Mooring on the Nene & middle levels

[Top cat]

We are planning to cruise to Ely via the Nene and middle levels doing approx 6 hour days am I right in thinking there are moorings at the following places ?

 

Northampton junction

Wellingbrough Bridge

Titchamrsh lock

Yarwell

Ashline sluice

Upwell

 

If not could folks please recommend suitable places as near as possible

 

Thanks

 

TC

[Keeping Up]

Personally I wouldn't choose to moor at either Northampton Junction or Wellingborough Bridge.

 

I always go straight through from Gayton to Cogenhoe, there is lots of very good mooring above the lock there. There are good moorings above several of the other locks too,

 

The mooring by Thrapston Sailing Club is good, and the Rushden & Diamonds mooring below Irthlingborough Bridge is also a very good mooring but note that the advertised facilities no longer exist (apart from the water tap).

[starman]

Personally I wouldn't choose to moor at either Northampton Junction or Wellingborough Bridge.

 

I always go straight through from Gayton to Cogenhoe, there is lots of very good mooring above the lock there. There are good moorings above several of the other locks too,

 

The mooring by Thrapston Sailing Club is good, and the Rushden & Diamonds mooring below Irthlingborough Bridge is also a very good mooring but note that the advertised facilities no longer exist (apart from the water tap).

 

The only thing I'd disagree with is Northampton - we've never had any problems mooring on the riverside close to the big yellow pedestrian bridge. There are plenty of boats around and cctv. Also Morrisons is 100 yards away so good for stocking up as the Nene is a bit short of easy-access supermarkets until you reach Welingborough.

There is a small one/two boat jetty mooring on the bank-side Britannia pub at Rush Mills as you exit Northampton. It's a Chef & Brewer so does reasonably decent food.

The Thrapston Sailing Club mooring is very good - a ten minute walk through the park brings you into the town where there's a big Co-op and a good chip shop.

[Mac of Cygnet]

We are planning to cruise to Ely via the Nene and middle levels doing approx 6 hour days am I right in thinking there are moorings at the following places ?

 

Northampton junction

Wellingbrough Bridge

Titchamrsh lock

Yarwell

Ashline sluice

Upwell

 

If not could folks please recommend suitable places as near as possible

 

Thanks

 

TC

 

Any particular reason why you want to moor near these places? If it's a question of schedule, then I think it's wise to be a bit more flexible when cruising the Nene, and one or two diversions on the Middle Level might also be rewarding. Beware the Imray Guides - they show moorings where there are none, and vice versa. I have moored at the following (ones marked * were a bit improvised) :

 

Cogenhoe,Irthlingborough, Denford, Thrapston, Titchmarsh, Wadenhoe, Oundle Boat Club, Ashton, Fotheringhay (charge),Warmington, Elton, Wansford Bridge*, Wansford Station, Alwalton Lock, Ferry Meadows, Peterborough, Stanground, Ashline Lock, Floods Ferry (charge), Benwick*, Ramsey Forty Foot*, Ramsey, March, Upwell*, Outwell, Salter's Lode.

 

As I said, if you stick to 6 hour days and head stright for Ely, (however good that is, and it is!), you'll miss a lot.

 

Mac

 

Edited to add Benwick, where I believe proper mooring has now been provided. Anyone confirm this?

Edited May 30, 2011 by Mac of Cygnet

[MoominPapa]

Edited to add Benwick, where I believe proper mooring has now been provided. Anyone confirm this?

I can confirm it.

 

Also re-iterate Starman's point in Northampton. We've spent the night above the bottom lock outside the flats and not had any problems.

 

MP.

[Top cat]

Thanks for the recommendations

 

Yarwell is the only place we have to visit as we are meeting friends aboard their tupperware cruiser then going in convoy from there. All other mooring options are just my guesses of likely places a days cruising apart. We will take your advice and take it easier than we originally planned to get better value out of the extortionate EA license fee.

 

Thanks

TC

[starman]

My personal 'musts' would be Fotheringhay because it's such a beautiful and evocative spot - and well worth the farmer's fee (which goes to the church fund I believe) plus Wadenhoe because the village and hill-top church are worth a visit - and you can moor by the garden of a decent pub!

[Top cat]

Yes I would like to visit Fotheringhay It looks delightful on Google and there is the Sandy Denny song.

 

Any other recommendations ?

 

TC

[pearley]

Never had a problem at Wellingborough apart from the swans!

[Biggles]

 

Edited to add Benwick, where I believe proper mooring has now been provided. Anyone confirm this?

 

 

There is we stayed on it Friday night. Official opening in June some time.

 

Try this as well

 

My link

[Top cat]

Thank you a most useful page now bookmarked

 

TC

[tillergirl]

You'll also find on the way to Ely some fairly new EA mooring spots that just pop up on you if you want a quiet night.

 

Approaching Ely by boat is something else..............Enjoy You will see why its called "The Ship of the Fens".

[Top cat]

Yes we have been to Ely by car and are looking forward to arriving by boat at this delightful town.

 

Tc

[Black Ibis]

I would also recommend the newish moorings at Wansford, near the railway bridge. You can hop off and enjoy a trip on the delightful Nene valley trailway. There's also a proper greasy spoon which does great breakfasts about 5 mins up the road from the moorings.

[starman]

I would also recommend the newish moorings at Wansford, near the railway bridge. You can hop off and enjoy a trip on the delightful Nene valley trailway. There's also a proper greasy spoon which does great breakfasts about 5 mins up the road from the moorings.

 

True but don't rely on finding space - there's only room for about two nbs. Shame the EA didn't make it longer given the shortage of moorings on the river.

[Keeping Up]

True but don't rely on finding space - there's only room for about two nbs. Shame the EA didn't make it longer given the shortage of moorings on the river.

 

There's room for loads of NB's if you don't mind breasting up, the river is really wide there.

 

Edited to add - has anybody mentioned there is a good mooring above Alwalton lock, off to one side (not on the lock mooring please, the way one person had taken up residence there when we went through last year)

.

Edited June 2, 2011 by Keeping Up