Jump to content

North Oxford - Questions/Advice etc!


RebeccaM

Featured Posts

Just now, Nightwatch said:

Years ago, about six years, I ventured into the Bell &Barge for a beer. Whilst waiting I heard a commotion from the kitchen direction. After waiting for a while who I took as being the Manager(ess) came out and said the ‘so and so’ thinks he’s a bloody cook for some reason. It have never eaten in there. Many do, I don’t.

Theres a Hungry Horse (Peckish Donkey I call it) down beyond Tesco for standard fayre.

 

I take it you mean past Tesco by road. I have moored overnight at Brownsover but by choice I'd not stop between Hillmorton and Newbold.

 

There was a canalside Hungry Horse establishment at Hillmorton (Braunston side of the locks near the railway bridges) but that's now a Greene King carvery.

 

I've lived about a mile away from a Hungry Horse for about 25 years and never once felt inclined to actually go there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said:

 

I take it you mean past Tesco by road. I have moored overnight at Brownsover but by choice I'd not stop between Hillmorton and Newbold.

 

There was a canalside Hungry Horse establishment at Hillmorton (Braunston side of the locks near the railway bridges) but that's now a Greene King carvery.

 

I've lived about a mile away from a Hungry Horse for about 25 years and never once felt inclined to actually go there.

Either walk by the Road or down the Black Path and beyond. Not far. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

58 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said:

 

True about the Bell & Barge but I'd recommend a meal of gruel and water on the boat in preference to a Harvester.

We were greeted at the door with “Have you booked?” when we said no we got “hour, at least”, place was half full and empty tables covered in detritus. We left and went to Tesco. Not sure we’ve ever been Harvester’d, is it any worse than a Toby Carvery?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 minutes ago, Hudds Lad said:

We were greeted at the door with “Have you booked?” when we said no we got “hour, at least”, place was half full and empty tables covered in detritus. We left and went to Tesco. Not sure we’ve ever been Harvester’d, is it any worse than a Toby Carvery?

 

Something similar happened to me once but unfortunately we chose to stay and then waited two hours to get served. I think the kids were about 7 and 12 then so not good. You made the right choice. Harvester vs Toby Carvery is a nil-nil draw after extra time and the Toby wins 1-0 in the penalty shoot-out.

 

Thinking about it I have a Harvester at the opposite end of town from the Hungry Horse, I've been once and I bet that was 20 years ago.

 

  • Greenie 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 hours ago, Athy said:

This, so we were once told, is because the moored boats would be level with the houses' bedrooms! Perhaps curtains have not yet reached that part of the world.

That whole stretch used to be moorings. We actualy bought our first boat there with twenty pound notes, its only recently in the last few years the no mooring regime has been persued. That was a decent stretch of moorings gone.

  • Greenie 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Stroudwater1 said:

There isn’t much mooring from the bank at Ansty to Hawkesbury junction either unless you are a Coventry cruising  club member.

 

Not really a stretch on which you'd want to moor, unless you're a fan of motorways and overhead power lines.

 

A few weeks ago I followed a hire boat on and off all day from Braunston to the Wyken arm where they beckoned me to pass and told me they were going to turn. I tried to persuade them to go the extra mile to Sutton Stop but to no avail. Seemed a strange choice of destination for a hire. I guess they had set their time for turning in order tp get back to base.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 hours ago, john6767 said:

The boat Inn is very good for food, not cheap though and if the weather is not good, ie you don't want to be outside then you need to book.

And they don't like you occupying a table if you're not eating.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, pearley said:

And they don't like you occupying a table if you're not eating.

The Boat at the top of the locks? Having had the misfortune of some of a burger there last summer, I'd be happy to oblige and have indeed left their tables unbothered when passing since. Perhaps we were unlucky?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, pearley said:

And they don't like you occupying a table if you're not eating.

Inside I guess that is true, for us eating we are limited to the bar area if we have the dog.  if the weather allows that tables canal side would be fine for drinking.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Firstly, thanks to everyone who has replied.  I need to sit down with Canal Plan tomorrow and have a play around with some of your mooring suggestions to see how the times work out, and no doubt that will narrow down the food options further as well.  

On 20/06/2022 at 16:01, Captain Pegg said:

(snipped for brevity)

9. Take a walk through Braunston up to the shop at the bottom lock, and maybe even to the Admiral Nelson at the third lock.

(snipped)

Just to add that I disagree about it not being an attractive stretch of canal. The countryside around Braunston is fabulous and you are at the heart of the canal system and it's history. I'm always very happy to be cruising through Braunston and up to Hawkesbury.

Thanks for all your answers!  I don't think it's particularly unattractive from having seen the Waterway Routes DVD and also an old video of it (about 25 years old though so bound to be changes!!) but wanted to forestall the comments - almost every old thread I came across where people were asking for advice/opinons on the route tended to have someone saying it wasn't a great part.  Sometimes it was relevant (when people were choosing between several route options), but often it wasn't.  I'm not sure we'll find the northern portal of the tunnel...! 

 

Is that "The Boat Shop"?  I actually emailed them to check their opening times recently, some places seemed to suggest they had extended opening hours in the summer and I was hoping that if we got an early start from Stockton and made good time we might make it on the first night before they close.  Unfortunately they're closing at 6pm so it's highly unlikely, so we'll probably stop on the way back instead.  I've got my eye on one of the cross stitch kits, having finished my last one (a ballerina design) a couple of weeks back. 

 

On 20/06/2022 at 16:05, john6767 said:

We did Calcutt marina to Hawkesbury and back last week. We left the marina late afternoon on the Sunday and we back on our pontoon at 2pm on Thursday, so similar time except you will be Monday to Friday and need to be back by 9:30am on Friday.  We moored about a mile north of Braunston, All Oaks Wood, Hawkesbury junction, top of Hillmorton locks, then back to Calcutt.  I would suggest that for last night you need to at least be in the area of bridge 102/103 between Braunston and Napton, or better above Calcutt locks (plenty of time to get to Stockton), so you can’t really have a night at Hawkesbury.  Perhaps something like, a mile north of Braunston, Ansty, turn at Hawkesbury and back to bottom of Hillmorton, top of Calcutt locks.  As to eating with such a short trip it may be better to eat on 5he boat in the evenings, but the pub in Ansty may be OK (never used it personally).

 

(snipped for brevity)

 

Personally I use the tunnel light in Newbold tunnel, you will have a working one so there is no reason not to.

 

(snipped for brevity)

 

 

We did all our meals on the boat last time - partly through lack of choices, partly because it was still the tail end of the covid restrictions so it was difficult to know if we'd be able to.  I do want to eat out once this time but it probably will only be the once!  I'm sure we'd probably use the light in the tunnel for the novelty/photo opportunity even if it isn't necessary knowing us.  We got the gangplank out when we moored for lunch once last time - my husband could actually get off the boat without it (...he's 6'2 and it's almost all in his legs!) but we wanted to say we'd used it!

 

On 20/06/2022 at 16:15, nicknorman said:

2 and 3…

 

Some parts of the N Oxford are difficult to moor against, due to sloping stone sides, and there is also a busy railway immediately adjacent in some parts. But there are some parts that are moorable especially South of All Oaks. Tricky to moor between Stretton and Ansty IIRC.

 

The stretch of canal between All Oaks and the bridge you mention, is at first piled (the visitor moorings) but as said, it can get full early. However the bit of canal after that up to the bridge, is deep at the sides and you can get right in. It just means you are on stakes. We moored there (beyond the piling) last month and it was fine.

We used mooring pins at every mooring last time so not too concerned about that aspect (especially as it wouldn't be overnight) if we moor there for the castle visit - useful to know it is doable if the official mooring is full, thank you. 

 

On 20/06/2022 at 16:22, The Happy Nomad said:

Ah, that looks helpful! 

 

On 20/06/2022 at 16:22, Captain Pegg said:

 

Being a woman I suspect the OP won't have any problem in reading, understanding and acting upon the simple request that all paddles should be wound down.

Husband does the locks generally, we go a bit against the grain there - I don't think he'll risk his hands as he plays piano/organ...! 

 

On 20/06/2022 at 16:32, Athy said:

Depending on your timings, Greyhound at Sutton's, yes, Barley Mow at Newbold yes  Good moorings at Newbold, which from memory also has rubbish disposal shortly before the tunnel.

   The tunnel is, in theory .lit by numerous multi-coloured lights, but last time we went through (2019 I think) the maintenance people had failed to replace the bulbs and not a single one was in working order. So yes, use your headlight. Ansty visitor moorings are pleasant and near a family pub, but they're on bends and, being shortish, tend to fill up quickly. Moorings at Stretton Stop are scarce, but we have moored just round the corner, beyond the tall bridge (railway viaduct?) The "collapsed cutting" hadn't, last time we went through itt, but some parts are unstable and have been sausaged off.

   Like most canals, the N. Oxford has its attractive bits and its boringly functional bits!

Yes, I'd seen various threads about the lights gradually going out and not being replaced; shame as it would have made for nice pictures!  Likewise looking at the pictures in the massive photo thread I've seen that the cat painted under one of the bridges at Hawkesbury is fading away, and that's something we want to try to photograph.  It wasn't the reason for going that way but it is a nice bonus as we are both a bit cat mad. 

 

On 20/06/2022 at 18:36, Lily Rose said:

Recycling - for years we have been taking our recycling home with us (on trips of no more than 2 weeks). However, I recently read some advice from CRT that said recycling can go into their red Biffa bins as these are sorted to pull out the recycling. I would think it needs to go in loose as bagged stuff would probably be assumed as containing rubbish. There are dedicated recycling bins at Hawksbury Junction. See note below *

 

For the last night, unless you are happy with an early start the following morning, I would suggest coming down the 3 Calcutt locks and then mooring on stakes (pins) anywhere you fancy on the straight stretch after the 1st (or 2nd) entrance to Ventnor Marina. Alternatively continue on as far as the Willow Wren centre at Nelson Wharf, with its two large wooden buildings and 3(?) holiday pods. You can moor just before it (but not opposite) or between their arm entrance and the next bridge. This gives you a very short trip back to base the next morning and also the opportunity to walk ahead to The Boat Inn for good beer and food on your last evening. So I'm told!  I haven't been in for several years but I believe it's still good. I'm sure others will correct me if it's gone downhill.

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g504202-d6873603-Reviews-The_Boat_Inn-Rugby_Warwickshire_England.html

 

 

 

We took our recycling (and possibly all our rubbish, I can't remember!) home last time.  I actually couldn't care less where the recycling goes, but husband is a bit recycling-mad (his parents were very into it back in the eighties when he was a child) and is the sort of person who will pick up all the rubbish he finds anywhere too and rather than chuck it in a public bin, will bring it home to recycle.  (Mostly a good quality until you're on a walk, want to hold hands, and realise he's picked up three beer cans and a water bottle that's spent at least a week in a muddy puddle....)

 

It's not so much the early start that bothers me regarding get past the locks, so much as the irrational fear someone will break them overnight and we'd be stuck at the last hurdle!  The Waterway Routes did seem to suggest there was some okay spots to moor beyond them so good to have that confirmed.

 

On 20/06/2022 at 18:44, MtB said:

1) Not really eating out but I'd recommend fish and chips from the chippy at the far end of Brinklow high street. 

 

Only a very few F&C shops in Englandshire do REALLY GOOD cod and chips. The Brinklow shop one of them.

 

Flippin' long walk from the canal though IIRC, but you're most of the way there by the time you get to the castle!

 

That's a couple of recommendations for the fish and chips there... personally I'd be all for it but the husband is not mad on them!  I might be able to do some arm twisting though.  I do remember we had fish and chips for lunch while visiting St David's some years back.  I don't remember what the fish was like but the chips there were extremely good.. unfortunately the weather wasn't! 

 

12 hours ago, Puffling said:

Where I moored was only a fairly short walk on a footpath through to the main street in Brinklow. It was just north of the Brinklow Aqueduct, but you'll need something to keep you off the side here ( I have a couple of tyres, handy accessories on the N Oxford). Last winter when I was there the towpath was a muddy trial, but that's by no means the only place you'd encounter mud on the North Oxford at that time of year.

When we hired last year with Wyvern they did supply (very basic) fenders, but I rather gathered from my research at the time that not all hire companies do, apparently because of hirers forgetting to take them up.  (I don't think we ever forgot that - we did forget to put them out once when moored for lunch but realised before fully securing the boat so we were able to push it out a little and drop them into place!)  Kate Boats don't list them in their inventory of boat equipment so not sure if they will.

 

12 hours ago, Hudds Lad said:

The moorings by Rugby Golf course have the added bonus of the occasional free ball, seen several go in the cut whilst moored there and the boat in front of us got hit, so something to look out for.

Oh, a few free golf balls would be useful.  I coach netball and often do passing games where we add in smaller and smaller balls - smallest I currently use is a tennis ball, someone was muttering "it'll be a ping pong ball next" last time I did it, golf ball would be about that size!  Or on the other hand given how often those games descend into choas with balls flying everywhere (and how much I hate using first aid skills), perhaps a golf ball might not be wise.

 

7 hours ago, Captain Pegg said:

 

A few weeks ago I followed a hire boat on and off all day from Braunston to the Wyken arm where they beckoned me to pass and told me they were going to turn. I tried to persuade them to go the extra mile to Sutton Stop but to no avail. Seemed a strange choice of destination for a hire. I guess they had set their time for turning in order tp get back to base.

Funnily enough when I first started planning I believe it was the Wyken Arm I had as our destination.  It was only when I watched the Waterway Routes DVD that I realised that getting to (or more importantly, turning at) Hawkesbury would be doable.

 

I hope that was everything I meant to reply to!  Thank you again for everyone's comments and advice so far.  

 

PS: apologies if there are some random letters inserted somewhere in this post - the cursor leapt somewhere random at some point while I was typing, but I couldn't see where!   I also hope I've kept all the quotes straight. 

  • Greenie 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

@RebeccaM Yes it is the Boat Shop at Braunston. I didn't especially mean you should visit it just that it's the other end of Braunston from where you'll pass and there's a lot of canal related stuff in between. I do like the shop though as it is a bit of a throwback. It's the couple's home and they appear from their living room when you enter and trigger the bell. It sells general stuff and canal related artefacts. I always like to buy something as I pass as there aren't many places like that left. You could walk one way along the canal and then up the track that crosses the bridge at the bottom lock to the village and back via the chip shop/butchers/post office/general store/pub/church. The view from the top of the field above the bottom lock does look like something from a past time. I'll be in Braunston myself the weekend after next, my boat is going into dock.

 

As for Newbold I can't recall the lights working for at least five years now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@RebeccaM I don't mind taking our recycling home (or back to the marina now that they have recently added a recycling bin) but where the sorting of Biffa bins comes in handy, now that I know about it, is for other people's stuff that we collect. For the last few years my wife has taken to using a pond net to fish as much stuff as possible out of the canal as we pootle along. Much of this is bottles and cans and previously we had to either take it back to the marina or put it in with our rubbish. Now we know about the sorting we are happy to put it loose into the red Biffa bins.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

34 minutes ago, Lily Rose said:

@RebeccaM I don't mind taking our recycling home (or back to the marina now that they have recently added a recycling bin) but where the sorting of Biffa bins comes in handy, now that I know about it, is for other people's stuff that we collect. For the last few years my wife has taken to using a pond net to fish as much stuff as possible out of the canal as we pootle along. Much of this is bottles and cans and previously we had to either take it back to the marina or put it in with our rubbish. Now we know about the sorting we are happy to put it loose into the red Biffa bins.

 

CRT need to communicate to boaters that they sort the rubbish, although as suggested I suspect it only works if the user separates and bags their recyclable material. I have long been baffled as to why they advertise recycling facilities on the gates to rubbish disposal points but inside the best you will find is a bin for glass in addition to those for general waste. 

 

I may have the opportunity to raise this with CRT at the weekend.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

58 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said:

 

CRT need to communicate to boaters that they sort the rubbish, although as suggested I suspect it only works if the user separates and bags their recyclable material. I have long been baffled as to why they advertise recycling facilities on the gates to rubbish disposal points but inside the best you will find is a bin for glass in addition to those for general waste. 

 

 

 

Surely the opposite: recyclable items would be removed only if they were NOT bagged?

As for glass recycling: half a loaf.....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

26 minutes ago, Athy said:

Surely the opposite: recyclable items would be removed only if they were NOT bagged?

As for glass recycling: half a loaf.....

 

No, because that means someone has to delve through a load of contamination to extract the recyclable items and if that also means opening an opaque bin bag is it really going to happen?

 

Surely it's more likely to get separated if it's clean and in a transparent bag, that's what councils that don't use wheelie bins require.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Captain Pegg said:

 

No, because that means someone has to delve through a load of contamination to extract the recyclable items and if that also means opening an opaque bin bag is it really going to happen?

 

Surely it's more likely to get separated if it's clean and in a transparent bag, that's what councils that don't use wheelie bins require.

 

 

I wish they would clarify this issue. Both our own recycling bin and the one at the marina (two different councils) require recycling stuff to be loose. Because of this I have been assuming we should put it in the CRT bins loose though that does risk contamination. I would assume anything bagged would be treated as rubbish. Even in white bin bags it isn't always possible to tell that they only contain recyclables. Even if clear bags were used (are clear bin bags a thing?) it might be difficult to tell if they contain a lot of stuff. 

 

I think I'll stick with loose until I hear something that suggests otherwise.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Probably depends at what stage the sorting is done - if it's done after everything is collected and thrown together possibly it's irrelevant whether it's bagged or not?  I'm not sure how it works.  I do know work provided a recycling bin in the mess room when our new depot opened in 2016, which some of us dutifully use... but if you have one of the rare duties where your meal break is actually at our depot and coincides with the cleaner's rounds, you'll see him empty it into the same bag as the regular one!  I've no idea if that gets sorted later or not, but it does seem a bit pointless to provide the separate bin in the first place if you're just going to throw it all in together anyway. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 minutes ago, Athy said:

What else would they be?

 

Bin bags are obviously a thing.

 

Clear bags are obviously a thing.

 

I don't think I've come across clear bin bags so possibly they are not really a thing?

 

I loved the West Wing, probably my favourite ever TV series, watched it 4 times. Why mention that? Because, it seems, that was where "is that really a thing" came about and it is now in the Oxford English Dictionary. https://qz.com/1015662/post-truth-woke-and-a-new-definition-for-thing-the-latest-updates-to-the-oxford-english-dictionary/

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They have clear bin bags at work (London Underground) but not sure how easy they are for the general public to get hold of. 

 

I have now remembered another question I was going to ask:  any water points that are best avoided due to low pressure, connection issues, someone is always moored there, always a queue etc?  Or the flip side, which water points are best to use?  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.