No go areas

[ditchcrawler]

2 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said:

The BCLM moorings should be secure but it seems the gate on the access road to the service block is left open or unlocked.

I didn't mean from a security point of view, they have guard rats, have you seen the size of them. I just don't like being in there.

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

11 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

If I am that way its John the Lock mooring in Tipton, I really dont like the moorings at the BCM

I’ll use either. 
And I see people don’t mind mooring by the park. The wall’s too high for my boat.  

I notice when turning right from out of the junction to the museum there’s a long stretch with mooring rings, 
 

and all past Tividale there’s mooring rings. 

Lots of potential for many places to moor around the BCN

 

Everytime I pass through it now seems people are starting to use places where I wouldn’t expect. 
 

Smethwick Pump House seems popular now. Above and below. 
 

And there’re either new rings, or old rings that have been cleared, on the Engine Arm too. 

(leaving the engine arm and heading to Spon Lane is lovely this time of year, proper picturesque)

 

 

[Captain Pegg]

4 hours ago, Goliath said:

 

(leaving the engine arm and heading to Spon Lane is lovely this time of year, proper picturesque)

 

 

 

Far too much greenery in many parts of the BCN.

Edited May 3, 2023 by Captain Pegg

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

10 hours ago, Captain Pegg said:

 

Far too much greenery in many parts of the BCN.

most likely home grown

[NB Alnwick]

There are pirates and press gangs at Cropredy!

[Bishop Brennan]

On 02/05/2023 at 16:49, magnetman said:

Northampton arm and the town part of the Nene were a little discombobulating when we went there about 20 yars ago but things could have changed. 

I live in Northampton. I walk along the section you're talking about roughly once per week. This week around half the boats showed remnants of raw eggs and shattered egg shells all over them. I personally wouldn't like to moor there, although plenty do, as it's always full. 

[Heartland]

Around Dudley is the Zoo and there are big rats there

 

 

[roland elsdon]

Apparently it is illegal to walk on the roads in cropredy during the fool run.

We were informed about this by an angry mother dragging the children about  in her suv ( stupid ugly vehicle) last year  while walking up to the bridleway beyond the bridge.

Roads there are reserved for cars only, no go.

[Heartland]

The most worrying aspect is the threat of violence, robbery and danger from receiving life threatening injuries when on the towpath. 

 

No body wants to see a blue and white sign across the towpath stating "Police No Go Area"

 

[Victor Vectis]

21 hours ago, roland elsdon said:

Apparently it is illegal to walk on the roads in cropredy during the fool run.

We were informed about this by an angry mother dragging the children about  in her suv ( stupid ugly vehicle) last year  while walking up to the bridleway beyond the bridge.

Roads there are reserved for cars only, no go.

AKA 'Wankpanzer'

[harrybsmith]

I've had stones thrown at my boat on 2 occasions going towards Camp Hill from Catherine de Barnes, 1st time was pretty poorly orchestrated, the 2nd was a full on ambush- a visible yobbo threw a bit of gravel and while I looked at him his hidden mates lobbed 2 bricks. Pretty well done tbf

[frahkn]

11 hours ago, Heartland said:

The most worrying aspect is the threat of violence, robbery and danger from receiving life threatening injuries when on the towpath. 

 

No body wants to see a blue and white sign across the towpath stating "Police No Go Area"

 

There is no threat on the towpath.

 

Constant repetition of these worries just puts boaters off for no reason.

 

Of course, if you are referring to Cropredy, I can't comment with the same reliability!

[Arthur Marshall]

I think the general decline of stone throwing etc over the last twenty years is down to other forms of entertainment for the yoof being available. They tend to sit at home playing games rather than lurking with bricks. There are still a few feral areas when crap estates border the canal, but most have been gentrified - Nuneaton used to be scary but it's almost pretty these days!

[MtB]

8 hours ago, frahkn said:

There is no threat on the towpath.

 

Constant repetition of these worries just puts boaters off for no reason.

 

Of course, if you are referring to Cropredy, I can't comment with the same reliability!

 

 

I can confirm Cropredy is an urban hellhole. Far worse than anything in the midlands. 

 

 

Don't come here. 

 

 

 

[magnetman]

Marlow on Thames is worse than you would think. Last summer I found a rucksack of heroin in the River there and have seen terrible scrotes with large e-bikeys around. 

 

Might be okay for a brief stop but rough as any urban slum that place is. Despite the impression of rural elegance and mid scale wealth it is trouble land. 

 

 

[Lily Rose]

4 hours ago, MtB said:

 

 

I can confirm Cropredy is an urban hellhole. Far worse than anything in the midlands. 

 

 

Don't come here. 

 

 

 

 

Damn, I was thinking of going to Cropredy in early July and staying until the end of August. 

 

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

🧐Perhaps one could make a fortune in Cropredy selling rotten eggs and tomatoes for the youth to chuck at passing boats. 
 

[Quattrodave]

I've heard of the Leeds end of the L&L referred to as 'Bandit Country' haven't been there for many many years tho.

 

Edit

Had a bit of trouble with some scrotes at a lock in Bedford a few years ago. One of them squared to to me accusing me of 'breaking their swimming pool' !

Edited May 6, 2023 by Quattrodave

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

I think it’s Newton Locks ? I was warned about. 
The advice was stop over at Rodley and then make a straight run through to Office Lock in Leeds. 
 

Hard to tell whether there’s still any need, these reputations go back years. 

[roland elsdon]

I think you are safe at cropredy  if you dont walk on the road or brave the pavements.
 they haven't learned to drive on the towpath (yet.)

However I can confirm it is  blighted by rural criminality.

4 years ago our broom was stolen there and unless there is a secret coven there or Hairy Porter fans, I assume there is a hot market for second hand rotten brooms nearby, be advised.

We tested out criminality on the erewash last week by leaving various tasty objects on the deck, rotten mop, fenders found in hedgerows and the vital broom test.

Nothing went missing so I assume that there is  far less criminality in those areas.

 

I doubt if the youth in cropredy would bother you, it would involve pressing the button to wind down the suv window and the waste of a calorie.

[jpcdriver]

On 06/05/2023 at 15:47, Goliath said:

I think it’s Newton Locks ? I was warned about. 
The advice was stop over at Rodley and then make a straight run through to Office Lock in Leeds. 
 

Hard to tell whether there’s still any need, these reputations go back years. 

The lower end I think is much better because of the amount of new building and increase of footfall on the towpath. However, around the locks at Kirkstall Forge and Newlay is still bad. The lockies huts (containers) are regularly vandalised as are the locks themselves (like trying to set fire to the balance beams!). 

 

Three or four years ago we also witnessed kids messing with the Field 3 staircase further up and had to move down to Apperley Bridge because the kids realised it must have been us that notified CRT.

[matty40s]

On 04/05/2023 at 15:47, Bishop Brennan said:

I live in Northampton. I walk along the section you're talking about roughly once per week. This week around half the boats showed remnants of raw eggs and shattered egg shells all over them. I personally wouldn't like to moor there, although plenty do, as it's always full. 

It's always full because most of them have been there for a long time and know the EA enforcement is a tad sluggish.

[magnetman]

If the land belongs to the council, which is probable, the EA don't do anything other than registration enforcement. 

 

Councils often don't have byelaws to control moorings which is why a lot of council owned land on rivers is basically squatted. 

 

Same thing happens on the Thames. 

 

The job of the EA other than maintaining navigation and dealing with pollution is to enforce the legal requirements of registration of boats rather than controlling moorings on land they don't own. 

 

 

[enigmatic]

Update: Wigan was full of nice friendly people, even recruited an unofficial volockie, although he was warned to leave his bike on the far side of the locks when operating them because people had walked past and ridden off with them in the past.

 

Marlow seemed like the most harmless place in the world to both me and the continuous moorers who leave their relatively tidy boats unattended there. Reading came with a lot more warnings from boaters and dodgier vibes. Even the nice stretch of K&A by the nature reserve apparently has kids from the local estate that like interfering with boats, though I did overnight without issue by the lock

 

Kids swimming at Cardington Lock at Bedford were pretty friendly to me, though they keep nicking the lifebelt as a raft...

 

Nobody's mentioned Newton Heath yet, possibly because it's infamous! Had no issues mooring overnight halfway up the Ashton flight (lost a handcuff key) but wouldn't do it through choice. Was reassured by local boaters about Portland Basin area being fine to leave boats though.

 

Had drunk idiots climb on my boat in central Manchester and Birmingham, but that's city centres for you and both areas had CCTV to deter the more serious criminals.

 

44 minutes ago, matty40s said:

It's always full because most of them have been there for a long time and know the EA enforcement is a tad sluggish.

Would much rather the CMers stayed there and Peterborough Embankment than the limited spaces in between though...

[Bishop Brennan]

1 hour ago, matty40s said:

It's always full because most of them have been there for a long time and know the EA enforcement is a tad sluggish.

There's at least 3 boats that haven't moved since the first lockdown. They're 48 hour moorings 🤣