Mooring on the Grand Union in Milton Keynes....

[James_P]

Hi all,

I'm in Milton Keynes on the Grand Union. Where are the place you like, dislike or avoid when mooring in MK?

 

Many thanks

 

James 

[nicknorman]

There’s quite a few places, MK is surprisingly nice. Campbell park is probably the obvious one. 

[Mac of Cygnet]

Well, unless the OP is wandering along in the black dark, presumably he has already decided where to moor in MK!

[BEngo]

MK is wondeful,  if you like looking at moored liveaboard boats.

 

Reasonable places to stop are Cosgrove, Great Linford, New Bradwell,  Wolverton for shopping only, Target Turn and just beyond, Great Linford, Campbell Park, Simpson,  Fenny,   below Talbots, between Talbots and Soulbury and  above Soulbury.

After that you have escaped MK.

N

 

[magnetman]

20 yars ago we used to moor at Targets Turn quite often. Not been there for over a decade and there were grumblings about urban sprawl so it might be a housing estate by now. Used to be quite nice with the Ouse valley on one side. 

 

Cosgrove by the iron aqueduct also quite good. 

 

Didn't like the central parts so would normally go right through having moored around Stoke Hammond lock somewhere. 

[Victor Vectis]

3 hours ago, BEngo said:

MK is wondeful,  if you like looking at moored liveaboard boats.

Thats my take on the place too.

[nicknorman]

27 minutes ago, Victor Vectis said:

Thats my take on the place too.

 

I have to say that when we went through earlier this year, I was pleasantly surprised by the absence of "permanently" moored boats. There were some, but none on short term moorings/services. Long stretches without any.

[Captain Pegg]

32 minutes ago, nicknorman said:

 

I have to say that when we went through earlier this year, I was pleasantly surprised by the absence of "permanently" moored boats. There were some, but none on short term moorings/services. Long stretches without any.

The short term mooring are 2 days from April to September. Now that restriction is gone they are full of liveaboard boats and the genuine visitors at Black Horse last night - a pair of Wyvern hire boats - had to hammer stakes in behind the concrete wash walls as close as they could get to the pub.

[nicknorman]

4 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said:

The short term mooring are 2 days from April to September. Now that restriction is gone they are full of liveaboard boats and the genuine visitors at Black Horse last night - a pair of Wyvern hire boats - had to hammer stakes in behind the concrete wash walls as close as they could get to the pub.

Ah yes good point. Although the relaxation of short term limits in winter makes sense, really it would be better to retain a small proportion as time limited throughout the year.

[magnetman]

Has the pub name gone back to The Black Horse? It was changes to some silly fish name at some stage. 

 

 

[adam1uk]

4 hours ago, magnetman said:

Has the pub name gone back to The Black Horse? It was changes to some silly fish name at some stage. 

 

 

Proud perch?

8 hours ago, magnetman said:

20 yars ago we used to moor at Targets Turn quite often. Not been there for over a decade and there were grumblings about urban sprawl so it might be a housing estate by now. Used to be quite nice with the Ouse valley on one side. 

 

Cosgrove by the iron aqueduct also quite good. 

 

Didn't like the central parts so would normally go right through having moored around Stoke Hammond lock somewhere. 

There is a big new(ish) housing estate, but the area down by the canal is a rather nice park which links by Bridge 75 to the one the other side, where the ruined church is.  The whole area is very well used by the locals and seems greatly appreciated.  And despite all the houses, I’ve oven seen barn owls hunting in the park at dusk.

[Captain Pegg]

7 minutes ago, adam1uk said:

And despite all the houses, I’ve oven seen barn owls hunting in the park at dusk.

They’re very sophisticated creatures. They cook their pray before eating it.