Stratford Upon Avon Canal

[gpfcl]

Planning a trip from Lapworth down to the Avon and was wondering if anyone has had difficulty sticking in the locks with a full length boat, ie 71ft 6 inches in length and around 7ft in width (Although a little more in places!). Many thanks.

[Geoff]

Some of the locks can be a bit tight especially round the Wilmcote area, mainly caused by gates refusing to open fully. Make sure you don't have fenders down as that can mean the difference between sucess or not !. (Yes I know fenders shouldn't be down in locks but it's often seen).

Can't comment on the length as my boat is only short but it's mainly the width that can cause problems.

 

Geoff

[Dorlan]

From Waterscape...

 

Stratford-upon-Avon Canal

Stratford to Lapworth: Navigation should be

possible for boats of up to 71ft 6in length and 7ft

beam, but please consult the waterway office

first.

Boats of full 7ft beam may encounter

difficulties in locks 44 and 50. Lock 47 is also

short and care is required by boats over 70ft.

Please beware of low bridges and narrow

locks

[Amduck]

Planning a trip from Lapworth down to the Avon and was wondering if anyone has had difficulty sticking in the locks with a full length boat, ie 71ft 6 inches in length and around 7ft in width (Although a little more in places!). Many thanks.

 

If you're going onto the Avon, you might also find a couple of locks a bit tight. We met a full length boat in Evesham lock and had to "shuffle" to get him in, so make sure the locky knows you're full length, because you need to be in first. The crew of the boat mentioned a little difficulty with some of the preceding locks, but they'd obviously managed.

[Lynda]

when we did the Avon in our 70ft we had to enter the lock swing across diagonally to close the gates, particularly on the southern end and there is a nice diamond shaped lock with the ladders in the diamond points! unlike me make sure your crew are off the boat before entering the lock!

 

 

[Hairy-Neil]

I've been through with Nuneaton & Brighton. One lock on Wilmcote is very tight, the pinch point is at the lower end of the lock, just inside the bottom gates......If you read accounts of the canal's reopening (Blagrove's, Quiet Waters) most of the boats, then working boats, or converted from same, had to be towed out of the lock with a farm tractor. Almost 50 years on little has been done to improve the situation, though give BW their due, it was in the hands of the National Trust for the first 25 of them....

 

There is also a lock on the Avon that 71'6" ex GUCCC boats will not go down. You have to wind, go down backwards, then wind again below the lock. Easy to identify, its the one with the triangle shaped lock house, but is manned by a lock keeper who knows what's what.

 

There's also a 'split' bridge above Wilmcote locks that is tight if your bows are high out of the water