Marinas for lock free cruising?

[BoatinglifeupNorth]

You could look at South Yorkshire, where there are locks and lift/swing bridges to operate, but there are routes from Marina/moorings where they are all turn key electric, so not manual. You could go from Leeds to Goole, Rotherham, Stanly Ferry and places in between all on the turn of a key and the press of a button. I imagine one of the largest and easiest routes on the system.

[Jon57]

27 minutes ago, BoatinglifeupNorth said:

You could look at South Yorkshire, where there are locks and lift/swing bridges to operate, but there are routes from Marina/moorings where they are all turn key electric, so not manual. You could go from Leeds to Goole, Rotherham, Stanly Ferry and places in between all on the turn of a key and the press of a button. I imagine one of the largest and easiest routes on the system.

👍

[Tonka]

Hawne Basin

[enigmatic]

Since it's fitness rather than dislike of locks, that opens up a lot of flights which normally have volockies in summer or where they can be booked. This is definitely a good thing if you're looking to cruise for a month or more at a time

 

Lower Peak Forest has the most spectacular local scenery as you're going through a steep valley without any locks (it does have windlass-operated swing bridges though) and you also get access to the Macclesfield. If you want to explore further in your month away, you can pre-book volockies to do the hard work of taking you down through Manchester to the long lock free Bridgewater/T&M sections you know (Marple normally has volockies anyway, CRT will take advance bookings for the Ashton & Rochdale Nine)

 

Leicester Line of the GU has miles of rural lock free cruising, plus the volockie-operated Foxton and Watford flights which are as easygoing as boating gets. If you're happy to do 6 relatively low-rise and well maintained locks down to Braunston sharing with another boat for assistance, that opens up much of the North Oxford, and via Hillmorton (4 relatively easygoing locks that often have volunteers) you get the massive level section that includes the Ashby

 

The South Yorkshire locks are electric (and fill gently too) and the cruise range is absolutely huge if you're prepared to do the tidal Trent (lockkeeper-operated locks and a lot of electrically operated lift bridges) as you can also get to Lincoln (no manual locks) and Nottingham (one manually operated lock). You do have to be confident in deep locks for large parts of it though, even though you shouldn't need to use ladders.

With much of it being rivers rather than canals, you go a bit faster and have fewer places to stop, and I think the other two routes are prettier, especially for short trips out.

 

[Tony1]

 

I agree with D Hutch's suggestion- I reckon the Cheshire area is pretty good for what you want. 

Its not lock free, but there are seldom more than a few locks to do in a given day. 

The big plus is that there are so many waterways and nice places you can reach within a few days' cruise. 

If you prioritise the lock-free thing too highly, you might miss out on some really good options, and maybe get bored doing the same cruises time after time. I was recently on the Bridgwater and often saw the same boats thundering up and down the cut. 

You don't say if budget is a major issue, and if its not, then Aqueduct and Venetian marinas might be suitable.

If you base your boat on the Middlewich branch, you can get up to Anderton via half a dozen or so locks (and there are often volunteers at the three Middlewich locks), and then get onto the Bridgewater and visit Manchester, and then go beyond into north Lancashire, and even Liverpool, with very few locks. Or you can go down the lift and onto the Weaver. 

You can also go down to Nantwich and a few miles further south before hitting a major flight, and if you have more time you can go into Chester.

My way of doing it as a solo boater is to go from Barbridge to Tattenhall in one day (there are about 5 locks but its a nice cruise) , and then on the next day you can do the 5 Cheshire locks. The staircase locks will be done by volunteers if you go on the right day. 

On the right day there will also be volunteers at Hurlstone, so you can easily get onto the Llangollen for a while. 

For me, this area offers a great compromise. No huge lock flights, and loads of variety and interesting waterways.

If you are ok with doing say half a dozen locks in a day, it has a lot to offer. 

 

 

Edited July 8, 2023 by Tony1

[StephenA]

On 03/07/2023 at 21:43, DHutch said:

Anderton isn't bad for this.  

 

All the way to Middlewich, and one stoplock to Manchester. 

 

Technically its one stoplock to the outskirts of Wigan - so with the last winding hole at Ince Moss that makes it about 45 miles, and they can always do the lift and drop down onto the Weaver.

[LadyG]

On 05/07/2023 at 16:14, Jon57 said:

👍

Be aware that I started at Goole and discovered the people who are foreign  and work at the sandwich factory come round at 4.0 am and take anything not chained and padlocked. They suss out your boat in daylight. They have a fishing rod and think its OK to take anything not secure. Best to have a pir light.

 

 

Edited September 5, 2023 by LadyG

[IanD]

On 08/07/2023 at 19:09, Tony1 said:

 

I agree with D Hutch's suggestion- I reckon the Cheshire area is pretty good for what you want. 

Its not lock free, but there are seldom more than a few locks to do in a given day. 

The big plus is that there are so many waterways and nice places you can reach within a few days' cruise. 

If you prioritise the lock-free thing too highly, you might miss out on some really good options, and maybe get bored doing the same cruises time after time. I was recently on the Bridgwater and often saw the same boats thundering up and down the cut. 

You don't say if budget is a major issue, and if its not, then Aqueduct and Venetian marinas might be suitable.

If you base your boat on the Middlewich branch, you can get up to Anderton via half a dozen or so locks (and there are often volunteers at the three Middlewich locks), and then get onto the Bridgewater and visit Manchester, and then go beyond into north Lancashire, and even Liverpool, with very few locks. Or you can go down the lift and onto the Weaver. 

You can also go down to Nantwich and a few miles further south before hitting a major flight, and if you have more time you can go into Chester.

My way of doing it as a solo boater is to go from Barbridge to Tattenhall in one day (there are about 5 locks but its a nice cruise) , and then on the next day you can do the 5 Cheshire locks. The staircase locks will be done by volunteers if you go on the right day. 

On the right day there will also be volunteers at Hurlstone, so you can easily get onto the Llangollen for a while. 

For me, this area offers a great compromise. No huge lock flights, and loads of variety and interesting waterways.

If you are ok with doing say half a dozen locks in a day, it has a lot to offer. 

 

 

One of the marinas at Anderton means even fewer locks if going up the Bridgewater to the far frozen North, or the Weaver, or Liverpool, or Manchester...

 

(and it's still easy to get to the Llangollen via the Middlewich branch with not too many locks)