Visitor moorings near Bath

[Bricksh]

Hi

We are planning a trip down to Bath just before Easter (Devizes flight due to open 26th March I think). My wife was talking to someone who said there had been issues with mooring lines being cut near Bath, can anyone tell me if this is common there? I saw the posts about bikes being half inched last year but nothing else.

 

Bricksh

[ditchcrawler]

Hi

We are planning a trip down to Bath just before Easter (Devizes flight due to open 26th March I think). My wife was talking to someone who said there had been issues with mooring lines being cut near Bath, can anyone tell me if this is common there? I saw the posts about bikes being half inched last year but nothing else.

 

Bricksh

I don't know where you are but this came up on Waterscape today

 

Park Road Bridge

 

Wednesday 10 March 2010 - Wednesday 7 April 2010

 

Due to essential maintenance works Park Road Bridge will be closed to navigation commencing on Wednesday 10th March 2009 at 08.00am.

 

Closure anticipated to last for up to four weeks.

 

Please ensure that should you wish to cruise during this period you are moored east of Park Road bridge prior to the specified time.

 

Enquiries: 01380.722859

[Bricksh]

I don't know where you are but this came up on Waterscape today

 

Park Road Bridge

 

Wednesday 10 March 2010 - Wednesday 7 April 2010

 

Due to essential maintenance works Park Road Bridge will be closed to navigation commencing on Wednesday 10th March 2009 at 08.00am.

 

Closure anticipated to last for up to four weeks.

 

Please ensure that should you wish to cruise during this period you are moored east of Park Road bridge prior to the specified time.

 

Enquiries: 01380.722859

Do you know if thats the Park Road Bridge in Devizes? Certainly cocks our plans up as we are setting of from the Marina and I know a few others were planning this for Easter. Will also spoil a lot of hirers hols.

 

Thanks

Bricksh

[Andy Todd]

Do you know if thats the Park Road Bridge in Devizes? Certainly cocks our plans up as we are setting of from the Marina and I know a few others were planning this for Easter. Will also spoil a lot of hirers hols.

 

Thanks

Bricksh

 

yes. If it is closed over Easter, then it is only closed for one extra working day.

 

Emailed BW pointing this out and rx'ed the following:

 

Hello Mr Todd,

Thank you for your enquiry, I can up date you tomorrow regarding this closure

Regards"

 

I assume it is works associated with the Quakers Walk development. Personally I can think of no good reason why the work should be permitted outside the winter stoppages.

 

Suggest you also email BW.

[deletedaccount]

I've never had any trouble on bath visitor moorings fwiw.

[wrigglefingers]

I've never had any trouble on bath visitor moorings fwiw.

 

Me neither, but the 72 hour moorings in Sydney Gardens can (and will) get filled very quickly.

[ditchcrawler]

yes. If it is closed over Easter, then it is only closed for one extra working day.

 

Emailed BW pointing this out and rx'ed the following:

 

 

 

I assume it is works associated with the Quakers Walk development. Personally I can think of no good reason why the work should be permitted outside the winter stoppages.

 

Suggest you also email BW.

It said 4 weeks on the posting

[Andy Todd]

It said 4 weeks on the posting

 

easter = 4 april

 

monday 5th = Bank Holiday = no work

tuesday 6th = working day

wednesday 7th = canal open

 

so there is only one working day of the stoppage after Easter.

[Boaty Jo]

Hi

We are planning a trip down to Bath just before Easter (Devizes flight due to open 26th March I think). My wife was talking to someone who said there had been issues with mooring lines being cut near Bath, can anyone tell me if this is common there? I saw the posts about bikes being half inched last year but nothing else.

 

Bricksh

 

Get a decent chain. You only need some drunken plonker chopping your ropes and you're off towards Bristol with the ducks.

 

The unchained Mallardy

[Naughty Cal]

Get a decent chain. You only need some drunken plonker chopping your ropes and you're off towards Bristol with the ducks.

 

The unchained Mallardy

 

Or rope up with four ropes. One or two they may cut but they wont want to hang around long enough to do four.

[carlt]

Hi

We are planning a trip down to Bath just before Easter (Devizes flight due to open 26th March I think). My wife was talking to someone who said there had been issues with mooring lines being cut near Bath, can anyone tell me if this is common there? I saw the posts about bikes being half inched last year but nothing else.

 

Bricksh

Rope cutting is common throughout the system so don't buy a boat.

 

Bike thefts have been reported in every town and village in the UK so don't buy a bike.

[welshmike]

So what are the most sought after moorings in Bath - nearest to centre, attractions etc?

 

Mike

[deletedaccount]

So what are the most sought after moorings in Bath - nearest to centre, attractions etc?

 

Mike

 

If you're only going for a day then the pultney weir moorings are ideal. They're right in the centre of town and very pituresque. They're occasionally full up but there's always room on the other river mooring just down from the bus station, which is also pretty central.

 

The busiest ones are just above bath top lock. Which is fun if they're full as you have to go down three locks before there's anywhere else to stop.

[welshmike]

If you're only going for a day then the pultney weir moorings are ideal. They're right in the centre of town and very pituresque. They're occasionally full up but there's always room on the other river mooring just down from the bus station, which is also pretty central.

 

The busiest ones are just above bath top lock. Which is fun if they're full as you have to go down three locks before there's anywhere else to stop.

 

 

Pultney Weir - thats below Bath bottom lock and then upstream on the river?

[simonk]

If you're only going for a day then the pultney weir moorings are ideal. They're right in the centre of town and very pituresque. They're occasionally full up but there's always room on the other river mooring just down from the bus station, which is also pretty central.

 

The busiest ones are just above bath top lock. Which is fun if they're full as you have to go down three locks before there's anywhere else to stop.

 

You have to pay about 7 quid a night for the pulteney weir moorings (I think you get to use the showers in the leisure centre for that though), or you could go round the corner where there are loads of railings to moor against by the car park (not as picturesque). There are some tramps and winos hanging about along the river but they're more of a sad annoyance than meaning any harm. When we moored there last year and tried to eat our dinner outside, we made the mistake of taking a bottle of wine out with us which attracted some drunk who just wouldn't go away, but the next day when he was more sober, he was helping some boats through the locks.

[deletedaccount]

Pultney Weir - thats below Bath bottom lock and then upstream on the river?

 

Yup, that's the one. If it's full there's one just downstream from the bottom lock that always has space.

 

You have to pay about 7 quid a night for the pulteney weir moorings (I think you get to use the showers in the leisure centre for that though), or you could go round the corner where there are loads of railings to moor against by the car park (not as picturesque). There are some tramps and winos hanging about along the river but they're more of a sad annoyance than meaning any harm. When we moored there last year and tried to eat our dinner outside, we made the mistake of taking a bottle of wine out with us which attracted some drunk who just wouldn't go away, but the next day when he was more sober, he was helping some boats through the locks.

 

Can't say I've ever had to pay and I've not had any trouble with drunks either.

 

I did have a bunch of kids doing bongs next to my boat down that way (behind the train station), but it's cos that's where they always do bongs. I was in their spot

[welshmike]

Yup, that's the one. If it's full there's one just downstream from the bottom lock that always has space.

 

 

 

Can't say I've ever had to pay and I've not had any trouble with drunks either.

 

I did have a bunch of kids doing bongs next to my boat down that way (behind the train station), but it's cos that's where they always do bongs. I was in their spot

 

Well, it keeps them off the streets...

[Graham Davis]

Didn't they offer to share them with you?

[Laurie Booth]

You have to pay about 7 quid a night for the pulteney weir moorings (I think you get to use the showers in the leisure centre for that though), or you could go round the corner where there are loads of railings to moor against by the car park (not as picturesque). There are some tramps and winos hanging about along the river but they're more of a sad annoyance than meaning any harm. When we moored there last year and tried to eat our dinner outside, we made the mistake of taking a bottle of wine out with us which attracted some drunk who just wouldn't go away, but the next day when he was more sober, he was helping some boats through the locks.

You don't have to pay anything at Pultney. If you pay you can use the facilities at the leisure centre.

Best place to moor is on the K&A top of the locks, it is a 10 min walk from there to the Abbey. It's a real pain going down the locks onto the river.

It is very rare to have ropes cut, most times if at all, the ropes are undone not cut. I was cruising the K&A for 10 years and only twice had my ropes undone.

I never came adrift as I always moor up with front, center and back ropes. It takes a lot of time for a yob to undo all the lines, plus I make sure he/she will have to get on the boat to do it.

[wrigglefingers]

Didn't they offer to share them with you?

 

No, they ran away when I asked for a chuff. Ellen thought I'd really embarrassed them, poor loves.

[welshmike]

You don't have to pay anything at Pultney. If you pay you can use the facilities at the leisure centre.

Best place to moor is on the K&A top of the locks, it is a 10 min walk from there to the Abbey. It's a real pain going down the locks onto the river.

It is very rare to have ropes cut, most times if at all, the ropes are undone not cut. I was cruising the K&A for 10 years and only twice had my ropes undone.

I never came adrift as I always moor up with front, center and back ropes. It takes a lot of time for a yob to undo all the lines, plus I make sure he/she will have to get on the boat to do it.

 

 

Why's it a pain to go down onto the river?

 

Mike

[Keeping Up]

Below Pulteney weir - a simply fabulous mooring spot. If it was a hotel you'd probably have to pay a couple of hundred for a room with such a prestigious view. We stayed for a couple of nights back in 2004 and didn't have to pay.

 

[magpie patrick]

Why's it a pain to go down onto the river?

 

Mike

 

depends whether you like locks or not, down six locks, only to come back. That said, I find the walk from the top of the locks into Bath by road tedious. Great Pulteny Street may be an architectural marvel but its long and very samey. If I moored at the top of the locks I'd walk down them into town, which also allows the option of sampling the Ram, The Ring of Bells, or the White Hart in Widcombe, and perhaps of picking up a good Indian takeaway in the same street on the way back.

 

To put "ten minutes walk" in perspective, you can walk across Bath City Centre from the Abbey to Green Park Station (now preserved and houising a market) in five minutes. If I was staying for more than an afternoon though, I'd moor at below Pulteny Bridge, although during the rugby season be aware you may have ten thousand mad sulisian's cheering next door for two hours!

[Laurie Booth]

Why's it a pain to go down onto the river?

 

Mike

2 hours down and two hours up, plus the terror of Bath deep lock.

Worth doing if you can't moor at the top of the locks.

[deletedaccount]

you can always moor three locks down, but you have to put up with the rising/lowering levels sticking your boat on a shelf. You can also wind there.

 

Personally I like hanging around on the river, but I'm not sure I'd bother if it was just for the afternoon.

 

 

 

There are also some LOL visitor moorings just before the first lock on the river (weston lock), by the dolphin pub.

 

I've never moored there and there are no rings, you have to go down the lock (which is slow as hell) before you can turn around and the bank is covered in bushes.

 

I have however stayed overnight on the pontoon below the lock as there's enough room for another boat to lock up even if I'm still asleep.

 

youo can also moor outside the boatman pub a little further down. They'll happily let you stay overnight for free if you ring them in advance.