Extreme Canals - north south east west

[Tony Brooks]

13 minutes ago, Loddon said:

Birmingham to Gloucester?

 

#One bit of that is semi-tidal, so may not count. If it does, then extend it to Sharpness

[Captain Pegg]

Good question.

 

How about Longwood Junction to Sharpness via Horseley Fields and Aldersley Junction?

 

Or go the other way at Aldersley and head to Ellesmere Port.

 

Assuming we count the Severn above Gloucester as non-tidal (which it can be if you pick the right day) then I guess it may be longer to turn left at Horseley Fields, follow the Wolverhampton level to Spon Lane, cut back down Spon Lane locks, turn left at Bromford and head to Kings Norton then via the Startford and Avon to Tewkesbury and onward to Sharpness.

 

I'm going to have to consult CanalPlan.

 

You can get from Longwood to Poolstock bottom lock via the SU without going uphill. That's over 131 miles.

 

26 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

#One bit of that is semi-tidal, so may not count. If it does, then extend it to Sharpness

 

We've missed a critical point that @Loddon got. Glocester lock is uphill.

 

51 minutes ago, magnetman said:

Lechlade to Teddington?

 

It's further from Marston Doles to Teddington and at 138 miles it beats my suggestion of Longwood to Poolstock.

Edited April 19, 2023 by Captain Pegg

[enigmatic]

18 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said:

Good question.

 

How about Longwood Junction to Sharpness via Horseley Fields and Aldersley Junction?

 

Or go the other way at Aldersley and head to Ellesmere Port.

Ellesmere Port locks down to the Manchester Ship Canal doesn't it? 

I think Longwood Junction to Poolstock locks via the Middlewich Branch, T&M and Bridgewater works too (I should know this really, I'm on this route with only a couple of detours)

 

Top of Foxton to Marmount Priory lock on the Middle Level?

 

 

[David Mack]

27 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said:

How about Longwood Junction to Sharpness via Horseley Fields and Aldersley Junction?

I think (without checking) that Longwood to Stourport would be further if you went via Horseley Fields, Old Main Line to Smethwick, then New Main Line, Netherton Tunnel, Dudley and Stourbridge Canals.

[magpie patrick]

11 hours ago, TheBiscuits said:

https://news.st-andrews.ac.uk/archive/viking-waterway-through-the-orkney-mainland-revealed/

 

does this qualify as a canal?

 

 Well it's certainly the most northern so far! 

 

Having had geographic extremes and vertical extremes we may need to set temporal parameters too - is this too early? I also note the article refers to boats being dragged, which suggests the water may have been a lubricant on a boat slide rather than a navigation.

11 hours ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

Tavistock Canal.

 

I was looking on a map and wondering if the Par Canal was even further south, may need OS grid references to confirm 

[magnetman]

The royal military canal is quite far south east.

 

More compass points needed. 

[Captain Pegg]

7 minutes ago, David Mack said:

I think (without checking) that Longwood to Stourport would be further if you went via Horseley Fields, Old Main Line to Smethwick, then New Main Line, Netherton Tunnel, Dudley and Stourbridge Canals.

 

Almost certainly, but I'm still doubtful the resulting journey would be longer than Marston Doles to Teddington or whatever the answer is, otherwise you wouldn't have to check 😉

[magpie patrick]

4 minutes ago, magnetman said:

The royal military canal is quite far south east.

 

More compass points needed. 

 There is a book, I can't recall the name, but the author travels to Birmingham from the sub cardinal points of the network. Sub cardinal being NW, NE, SE, SW

 

We can have a go at identifying them!

[magnetman]

Without tidal water perhaps the southeast would be Limehouse. 

[GUMPY]

52 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

#One bit of that is semi-tidal, so may not count. If it does, then extend it to Sharpness

Only on spring tides it's not tidal on neaps

So yes Birmingham to Gloucester at the right time of the month.

Uphill from there

Edited April 19, 2023 by Loddon

[David Mack]

1 minute ago, Loddon said:

Only on spring tides it's not tidal on neaps

So yes Birmingham to Sharpness at the right time of the month.

That would still involve locking uphill at Gloucester.

[GUMPY]

1 minute ago, David Mack said:

That would still involve locking uphill at Gloucester.

Remembered and changed 

Got it right the first time

Edited April 19, 2023 by Loddon

[David Mack]

1 hour ago, magnetman said:

Lechlade to Teddington?

I could allow Lechlade to Richmond Half Tide Barrier, providing you do the last section during the bottom half of the tidal cycle.

[Tonka]

3 minutes ago, David Mack said:

I could allow Lechlade to Richmond Half Tide Barrier, providing you do the last section during the bottom half of the tidal cycle.

What size boat does this  need to be as you could start at Cricklade

[magpie patrick]

12 hours ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

 

 

North:

Connected system - Lancaster Canal

 

 

Is Tewitfield north of Ripon? I haven't checked. 

 

Kendal is definitely north of Ripon, but the canal to Kendal closed long before the Ribble Link opened

[magnetman]

10 minutes ago, Tonka said:

What size boat does this  need to be as you could start at Cricklade

I assumed a normal canal boat as there was mention of doing locks. You could take a canoe and carry it around locks. 

To be fair it is sometimes possible to get quite a lot further than Lechlade. I went past Hannington bridge in a kayak many yars ago but more realistically I think @Loddon has been quite a long way past Inglesham in a 11ft6 wide barge...

[Tonka]

1 minute ago, magnetman said:

I assumed a normal canal boat as there was mention of doing locks. You could take a canoe and carry it around locks. 

But even a small cabin cruiser can get further then Lechlade

[Captain Pegg]

16 minutes ago, magpie patrick said:

 

Is Tewitfield north of Ripon? I haven't checked. 

 

Kendal is definitely north of Ripon, but the canal to Kendal closed long before the Ribble Link opened

 

According to the signpost in Vines Park, Droitwich that lists the outlying points of the inland network Tewitfield is further north than Ripon.

[Chris Lowe]

Not Connected.

 

North - Rubh’ an Dùnain Viking Canal, Isle of Skye

South - Par canal in Cornwall

East - North Walsham & Dilham Canal

West - Tralee Ship Canal

 

I've included Eire

[Heartland]

My Friend Steve has a poor opinion of the Dingwall Canal. We went to look at the Canal in 2007. He called it a river, but of course it is a man made waterway.

 

[Chris Lowe]

7 minutes ago, Heartland said:

My Friend Steve has a poor opinion of the Dingwall Canal. We went to look at the Canal in 2007. He called it a river, but of course it is a man made waterway.

 

 

It is pretty much the canalised river Peffery, & I've just realised there are 2 more canals in mainland Scotland further north than Dingwall, the Rosehall Canal & Culmaily Canal.

[GUMPY]

3 hours ago, magnetman said:

I assumed a normal canal boat as there was mention of doing locks. You could take a canoe and carry it around locks. 

To be fair it is sometimes possible to get quite a lot further than Lechlade. I went past Hannington bridge in a kayak many yars ago but more realistically I think @Loddon has been quite a long way past Inglesham in a 11ft6 wide barge...

I grounded a couple of hundred yards short of Hannington Bridge I was aiming to get under what I consider the navigable bridges on the Thames. We started at QE2 Bridge.

This was in July 2003 when there had been a lot of water about.

Edited April 19, 2023 by Loddon

[Captain Pegg]

Bugsworth to Cromwell is about 140 miles so slightly longer than Marston Doles to Teddington.

[TheBiscuits]

6 hours ago, magpie patrick said:

 

Is Tewitfield north of Ripon? I haven't checked. 

 

Yes.  Ripon used to be the northernmost point on the connected system, but the Ribble Link made the Lancaster Canal technically connected.

 

The Lanky lot are still moaning about the sudden jump on their boat licence fees!

 

 

7 hours ago, magpie patrick said:

Par Canal

 

That's quite enough of that language on the forum 😁

Edited April 19, 2023 by TheBiscuits
Add a bit

[Chris Lowe]

Anyone want to see some really obscure canals, take a look at the Late Brian Goggins website Irish Waterways History he helped me a lot mapping Irish canals, his family keep the website going.