Banbury overnight moorings

[Rog Davies]

Hiya folks

I will be heading down the Oxford for the first time in many years and would appreciate some advice for mooring overnight in Banbury [i hear they've filled in the basin and built shops on it!]. Any recommendations for security/quietness/convenience? TIA

Edited March 9, 2010 by Rog Davies

[Proper Job]

There are plenty of overnight moorings available right in the middle of town on both sides.

 

They get very busy so an early stop would be in order.

[WJM]

On my last visit, going south in August, I moored up on the first spot I could find - opposite the flour mill. I regretted it because there were plenty of better places by Tooleys boat workshop, there was a lot of noise from the mill.

[Bones]

As PJ says loads of moorings. I know some people who like a bit of dark, peace and quiet moor below the lock. I haven't done that so I don't know what it is like!

[bottle]

As above but if you do go down the lock, moor almost immediately or you will be outside a foundry (a bit smelly etc.) also there is caravan park near there that is best avoided.

 

Bridge 168, moor just after, new piling and Morrison's is within a stones throw.

[Laurie Booth]

As PJ says loads of moorings. I know some people who like a bit of dark, peace and quiet moor below the lock. I haven't done that so I don't know what it is like!

I always try to moor there as it is very quiet, yet in the centre of things.

[Rog Davies]

Thanks for the info everyone - looking forward to re-acquainting myself with the S Oxford.

BTW is Cropredy still difficult to moor?

[PaddingtonBear]

What do you want to stop in Banbury for? Bloody awful place, second worst place in country. Moor in daylight only.

[WJM]

"BTW is Cropredy still difficult to moor?"

 

Very difficult, impossible even - in the middle of August! (Convening of the Fairports)

[rrt2]

Hiya folks

I will be heading down the Oxford for the first time in many years and would appreciate some advice for mooring overnight in Banbury [i hear they've filled in the basin and built shops on it!]. Any recommendations for security/quietness/convenience? TIA

 

We moored the N.B.T. pair a little bit bit out of the centre ( Oxford side ) near the big supermarket last October opposite a foundry that finished work so it was nice and quiet no problems what so ever.

[Mac of Cygnet]

What do you want to stop in Banbury for? Bloody awful place, second worst place in country. Moor in daylight only.

 

This begs a question, but I'm not going to ask it.

[owenk]

As above but if you do go down the lock, moor almost immediately or you will be outside a foundry (a bit smelly etc.) also there is caravan park near there that is best avoided.

 

Bridge 168, moor just after, new piling and Morrison's is within a stones throw.

 

Oi that's one of my best my friends Foundry!!! (It is a bit pongy though.)

[Laurie Booth]

What do you want to stop in Banbury for? Bloody awful place, second worst place in country. Moor in daylight only.

I think you are confusing Banbury with Burnley

[ditchcrawler]

Oi that's one of my best my friends Foundry!!! (It is a bit pongy though.)

The cast pig iron ingots that he uses would make good ballast

[PaddingtonBear]

Not at all Mr Booth. We arrived on a Sunday, just after lunch, and despite the bloody awful architecture were going to stop and visit. It was fairly busy. There were 20 or so yoofs hanging about adjacent to the town mooring. Neither of us are in the least bit worried normally but as the Great Helmsman got ashore to tie up she was threatened and abused by said yoofs. The situation called for me to support her ( she normally is perfectly capable of sorting a bunch of chavs out with one withering look) and as I told them all to "stop" the obvious leader then called upon his gang to invade the boat. Now I am unfortunately not the sort to threaten and wont back down to anyone(except the Great Helmsman) and so all hell would have broken out and it would have been very likely that I would have been arrested. We decided to move on. We heard later that this was a regular occurence. We have cruised extensively mostly in urban areas as this is what the Great Helsman likes and this has not happened anywhere else nor has the sense of foreboding been apparent. The worst place btw is where I live, bloody awful, full of ugly fat chavs. I know, I know, there is a common denominator

[Laurie Booth]

Not at all Mr Booth. We arrived on a Sunday, just after lunch, and despite the bloody awful architecture were going to stop and visit. It was fairly busy. There were 20 or so yoofs hanging about adjacent to the town mooring. Neither of us are in the least bit worried normally but as the Great Helmsman got ashore to tie up she was threatened and abused by said yoofs. The situation called for me to support her ( she normally is perfectly capable of sorting a bunch of chavs out with one withering look) and as I told them all to "stop" the obvious leader then called upon his gang to invade the boat. Now I am unfortunately not the sort to threaten and wont back down to anyone(except the Great Helmsman) and so all hell would have broken out and it would have been very likely that I would have been arrested. We decided to move on. We heard later that this was a regular occurence. We have cruised extensively mostly in urban areas as this is what the Great Helsman likes and this has not happened anywhere else nor has the sense of foreboding been apparent. The worst place btw is where I live, bloody awful, full of ugly fat chavs. I know, I know, there is a common denominator

Sorry you had a bad time at Banbury, I have moored there about 6 times and have had no problems but I might have been lucky.

I usually moor below the lock opposite the elsan point, this seems to be a very quiet spot.

We find the local takeaways very good and Morrisons close. My wife also finds the laundrette a god send.

Sadly the takeaways are so close that I now weigh 15 stones

[bottle]

Sorry to hear of your problems at Banbury, we always moor right in the centre near Tom Rolt's bridge and never had any problems.

 

Now where did I put that lottery ticket..................................Oh! I remember, have not bought it yet.

[Grasshopper]

And I've moored there several times without trouble. On occasion when we've been virtually the only boat there. Never felt anything but safe. Although I've had my ear bent plenty of times about how 'dangerous' it is. The truth is that you can have problems anywhere but I can think of plenty of places I'd be more worried about than the centre of Banbury.

[NB Alnwick]

Thanks for the info everyone - looking forward to re-acquainting myself with the S Oxford.

BTW is Cropredy still difficult to moor?

 

Never had a problem mooring at Cropredy

 

Seriously, there is often spare mooring capacity at this time of year and even during the festival in August, our friends have always managed find a mooring within easy walking distance of the village.

[weeble]

We normally prefer more rural moorings but have moored overnight in the centre of Banbury a couple times and no problems whatsoever even at week-ends, although a bit noisey one night when the local club turned out. The only "aggro" I got was when going though one Saturday morning a couple Yoofs thought is a hoot to climb up the lift bridge when I was raising it (expecting me to either stop, or lower it so that they could get off). Got quite a mouthful when I carried on raising the bridge and left the b*ggers hanging on by their finger nails.... but I'm big enough to live with it!

[Bullfrog]

Never had a problem mooring at Cropredy

 

Seriously, there is often spare mooring capacity at this time of year and even during the festival in August, our friends have always managed find a mooring within easy walking distance of the village.

 

Last time I went thru' some of the on-line moorers encouraged us to use an empty spot there, "it belongs to Fred, he's away for a couple of weeks you'll be OK".

 

Very welcoming indeed.

[David Schweizer]

I used to moor regularly in banbury but not any more. Wec used to moor opposite the Foundry, not picturesque but quiet after 5pm until the last time. the Local Authority have established a Travellers site on the towpath side with only a broken panel fence separating it from the Canal. We were subjected to motorbikes charging around the site and continuous foul langusge. When it was clear that this was gouing to continue all evening we un-tied and moved on.

 

The next time we moored opposite the bakery - bad decision. It operates all night and every two hours a fleet of delivery lorries collects the new bread. The deep rumbling from the mill gave me a headache which lasted nearly all the following day. We now arrange to pass through Banbury at lunchtime, stop at Morrisons for provisions, and move on to a quieter spot for overnight mooring.

 

Last time I went thru' some of the on-line moorers encouraged us to use an empty spot there, "it belongs to Fred, he's away for a couple of weeks you'll be OK".

 

Very welcoming indeed.

Same here. If we cannot get in above the lock or between the lock and the bridge, we move on and ask the permitted moorers if there are any spaces, we have always managerd to get in somewhere. Always very helpful.

[Keeping Up]

We normally prefer more rural moorings but have moored overnight in the centre of Banbury a couple times and no problems whatsoever even at week-ends, although a bit noisey one night when the local club turned out. The only "aggro" I got was when going though one Saturday morning a couple Yoofs thought is a hoot to climb up the lift bridge when I was raising it (expecting me to either stop, or lower it so that they could get off). Got quite a mouthful when I carried on raising the bridge and left the b*ggers hanging on by their finger nails.... but I'm big enough to live with it!

We've moored in Banbury several times with no problems too - though we did listen to one 'yoof' explaining to his friends, just outside our window, how stealing things from the lockers on boats was always a better idea than stealing from a house, because the lockers usually weren't locked so it didn't count as "breaking and entering" if you got caught. I did toy with the idea of going out and ecducating them about the legal definition of "Breaking and entering" (AIUI the word "breaking" refers to breaking the continuous curtilege of the property, by opening a door or window, and does not require you actually to physically break anything). In the end I decided not to bother - mainly because there were a lot of them I'm a coward. As I said though, we had no problems anyway.

 

But we have had plenty of aggro at the lift bridge. As Pingu was starting to lift it once, an old lady came out of the sheltered accommodation (I think that's what it is) and gave her a right mouthful for not stationing someone on the towpath side to prevent anyone from trying to cross when the bridge was raised. She said there had been several incidents involving short-sighted old dears with their zimmer frames assuming that the bridge would be down when it was actually up, and walking straight into the canal. OH what a wonderful image it conjures up!

[Athy]

We've moored in Banbury several times with no problems too - though we did listen to one 'yoof' explaining to his friends, just outside our window, how stealing things from the lockers on boats was always a better idea than stealing from a house, because the lockers usually weren't locked so it didn't count as "breaking and entering" if you got caught. I did toy with the idea of going out and ecducating them about the legal definition of "Breaking and entering" (AIUI the word "breaking" refers to breaking the continuous curtilege of the property, by opening a door or window, and does not require you actually to physically break anything). In the end I decided not to bother - mainly because there were a lot of them I'm a coward. As I said though, we had no problems anyway.

 

But we have had plenty of aggro at the lift bridge. As Pingu was starting to lift it once, an old lady came out of the sheltered accommodation (I think that's what it is) and gave her a right mouthful for not stationing someone on the towpath side to prevent anyone from trying to cross when the bridge was raised. She said there had been several incidents involving short-sighted old dears with their zimmer frames assuming that the bridge would be down when it was actually up, and walking straight into the canal. OH what a wonderful image it conjures up!

 

Cor, is it on You Tube yet?

[bottle]

and I expect Pingu was very diplomatic with her reply.