Grantham Bridge to Shardlow

[rubblequeen]

Hi I need to move my new (older) boat from Grantham Bridge to Shardlow - I am finding it hard to judge just how long this might take can anyone give me an estimate please. Want to smell the roses on the way and not kill ourselves. It will be our first venture so likely to be slow and probably do something daft along the way.

 

Thanks Tony

[Keeping Up]

It would take about a week, according to the excellent CanalPlan site.

 

That is 7 days of travelling at 7 hours per day. So if you expect to be more leisurely, just factor in allowances for slow travel, rose-smelling, survival, and daftness. Call it 10 days perhaps?

[Hairy-Neil]

Hi I need to move my new (older) boat from Grantham Bridge to Shardlow - I am finding it hard to judge just how long this might take can anyone give me an estimate please. Want to smell the roses on the way and not kill ourselves. It will be our first venture so likely to be slow and probably do something daft along the way.

 

Thanks Tony

 

Grantham Bridge? Do you mean Grantham's?

 

Canalplan AC says for Grantham's Bridge

 

Total distance is 103 miles, 7 flg and 75 locks. There are at least 21 small aqueducts or underbridges and 4 tunnels.

 

Made up of 76 miles, 5 furlongs of narrow canals; 27 miles, 2 furlongs of broad canals; 70 narrow locks; 5 broad locks.

 

This will take 53 hours, 9 minutes which is 5 days, 8 hours and 9 minutes at 9 hours per day.

 

For calculation purposes, this is taken as 6 days

[rubblequeen]

Ok this is great many thanks - somehow I had it in my mind would take weeks. My wife thinks I can't possibly get lost on the canals and it will not be necessary for her to keep nagging me to ask someone which way is....

 

Tony

[Keeping Up]

My wife thinks I can't possibly get lost on the canals ...

It is possible, believe me (done it twice, seen it dozens of time)

[Naughty Cal]

I would suggest you buy the relevant Nicholsons book and spend some time sitting down and planning your route and stops, both overnight and for supplies, well in advance of setting off. Dont be too adventurous with distances for the first few days.

[bottle]

My advice is similar to the others, get a Nicholsons for the waterways you will travel on and use Canalplanac as well to give a guide on how far to travel.

 

Plan on five hours a day, then if there is a delay you will not have to try and catch up the next day.

 

If you reach the end of five hours you could always carry on a little further, the nearest pub.

 

Travelling more than five hours a day is possible but after three or four days you may find the pace a little hard.

 

When we hired, we planned on five hours a day made a nice easy pace and time to stand and stare.

 

The days are getting longer but still be aware that at the moment it gets dark about 16:30Hrs.

 

Today we set of at 10:00 and stopped at 15:00, five hours with lunch on the move and that was enough, thank you.

[rubblequeen]

This has been so helpful, many thanks and will buy the Nicholson's (had not heard of it previously) Have just ordered them from Amazon Thanks again

 

Regards Tony

Edited January 27, 2010 by rubblequeen

[c c]

Hi I need to move my new (older) boat from Grantham Bridge to Shardlow - I am finding it hard to judge just how long this might take can anyone give me an estimate please. Want to smell the roses on the way and not kill ourselves. It will be our first venture so likely to be slow and probably do something daft along the way.

 

Thanks Tony

 

If its the Granthams Bridge at Hillmorton, call into the Bistro and we will be pleased to answer canal queries if we can and if we can't, there is usually someone in the bar who will. If no one is about I might be found under the 1936 Austin in the shed.

Best advice we got when we started on the canal was to just take everthing slowly.

[c c]

Is there anybody there?

Was it something I said?

Have you already left?

If you are leaving Hillmorton for Shardlow - Just wanted to say - check the stoppages.................

Braunston Tunnel closed till March

and I humbly suggest that the estimates for going clockwise around the Leicestershire ring (having done it in November) are a trifle optimistic.

[Keeping Up]

Is there anybody there?

Was it something I said?

Have you already left?

If you are leaving Hillmorton for Shardlow - Just wanted to say - check the stoppages.................

Braunston Tunnel closed till March

and I humbly suggest that the estimates for going clockwise around the Leicestershire ring (having done it in November) are a trifle optimistic.

I'd assumed it was Grantham's Bridge on the Bridgewater Canal, because that's the only one mentioned on CanalPlanAC.

 

I thought I knew Hillmorton quite well, but I can't recall a Grantham's Bridge there; which one is it?

[RLWP]

Is there anybody there?

Was it something I said?

Have you already left?

If you are leaving Hillmorton for Shardlow - Just wanted to say - check the stoppages.................

Braunston Tunnel closed till March

and I humbly suggest that the estimates for going clockwise around the Leicestershire ring (having done it in November) are a trifle optimistic.

And being a chef, he should know a thing or two about trifles!

 

Richard

 

I'd assumed it was Grantham's Bridge on the Bridgewater Canal, because that's the only one mentioned on CanalPlanAC.

 

I thought I knew Hillmorton quite well, but I can't recall a Grantham's Bridge there; which one is it?

 

 

It's the name of the company based in the boatyard there.

 

Richard

[magpie patrick]

Is there anybody there?

Was it something I said?

Have you already left?

If you are leaving Hillmorton for Shardlow - Just wanted to say - check the stoppages.................

Braunston Tunnel closed till March

and I humbly suggest that the estimates for going clockwise around the Leicestershire ring (having done it in November) are a trifle optimistic.

 

I don't know where Grantham's bridge is, but if I was going from Hillmorton to Shardlow I wouldn't be going through Braunston Tunnel, I'd be going through Atherstone Locks and down to Fradley.

 

Can you get lost on a canal: realm conversation on Red Bull Locks 3 years ago, with boater going down

 

BGDL "How far to the Macclesfield Canal"

Me "well, lets see, you've another 27 locks to Middlewich, then carry on past Anderton Lift and thorugh Preston Brook tunnels, along the Bridgwater, up the Rochdale 9, the Ashton Canal, and then up Marple Locks and you're there... take thick end of a week

BGDL"you what..."

Me, or back up the last four locks and go under the bridge at the side of the canal...

BGDL"Oh MY....."

[rubblequeen]

If its the Granthams Bridge at Hillmorton, call into the Bistro and we will be pleased to answer canal queries if we can and if we can't, there is usually someone in the bar who will. If no one is about I might be found under the 1936 Austin in the shed.

Best advice we got when we started on the canal was to just take everthing slowly.

 

 

Sorry to have confused everyone with my lack of knowledge about Grantham's Bridge, yes I do mean Hillmorton and G.B. is the name of the boat repair yard there. Which is where The Rubble Queen is being repaired at the moment. And Canal Chef I hope you received my reply to your IM and we are planning to come up and look at the repairs that have been carried out in mid Feb so The Bistro sounds a good place for lunch and to pick you brains.

 

Again thanks to all and got my Nicholson's today from Amazon.

 

Tony

[Keeping Up]

Sorry to have confused everyone with my lack of knowledge about Grantham's Bridge, yes I do mean Hillmorton and G.B. is the name of the boat repair yard there. Which is where The Rubble Queen is being repaired at the moment. And Canal Chef I hope you received my reply to your IM and we are planning to come up and look at the repairs that have been carried out in mid Feb so The Bistro sounds a good place for lunch and to pick you brains.

 

Again thanks to all and got my Nicholson's today from Amazon.

 

Tony

In that case please ignore my earlier answer of "7 days so call it 10" and instead use "5 days call it a week"

[c c]

Sorry to have confused everyone with my lack of knowledge about Grantham's Bridge, yes I do mean Hillmorton and G.B. is the name of the boat repair yard there. Which is where The Rubble Queen is being repaired at the moment. And Canal Chef I hope you received my reply to your IM and we are planning to come up and look at the repairs that have been carried out in mid Feb so The Bistro sounds a good place for lunch and to pick you brains.

 

Again thanks to all and got my Nicholson's today from Amazon.

 

Tony

 

Tony

Not to worry at all. Thanks for Personal email confirming you do want to travel from Granthams Bridge Boat Services at Hillmorton. Just for the benefit of all - I just wanted to point out that Braunston Tunnel IS Closed Now until 3rd March - unless things change so you can't go that way at present. If you put off your trip until it is open, it should a be shorter journey, roughly in line with previous posters. You will be on a river for most of the trip, going with the flow, so it is adviseable to have a good anchor on board.

[Keeping Up]

I don't know where Grantham's bridge is, but if I was going from Hillmorton to Shardlow I wouldn't be going through Braunston Tunnel, I'd be going through Atherstone Locks and down to Fradley.

So would I

[c c]

Hillmorton to Shardlow via Fradley in 5days of short daylight?

Are you sure?

Took us a lot longer and we don't dawdle.

Perhaps if it was an Olympic event or we were still chasing cargos!

But this is a call for advice from a brand new boater well advised to take things slowly.

[sueb]

Is there anybody there?

Was it something I said?

Have you already left?

If you are leaving Hillmorton for Shardlow - Just wanted to say - check the stoppages.................

Braunston Tunnel closed till March

and I humbly suggest that the estimates for going clockwise around the Leicestershire ring (having done it in November) are a trifle optimistic.

I'm here have you got nearer home yet?

[alan_fincher]

Hillmorton to Shardlow via Fradley in 5days of short daylight?

Are you sure?

Took us a lot longer and we don't dawdle.

Perhaps if it was an Olympic event or we were still chasing cargos!

But this is a call for advice from a brand new boater well advised to take things slowly.

Possible - easily for an experienced crew, but certainly not a sensible target for a newcomer trying to take things slowly.

 

However I remain confused about your suggestions, and mentioning either the Leicester or Braunston Tunnel.

 

That is surely not the way to go, even if tunnel doesn't have a stoppage ?

 

If I put that into CanalPlanAC I get

 

79 miles 70 locks (of which 51 are broad ones). That's calculated at 6 full days of 7 hours boating.

 

Go Clockwise though, (via Fradley and Fazely) and it reduces to.....

 

65 miles and 31 locks (orf which just 5 are broad ones). This is calculated as 5 rather shorter days.

 

Apart from saving around 14 miles, surely taking more than half the number of locks out, (and limiting heavily the broad ones), makes it a no-brainer, if somebody wants to be more relaxed on a first outing.

 

Plus you avoid rivers that tend to go into flood conditions!

 

Have I, (and others!), still got the OP's intentions wrong ?

[Dominic M]

I thought I knew Hillmorton quite well, but I can't recall a Grantham's Bridge there; which one is it?

It is the name of the bridge at the entrance to the arm to the old Oxford Canal Co yard - which now trades as Grantham Bridge Boat Services.

 

Oxford, Coventry T&M canals are the way to go if time is of the essence. Going the Leicester Line route would be longer, and the broad locks below Foxton are hard work.

[rubblequeen]

Have I, (and others!), still got the OP's intentions wrong ?

 

No you are all right, despite my best efforts at confusing everyone.

I now have my Nicholson Guide (thanks for that) and can see what everyone is advising, that makes things easier. Looks like the clockwise will be our chosen route. Don't feel confident enough to tackle fast, possibly flooded, rivers just yet. But will do a handling course before setting off.

 

Very exciting.

 

Many thanks Tony

 

Def call into your Bistro for lunch

[c c]

Was not my intention to advise clock or anti clock wise, merely to point out to our new boating friend, just in case he was unaware of the wonderful stoppage programme, that he can't go Anti-clockwise at present, even if he thought he might want to ............

 

I have however learnt how careful a CWDForum newbie must be.