2 week hire/holiday routes

[granary_bread]

Hello. I'm after some recommendations for routes for a 2 week holiday hire. My partner and I have some canal experience (1wk Ox, Napton<->Aynho, 1wk Ox/GU, Rugby<->Warwick, 1wk Ox/GU Rugby<->Stoke Bruerne, 1wk K&A, Foxhangers<->Crofton) and now feel we want a two week holiday next time around. 

We would quite like to do a circular route rather than our usual out-and-back. I am considering the East Midlands/Leiceser Ring, but having had a Google around about it, I saw some posts about issues with passing through Leicester and the local youths getting up to all sorts of mischief. Is this still the case? Also, with this ring, we would need to go on the rivers, which would be our first time. Apart from paying for whatever license I assume the hire company will sort for us, is there much else to consider when on a river vs canal, especially in terms of limited moorings? 

Any other recommendations for rings that aren't an 'easy' two weeks? By this, I mean I don't really want to only be doing 2-3 hours per day average. I like to earn my end-of-day pint  And on that subject, good availability of pubs is always preferable. 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, granary_bread said:

Hello. I'm after some recommendations for routes for a 2 week holiday hire. My partner and I have some canal experience (1wk Ox, Napton<->Aynho, 1wk Ox/GU, Rugby<->Warwick, 1wk Ox/GU Rugby<->Stoke Bruerne, 1wk K&A, Foxhangers<->Crofton) and now feel we want a two week holiday next time around. 

We would quite like to do a circular route rather than our usual out-and-back. I am considering the East Midlands/Leiceser Ring, but having had a Google around about it, I saw some posts about issues with passing through Leicester and the local youths getting up to all sorts of mischief. Is this still the case? Also, with this ring, we would need to go on the rivers, which would be our first time. Apart from paying for whatever license I assume the hire company will sort for us, is there much else to consider when on a river vs canal, especially in terms of limited moorings? 

Any other recommendations for rings that aren't an 'easy' two weeks? By this, I mean I don't really want to only be doing 2-3 hours per day average. I like to earn my end-of-day pint  And on that subject, good availability of pubs is always preferable. 

 

We have done the Leicester ring in a comfortable two weeks. But this was back in 2010. We had no problems with any youth in Leicester. But things may have changed but it is definitely a very enjoyable varied ring. 

 

We did it anti clockwise starting at Napton.

 

You need to keep an eye on the weather as the Soar can rise very quickly.

 

Personally I wouldnt hesitate in doing it again but we have bits of the system yet to do.

 

 

We did meet a boat coming the other way who claimed they were on target to do it in a week (April).

Ps welcome to the forum.

 

PPS were 'two up'. Plus the dog.

 

Moored in Leicester for the nearby Tesco Express.

 

Edited May 27, 2023 by M_JG

[Rob-M]

We ended up doing the Leicester ring in a week's hire due to water levels being low and restrictions introduced on locks which made it easier to do the whole ring.  It involved some very long days and I wouldn't recommend it, two weeks is a much better duration.  We have done the ring a second time as a two week holiday and took in Market Harborough.

[ditchcrawler]

Personally I don't like rings, the trip always looks different coming back and you can safely allow time to visit the places you missed on the way out. But thats just me

[Pie Eater]

Four Counties ring. If you get in front you have options to explore other canals.

[howardang]

2 hours ago, Pie Eater said:

Four Counties ring. If you get in front you have options to explore other canals.

The Four Counties would also be my choice having done it numerous times. Plenty of variety - tunnels, plenty of locks, good and  varied scenery, opportunities for shopping to restock provisions and as Pie Eater says, you should have the opportunity to visit sections of other waterways such as the Caldon, maybe the Llangollen, or one or two others depending on how much time you take. 
 

Choice of pubs and eateries en route I leave to you because I think that part of the fun of preparing for such a trip is researching potential moorings and facilities such as pubs, shops etc en route, especially since we all have different views and preferences. Get a guide and see what you fancy on your chosen route. Personally I wouldn’t get too bogged down about eating out for every meal. You can be much more flexible if you eat on board from time to time, but I understand that others have different thoughts on this.

,

 

Howard

[granary_bread]

14 hours ago, M_JG said:

 

We have done the Leicester ring in a comfortable two weeks. But this was back in 2010. We had no problems with any youth in Leicester. But things may have changed but it is definitely a very enjoyable varied ring. 

 

We did it anti clockwise starting at Napton.

 

You need to keep an eye on the weather as the Soar can rise very quickly.

 

Personally I wouldnt hesitate in doing it again but we have bits of the system yet to do.

 

 

We did meet a boat coming the other way who claimed they were on target to do it in a week (April).

Ps welcome to the forum.

 

PPS were 'two up'. Plus the dog.

Thanks for the welcome and info  OK, so 2 weeks sounds the better option. Whats the consequence of rising levels; we just have to stay put until CART delcare it safe to navigate? (We would be planning to do the ring early-mid June, so hopefully by this time the April/May rains will have settled.)

I also see some debate around clockwise/anti-clockwise, but concenses seems to be anti-clockwise, so I think we would do that too.
 

13 hours ago, Rob-M said:

We ended up doing the Leicester ring in a week's hire due to water levels being low and restrictions introduced on locks which made it easier to do the whole ring.  It involved some very long days and I wouldn't recommend it, two weeks is a much better duration.  We have done the ring a second time as a two week holiday and took in Market Harborough.

 

Yes, Market Harborough would make a nice addition. Whats the rough crusing time each way along the arm? 
 

9 hours ago, howardang said:

The Four Counties would also be my choice having done it numerous times. Plenty of variety - tunnels, plenty of locks, good and  varied scenery, opportunities for shopping to restock provisions and as Pie Eater says, you should have the opportunity to visit sections of other waterways such as the Caldon, maybe the Llangollen, or one or two others depending on how much time you take. 
 

Choice of pubs and eateries en route I leave to you because I think that part of the fun of preparing for such a trip is researching potential moorings and facilities such as pubs, shops etc en route, especially since we all have different views and preferences. Get a guide and see what you fancy on your chosen route. Personally I wouldn’t get too bogged down about eating out for every meal. You can be much more flexible if you eat on board from time to time, but I understand that others have different thoughts on this.

 

Howard

Thanks Howard and @Pie Eater. I'll have a look at the Four Counties ring too. I'm very much a cook-aboard person so don't care too much about pubs for eating, but a pub every other day for a couple of evening pints is nice to have

Is there a preferred direction for the Four Counties? 

[Rob-M]

4 minutes ago, granary_bread said:

Whats the rough crusing time each way along the arm? 

It is just over 2hrs each way.  There are a couple of swing\lift bridges that need opening.

[Guest]

21 minutes ago, granary_bread said:

Thanks for the welcome and info  OK, so 2 weeks sounds the better option. Whats the consequence of rising levels; we just have to stay put until CART delcare it safe to navigate? (We would be planning to do the ring early-mid June, so hopefully by this time the April/May rains will have settled.)

I also see some debate around clockwise/anti-clockwise, but concenses seems to be anti-clockwise, so I think we would do that too.
 

 

Yes, Market Harborough would make a nice addition. Whats the rough crusing time each way along the arm? 
 

Thanks Howard and @Pie Eater. I'll have a look at the Four Counties ring too. I'm very much a cook-aboard person so don't care too much about pubs for eating, but a pub every other day for a couple of evening pints is nice to have

Is there a preferred direction for the Four Counties? 

 

Yes you would have to stay put on one of the canal sections but a couple of these can even flood in extremis. June should be OK but you still need to keep an eye out. It also falls quite quickly but if it doesn't you may be stuck too long to have enough time to complete the ring and would have to turn back. Unlikely though in June.

 

We did it in April and had glorious sunshine virtually the whole two weeks.

 

I certainly wouldnt be dissauded from doing it in June due to the flood risk.

[Richard T]

There is normally no problem with Leicester there are two lots of secure moorings - Castle Gardens and Friars Mill. Its worth visiting the city. Loughborough has quite a lot to offer and there are good moorings - don't go into the basin its a pig to wind in- moor at the junction. On the T&MAlrewas is a good place to stope - it has an excellent butchers.

[MrsM]

We've done Leicester and the Soar several times and have never had a problem (as long as you don't mind rats if on the Castle Gardens mooring). Soar is a beautiful river.