Winding at Cuttle Bridge No 25 on Grand Union

[JoshS]

Hi and apologies if this is the wrong forum for this. 

 

I was wondering if it was possible to wind a 57' narrowboat at Bridge 25 on the Grand Union (by the Cuttle Inn and Two Boats Inn). Its marked as a winding hole without length restriction on the Waterway Routes map but doesn't seem to be marked on any other map or guide. Looking at it on Google satellite view it doesn't appear to be very wide there, but it can sometimes be deceiving. 

 

There is currently a stoppage at Bridge 24 preventing me from winding at the arm past Stockton Bottom Lock. 

[alias]

1 hour ago, JoshS said:

Hi and apologies if this is the wrong forum for this. 

 

I was wondering if it was possible to wind a 57' narrowboat at Bridge 25 on the Grand Union (by the Cuttle Inn and Two Boats Inn). Its marked as a winding hole without length restriction on the Waterway Routes map but doesn't seem to be marked on any other map or guide. Looking at it on Google satellite view it doesn't appear to be very wide there, but it can sometimes be deceiving. 

 

There is currently a stoppage at Bridge 24 preventing me from winding at the arm past Stockton Bottom Lock. 

 

It might be OK but I wouldn't rely on it. It would certainly be too narrow if there happen to be boats moored both sides. Even if there aren't, the Cuttle side has got very silted up in recent years.  Next winding point from the Warwick direction is below the Bascote staircase.

[David Mack]

On Google Earth it measures about 68 feet between the towpath wall and the indent outside the Cuttle. So if there is sufficient depth and no boat moored there (which there is on the GE image), then you should be able to do it. Otherwise not.

[JoshS]

2 hours ago, alias said:

Next winding point from the Warwick direction is below the Bascote staircase.

Interestingly, that isn't marked on any map either! Just an unofficial point that's wide enough? 

 

Thanks for the infos about the Cuttle winding point though, doesn't sound like it's worth risking winding there! 

[matty40s]

3 hours ago, alias said:

  Next winding point from the Warwick direction is below the Bascote staircase.

I think you would be lucky to wind a 55 footer there now, the reeds and bull rushes have grown out a long way in the last few years.

[alias]

2 hours ago, JoshS said:

Interestingly, that isn't marked on any map either! Just an unofficial point that's wide enough? 

 

Thanks for the infos about the Cuttle winding point though, doesn't sound like it's worth risking winding there! 

 

It is (or was) an informal one.  From what Matty says though reed growth may have made it untenable since I last used it a few years ago.

Edited January 13, 2023 by alias

[roland elsdon]

I got the boat round below bascote in 2021. 57 ft. Stern end into towpath and bow into the reeds.

[Mike Todd]

My pic from 2020

[matty40s]

1 hour ago, roland elsdon said:

I got the boat round below bascote in 2021. 57 ft. Stern end into towpath and bow into the reeds.

Below the bottom,  or staircase??

 

...and theres not a lot of water under your front end I seem to remember!!

 

Edited January 14, 2023 by matty40s

[JoshS]

Cheers all, had the opportunity to walk between Bridge 25 and the bottom of Bascote staircase today and they both look like they are worth having a go at so I'll have two options if I do decide to head up that way. I also, noticed that they don't seem to have started working on Bridge 24 yet so depending on when that actually starts I might be able to wind at the arm anyway! 

 

My reasons for asking all this is because we're currently on the winter moorings at Radford Semele but have just found out that Delta Marine aren't currently offering pump outs like we thought they were (I know, we should have checked this before willingly getting trapped!). So if our tank fills up before the stoppages end and we have to switch to the emergency cassette, we're hoping to be able to be able to cruise up to the Fosse elsan point to make emptying them easier! 

[ditchcrawler]

9 minutes ago, JoshS said:

  have just found out that Delta Marine aren't currently offering pump outs like we thought they were  

How about Kate boats or even Saltersford Arm

[JoshS]

1 minute ago, ditchcrawler said:

How about Kate boats or even Saltersford Arm

Saltisford arm is past the stoppage at Cape locks, and Kate boats have moved their office so the wharf isn't operational put of season anymore unfortunately! 

[___]

So what do folks reckon is the maximum that can be winded above or below the widened locks?

 

55' will turn above Stockton and below Calcutt because that's what Willow Wren training did as part of their Helmsman courses. The canal above Welsh Road lock is very wide, as it is below Fosse bottom lock. It certainly looks wider there than below Bascote from my memory.

 

I'd hazard a guess that if you really had to turn a 57' boat you could.

Edited January 14, 2023 by Captain Pegg

[matty40s]

3 hours ago, Captain Pegg said:

So what do folks reckon is the maximum that can be winded above or below the widened locks?

 

55' will turn above Stockton and below Calcutt because that's what Willow Wren training did as part of their Helmsman courses. The canal above Welsh Road lock is very wide, as it is below Fosse bottom lock. It certainly looks wider there than below Bascote from my memory.

 

I'd hazard a guess that if you really had to turn a 57' boat you could.

You can turn a 70 footer below Calcutt easily,  there is a marina there. 

Above Stockton, I turned my 70 footer in a gap between trees and concrete in 2012 with a bit of a faff where subsequently the ex- Willow Wren company then dug out, widened, killed lots of trees dug out an arm, and were allowed to ban opposite bank moorings for at least 300ft each side.

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

I turned my boat outside the Two Boats with no fuss. Room to spare without using the widest bit. 
I’m only  48’ mind. 😃

 

57’ 🤷‍♀️ worth ago, I reckon so. 
Will be tight I think and you’d definitely have to put the front in that indent. 
 

Only one way to find out

Good luck. 🤞
 

 

[___]

9 hours ago, matty40s said:

You can turn a 70 footer below Calcutt easily,  there is a marina there. 

Above Stockton, I turned my 70 footer in a gap between trees and concrete in 2012 with a bit of a faff where subsequently the ex- Willow Wren company then dug out, widened, killed lots of trees dug out an arm, and were allowed to ban opposite bank moorings for at least 300ft each side.

 

Yeah, but the point was the canal itself below Calcutt locks is wide enough to turn at least 55'. It was done to demonstrate how to use the mud under the offside reed bed to pivot the boat around.

[ditchcrawler]

9 hours ago, matty40s said:

You can turn a 70 footer below Calcutt easily,  there is a marina there. 

Above Stockton, I turned my 70 footer in a gap between trees and concrete in 2012 with a bit of a faff where subsequently the ex- Willow Wren company then dug out, widened, killed lots of trees dug out an arm, and were allowed to ban opposite bank moorings for at least 300ft each side.

I winded just above the top lock several times, then CRT repiled the offside well into the water.

[alias]

10 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

I winded just above the top lock several times, then CRT repiled the offside well into the water.

 

I got caught by that change too. It is wider below the top lock, at least  58'.

[roland elsdon]

Below the riser you can turn 70 but not 72

[JoshS]

Cheers all! Welsh Road lock is just about in dog walking range from our current location so I'm going to go eyeball that, but it looks like we have a few places we can try out. If the worst comes to the worst it'll be good reversing practise! 😂

[JoshS]

Ended up managing to get the boat around just below Fosse Top Lock so didn't have to go much further than the water point after all! ☺️