Braunston or Calcutt?

[robtheplod]

I know we've only been at Aston for a year but due to change of circumstances and distance now looking to move down to the midland area in the Summer... I've not been based at either of these marinas so wondered which would offer the best experience?  any thoughts on either would be greatly appreciated!

 

thanks

 

rob

[Stroudwater1]

We were very happy at Braunston. Nice walk to a decent village shop, plenty of things always going on. 
 

Being on the long level with turns to many directions is nice in the off season to have short cruises. 
 

People we have met have been happy at Calcutt too. It’s a nice area overall. 

[Tony Brooks]

We were very happy with Calcutt and well away from road noise. Arguably a better choice of shops in Southam, but that is a car or cycle trip away, and it is along walk from the local bus to the marina. If we still had a boat we would still be there.

 

You do have two double locks to do each time you want to get onto the Braunston level and going the other way is more heavily locked.

[Rob-M]

We moored at Braunston for a short time, our only issue was lack of security as there was no gate on the jetty so anyone could gain access to the boats but this may have changed now.

[Lady M]

Still no gates to jetties though field car park access is now restricted.  No reported boat security issues.  Choice of four pubs within walking distance and a good village shop.  A  number of heritage buildings if you like that kind of atmosphere.

And free parking for the historic boat gathering with your own accommodation.

[Tonka]

Do you really want to moor in the middle of a housing estate and pay money to the rudest man that I have ever met?  No then it has to be Calcutt. Glad to see I was right about you looking for another mooring again. Look at you Aston Marina thread

[Rob-M]

There are other marinas in the area as well, Barby, Dunchurch, Wigrams, Ventnor so I would be looking at any of them with spaces.

Edited April 4 by Rob-M

[Annie cariad]

Dunchurch full of ex braunston moorers!!! Not hard to see/understand why

[Tonka]

But only Calcutt has a Pickleball court.

[cuthound]

My local moorers at Glascote Basin and Alvecote seem to be happy with their choice. Those at Fazely Mills Marina less so since the sale to the Rothen Group.

 

@ditchcrawler can probably give you chapter and verse about Alvecote as he moored there for a few years.

[robtheplod]

4 hours ago, Rob-M said:

There are other marinas in the area as well, Barby, Dunchurch, Wigrams, Ventnor so I would be looking at any of them with spaces.

cheers.... We've already stayed at Ventnor many moons ago... not keen on Dunchurch/Barby due to reduced routes.... Wigrams is an interesting one, may look at that also!

 

thanks for all the helpful suggestions... just waiting to hear for availability at Braunston - Calcutt have replied already.. seem friendly! 

Edited April 4 by robtheplod

[Tonka]

31 minutes ago, robtheplod said:

cheers.... We've already stayed at Ventnor many moons ago... not keen on Dunchurch/Barby due to reduced routes.... Wigrams is an interesting one, may look at that also!

 

thanks for all the helpful suggestions... just waiting to hear for availability at Braunston - Calcutt have replied already.. seem friendly! 

Calcutt are friendly

[StephenA]

long time since we were at braunston. Main problem was if you wanted to go anywhere over things like the Easter weekend when it was more like sitting in a motorway traffic jam rather than boating.

[Hudds Lad]

On 04/04/2026 at 14:48, robtheplod said:

not keen on Dunchurch/Barby due to reduced routes

????

 

Quite literally the same routes available. Anything Braunston way is just an extra 50mins to hour and half, anything Rugby way is 50mins to hour and half less.

[robtheplod]

25 minutes ago, Hudds Lad said:

????

 

Quite literally the same routes available. Anything Braunston way is just an extra 50mins to hour and half, anything Rugby way is 50mins to hour and half less.

wont be going north of Brauston way in the future i think... ...

[Stroudwater1]

4 hours ago, StephenA said:

long time since we were at braunston. Main problem was if you wanted to go anywhere over things like the Easter weekend when it was more like sitting in a motorway traffic jam rather than boating.

It was something we liked about Braunston, setting off early before many boaters reached Braunston, and particularly getting back at 4ish or later  quiet as most boaters had moored up. 
 

The traffic jams often happen a bit further on in the day from first thing when boaters from further marinas or moorings outside of Braunston arrive at Braunston. 

[john6767]

We are at Calcutt, it works well, has a well stocked chandlery and all maintenance facilities if you want them.  It is very tranquil, particularly in meadow marina.

 

The cons would be if you spend a lot of time on the boat in the marina, you will need to use a car to get to a pub or shops, but you are not far by car to shops a Southam including a decent sized Tesco and a brand new Aldi for food and a Screwfix for hardware.

 

 

 

[matty40s]

I have worked in all those over on that stretch, Calcutt is the most relaxed, no problems with people working on boats if they are PLI. Only problem is the mobile signal on ANY network.

Ventnor used to be awkward, but are now good...same problem with mobile signal.

Wigrams are more than happy for workmen on site with PLi..they are only allowed to work on the hire fleet and there are quite a few'long stay moorers' there.

Napton Hire Boats marina..again friendly..happy for external contractors to work if PLI.

Braunston is hot/cold...are you doing something they can do..no...or don't want to do ...yes...no security and the parking gate number is well known.

Dunchurch pools is wel run, and now offers most services, but is still wind blown in a breeze...

Barby Moorings deserves it's own thread...if  one or other of the owners like you, you MIGHT be OK.

Edited April 5 by matty40s

[Llamedos]

We’re on Ventnor and have no real problems all things considered. 
 

They seem to change managers a lot. They’re in the process of changing the overall management structure right now and will be sharing one manager with Wigrams. An immediate result of this seems to be that the office will now be closed two days a week, which I’m not too sure about, whether there are any more downsides which emerge remain to be seen.
 

I’ve never had a problem with the mobile signal on either O2 or EE. The WiFi is absolutely useless despite being upgraded with posh new masts a couple of years back. 

Edited April 6 by Llamedos
Typo

[john6767]

Good point about phone signal.  At Calcutt I don’t get any signal in the boat on Three, but the router also onThree works well even without putting the external antenna up.  Ou side the boat I do get a phone signal.  Calcutt has free wifi, but agin we don’t get a usable signal for that in the boat.

[Tony Brooks]

We found Vodafone and pre BT EE gave a usable signal at Calcutt (Locks marina) for telephone and 3 for email, and light emailing. Phone standing on back deck and email/browsing via a 3 MIFI thing hung in the window. Not good when the kids come home from school.

 

I imaging the high banks on the meadow marina may baffle the signal to boats in there.

Edited April 6 by Tony Brooks

[wakey_wake]

I used several months' "temporary" mooring at Calcutt in 2021, it's a lovely place with great people.

I could happily have retired there, never left the marina, never bothered to see whether anywhere else is better!

What went wrong? Work called us back to the office + they had no residential moorings...

 

Has it changed in 5 years? I hope not.

(SMARTY signal, outside the steel box, was fine for Zoom meetings)

[Adam]

Braunston and Calcutt are 2 different price points also I believe? 

[wakey_wake]

3 minutes ago, Adam said:

Braunston and Calcutt are 2 different price points also I believe? 

No doubt. At the time a tenner a day with some 'leccy and the facilities seemed very reasonable.

[Tony Brooks]

15 minutes ago, wakey_wake said:

Has it changed in 5 years? I hope not.

 

That is the one thing that contributed to selling the boat. At that time I learned that Roger had been given a serious health diagnosis and I feared that his son, Mat, who had a leisure industry degree might bring about changes to make it less attractive. However, that was before Covid, so more recent experiences should give a much better idea than mine.