Is the Canal System Becoming Crowded?

[Twoblokd]

Hey All!

May I ask for some feedback regarding the increased popularity of holiday travel on the canals? I'm entertaining the thought of continuous cruising (Retirement) in a narrowboat. In perusing the forums and online magazines I'm getting the impression that life on the canals may not be as quiet and uncluttered as I'd imagined (hoped).

Thank you

[nbtafelberg]

Some places are pretty busy. Mainly near bigger towns but there are some lovely spots in the middle of nowhere, also it depends on the time of year.

[Twoblokd]

Some places are pretty busy. Mainly near bigger towns but there are some lovely spots in the middle of nowhere, also it depends on the time of year.

 

Thanks for the reply! I'll be doing the four counties circle next year in an effort to convince my wife that life on a nb is not insanity!

[mrsmelly]

Thanks for the reply! I'll be doing the four counties circle next year in an effort to convince my wife that life on a nb is not insanity!

 

Hi

 

The idea of living on a boat is to cruise continualy, sometimes life throws work in the way so at moment I am working again but not be too long before I go back to cc. You will find there are numerous stretches of miles and miles of quiet bits on much of our waterways. The thing to do is ditch the caravan mentality and aim to pass thro towns villages etc whilst cruising and tie up in the middle of nowhere rather than aim for a town etc for the evening, this system works even if u want a pub for the evening many are only a couple of fields away Of course you can stop during the day to shop etc then clear off again.

[NB Alnwick]

Hey All!

May I ask for some feedback regarding the increased popularity of holiday travel on the canals? I'm entertaining the thought of continuous cruising (Retirement) in a narrowboat. In perusing the forums and online magazines I'm getting the impression that life on the canals may not be as quiet and uncluttered as I'd imagined (hoped).

Thank you

 

It is certainly busier now than ever before - so it is not nearly as peaceful and quiet as it once was - having said that, relative to almost everything else, it is probably the most quiet and uncluttered (by other humankind) lifestyle you can find in this country . . .

[The Toad in the Hole]

To a large extent it's a matter of perspective. I moor on the Llangollen. It's hugely busy in the summer, but it's still possible to moor up alone if you want to. I've also been on the Coventry or Oxford and had people complaining bitterly about the amount of traffic, but to me it's seemed deserted.

 

Some people (or websites?) also seem to delight in exaggerating problems. Follow the honeytraps at Bank holidays and it's going to be busy, but if you are CCing, you don't have to do that, do you?

[Twoblokd]

Thanks, Everyone for your comments. This forum and its member links are a wealth of information. I hope I meet some of you next year when I hire for a week or two. No need to give me a wide berth. I am an experienced boatman. But to be safe you better give me one toot and stay to the right!

Take care, All

Bill

[Ex- Member]

I considered the canals too busy when we wre on them 2 years ago on the K&A

 

We much preferred the river whilst staying in the Bath area, although when we got a BW winter moring we did move on to the canal. With hind sight though staying on the river would have been preferable and a lot cheaper

[David Schweizer]

I considered the canals too busy when we wre on them 2 years ago on the K&A

 

We much preferred the river whilst staying in the Bath area, although when we got a BW winter moring we did move on to the canal. With hind sight though staying on the river would have been preferable and a lot cheaper

The K&A, particularly at the western end is very busy, especially in the summer.

 

I used to help operate the K&A Trust trip boat from the Wharf at Bradford on Avon, and we often had to ask other boaters if we could jump the queue for the lock in order to maintain any sort of schedule.

 

At the time we were informed by someone from BW that Bradford Lock was the second busiest in the country on Sundays, The busiest apparently being the Braunston flight .

Edited March 14, 2009 by David Schweizer

[Mac of Cygnet]

You should come up to Yorkshire if you want the water to yourself. I frequently don't see another moving boat all day outwith the summer months, and even then it's very unusual to wait for a lock.

 

Mac

[Twoblokd]

You should come up to Yorkshire if you want the water to yourself. I frequently don't see another moving boat all day outwith the summer months, and even then it's very unusual to wait for a lock.

 

Mac

 

Hello Mac,

Google Earth is a fabulous thing. I took a virtual trip down the L&L with the scroll arrows on my keyboard. Went through Bingley Locks without breaking a sweat!

The Yorkshire area looks interesting. What is it like to winter over there?

Bill

[Hairy-Neil]

At the time we were informed by someone from BW that Bradford Lock was the second busiest in the country on Sundays, The busiest apparently being the Braunston flight .

 

Both of those are broad locks so will pass double the volume of traffic. The longest waits I've had have always been at narrow locks, Stone being the worst, closely followed by Wardle Lock and there's always queues at Fradley too. But then again I've avoided Grindley Brook in silly season.

[Mac of Cygnet]

Hello Mac,

Google Earth is a fabulous thing. I took a virtual trip down the L&L with the scroll arrows on my keyboard. Went through Bingley Locks without breaking a sweat!

The Yorkshire area looks interesting. What is it like to winter over there?

Bill

 

I'm actually on the Rochdale/Calder & Hebble, and the main problem in the winter isn't the weather, but the frequency of stoppages and flooded rivers. I went over the L&L last summer. All hard work, though, with the locks on the former and Huddersfield, and swing bridges on the latter. The Aire & Calder locks are mechanised - a welcome relief. But all uncrowded.

 

MAC

[David Schweizer]

Both of those are broad locks so will pass double the volume of traffic. The longest waits I've had have always been at narrow locks, Stone being the worst, closely followed by Wardle Lock and there's always queues at Fradley too. But then again I've avoided Grindley Brook in silly season.

The slowness with which some people operate double locks almost negates the ability to get two boats through at a time. At least with single locks, you can get in and out quickly and not have to wait for the next person to try and untie their boat, or mess about with side fenders etc.

 

I agree that Fradley always seems to have a queue, but that has got as much to do with leaky bottom gates as anything, Last time we went through there, each lock took about 20 minutes to fill.

[sociable_hermit]

Went through Fradley Jn a fortnight ago and had no trouble! Locks weren't the quickest as you've said, but not the worst we've encountered either.

 

One thing we did notice, though, is that even in the quiet season there were loads of boats moored by the pub there, some two adrift, with more boats on the opposite side. Maybe it's got something to do with the blue eyed barmaid with the fantastic arse?

 

With boats on both sides there isn't a huge amount of passing space - particulalry for a novice crew. The obvious thing to do is to hang back at the junction itself, but that only works if you know which way everybody else will be going! Basically the place is full even when there's nothing moving, so I'm not surprised it gets bothersome in the Summer.

 

P.S. Just beyond Fradley we also encountered three hi-viz clad BW guys doing some sort of lock audit - they were checking bollards and so forth. Quite why this needed three of them I do not know. They didn't seem very impressed when we asked when the wheelchair ramp and escalators were going in.

[David Schweizer]

Went through Fradley Jn a fortnight ago and had no trouble! Locks weren't the quickest as you've said, but not the worst we've encountered either.

One thing we did notice, though, is that even in the quiet season there were loads of boats moored by the pub there, some two adrift, with more boats on the opposite side. Maybe it's got something to do with the blue eyed barmaid with the fantastic arse?

 

With boats on both sides there isn't a huge amount of passing space - particulalry for a novice crew. The obvious thing to do is to hang back at the junction itself, but that only works if you know which way everybody else will be going! Basically the place is full even when there's nothing moving, so I'm not surprised it gets bothersome in the Summer.

I think that you will find that the stretch on the towpath side between the lock and the pub is leased to the boatyard who sub let the moorings, which would explain why there are always boats moored there.

[Bagpuss]

Maybe it's got something to do with the blue eyed barmaid with the fantastic arse?

 

She's still there then?

[dove]

I think that you will find that the stretch on the towpath side between the lock and the pub is leased to the boatyard who sub let the moorings, which would explain why there are always boats moored there.

 

Correct, we moor there. The other reason it looks busy is there are quite a few Ownership boats are based there for winter maintenance and weekend change over.

 

Regarding the barmaid.......which one, there's three.

 

If you want to see it really busy, be there on the 4th of April, Duck race, Steam rollers, Morrismen and Fitz the buscker. All good fun.

 

Andrew

[Sir Nibble]

Maybe it's got something to do with the blue eyed barmaid with the fantastic arse?

Now there's an idea. How about a "best canalside beer fairy" thread.

[sociable_hermit]

Regarding the barmaid.......which one, there's three.

If they all match that description, I'm impressed!

 

Does someone have a pretty beer fairie farm round there somewhere?

[limjamrace]

If they all match that description, I'm impressed!

 

Does someone have a pretty beer fairie farm round there somewhere?

 

 

Is there anything going for a middle aged guy around ?

Prefer someone middle aged to match...Thats between the middle of my age and 18!

[Postcode]

To answer the original question - it depends what you want.

 

If your idea of a good time is moored outside a popular pub every night it may be getting a bit busy in some areas.

 

If however you like mixing the 'honeypot' moorings with isolation you can still manage both. Moor early near the good pubs and keep going late to the isolated moorings.

 

Enjoy the social life of the pub interspersed with the sheer majesty of the remote mooring with a starry canopy and you get the best of both worlds.

 

Me - I like the remote moorings and the occasional banter with friends if it can be arranged.

 

Edited to correct mole bait

Edited March 18, 2009 by Postcode

[Twoblokd]

To answer the original question - it depends what you want.

 

If your idea of a good time is moored outside a popular pub every night it may be getting a bit busy in some areas.

 

If however you like mixing the 'honeypot' moorings with isolation you can still manage both. Moor early near the good pubs and keep going late to the isolated moorings.

 

Enjoy the social life of the pub interspersed with the sheer majesty of the remote mooring with a starry canopy and you get the best of both worlds.

 

Me - I like the remote moorings and the occasional banter with friends if it can be arranged.

 

Edited to correct mole bait

 

An enlightening comment, Post Code.Thanks. This pretty much answers my original question. Living aboard alone I would like to know there are stops along the way to socialize, play a game of cribbage, make gurneys at the barmaid..

BTW please...what is the "honeypot"?