it looks like I'll be missing out by not going all the way!

[Bod]

On 08/04/2022 at 16:29, Philip said:

I'm hoping to do the Leicester ring in a couple of weeks, subject to the River Soar not being in flood. I've planned just over 2 weeks for it although I have some slack with extra days off at the end in case I fall behind schedule. The following is is a rough itinerary I have in mind, so I'd be be grateful if anyone could point to any days which look unrealistic please? The section from Derwent Mouth through to Norton Junction via Soar, Leicester and Foxton will be completely new ground! I'll just add that I tend to average 9-10 hours per day cruising most of the time at this time of year (not shy of the occasional 12 hour day), so I'm basing the plan around this.

 

Day 1 (first full day): Middlewich to Red Bull

Day 2: Red Bull to Sandon/Great Haywood

Day 3: Sandon to Alrewas

Day 4: Alrewas to Shardlow

Day 5: Shardlow to Mountsorrel or Birstall with short trip up the Erewash Canal - about 2-3 miles before turning around.

Day 6: Mountsorrell or Birstall to Kilby Bridge

Day 7: Kilby Bridge to bottom of Foxton, including the Market Harborough arm.

Day 8: Foxton bottom to Crick including Welford Arm

Day 9: Crick to Stoke Bruerne

Day 10: Stoke Bruerne to Braunston

Day 11: Braunston to bottom of Hatton

Day 12: Hatton bottom to Catherine de Barnes

Day 13: CdeB to Birmingham centre via Ashtead/Farmer's Bridge

Day 14: Birmingham to Brewood

Day 15 (last full day): Brewood to Audlem

 

From day 9 onwards it's a route which I did August year before last, also as you will probably guess the detour to Stoke Bruerne depends if the trip is going to plan and I how I feel at the time. If I can't be bothered then I'll just have a chill out day and go from Crick to Braunston and thus save a day.

 

Any thoughts or advice?

 

Day 7, Road swing bridge at Foxton is very heavy to open/close.

Day 8, 9, Be aware there are strict opening hours at Foxton and Watford locks, can also be long queues. Could be held up overnight at either or both!  Long summit pound, is not deep, so speed will be restricted.

Day 9,10, Are you sure about going to Stoke Bruerne, it's a long way off the Leicester Ring.

All in, I feel you are expecting to have a very high average speed, leaving no time for hold ups/shopping, or even loo breaks, if single handing.

 

Bod.

[Philip]

7 hours ago, Bod said:

Day 7, Road swing bridge at Foxton is very heavy to open/close.

Day 8, 9, Be aware there are strict opening hours at Foxton and Watford locks, can also be long queues. Could be held up overnight at either or both!  Long summit pound, is not deep, so speed will be restricted.

Day 9,10, Are you sure about going to Stoke Bruerne, it's a long way off the Leicester Ring.

All in, I feel you are expecting to have a very high average speed, leaving no time for hold ups/shopping, or even loo breaks, if single handing.

 

Bod.

 

Thanks for the advice and info re the Leicester section. I agree going to Stoke Bruerne is probably too much extra, I like the place having cruised through the last couple of years, but perhaps best to leave it for this trip and just head straight back towards Birmingham.

[Scholar Gypsy]

On 09/04/2022 at 18:21, Philip said:

 

Thanks for your help - great pictures and trip report of the Erewash! With it being quite early on in the trip and before the Soar passage I wonder whether it'd be better to leave the full Erewash for another trip and just do a little bit of the southern end...but then again it looks like I'll be missing out by not going all the way!

It get's a lot better as you go further north. Long Eaton is a bit suburban.