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Proposed Hungerford Marina

Weathership

By Weathership
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KenK Rising Star

KenK

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Has anyone any info on the proposed Hungerford Marina on the K&A canal? I thought the plan was dead in the water but I see that there is a canal stoppage planned in the new year to allow the building of the marina entrance.

 

There was one last year and the year before. I doubt it will ever happen, it was supposed to be linked to a hotel etc and that failed to happen. There were signs up a year ago but they have gone now, I passed it on the A4 a few weeks ago and nothing has changed since last year.

 

Ken

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Dominic M Influencer

Dominic M

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I drove past the site last week. There had been a sign some while back stating that a marina was being created there. That has gone. It is possible the planning consent has lapsed. There was fierce local opposition at the time. A pity, because the K&A needs moorings, and I can't understand the objections.

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GSer Experienced

GSer

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I'd be happy if it all gets forgotten about, plenty of better places IMO

 

If 5 boats set off from the hungerford site and turned laft, already iffy water levels would suffer considerably.

 

Better sites would be between newbury & reading, lots of gravel pits and reasonable steady water supply, easy access from the a4 and the locals arn't too precious.

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JDR Proficient

JDR

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I'd be happy if it all gets forgotten about, plenty of better places IMO

 

If 5 boats set off from the hungerford site and turned laft, already iffy water levels would suffer considerably.

 

Better sites would be between newbury & reading, lots of gravel pits and reasonable steady water supply, easy access from the a4 and the locals arn't too precious.

Am I the only one who finds the K&A a hard slog between Reading and Newbury? Especially singlehanded.Not somewhere I would ever choose to moor, although I'm sure the moorings at Burghfield are very nice.

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Chris Pink Veteran II

Chris Pink

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I drove past the site last week. There had been a sign some while back stating that a marina was being created there. That has gone. It is possible the planning consent has lapsed. There was fierce local opposition at the time. A pity, because the K&A needs moorings, and I can't understand the objections.

 

 

Is that why Caen Hill Marina is mostly empty?

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Laurie Booth Veteran

Laurie BoothDonate to Canal World

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Am I the only one who finds the K&A a hard slog between Reading and Newbury? Especially singlehanded.Not somewhere I would ever choose to moor, although I'm sure the moorings at Burghfield are very nice.

Burghfield is a good place to moor between Reading & Newbury.

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J R Community Regular

J R

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Word on the street is that the majority of the moorings in Caen Hill marina have been taken up but I agree, it looks pretty empty at the moment.

 

Having driven past it a number of times went in there last week. Looks all very nice and well built. However by my calculations it was only 15% full. Looked at the prices per foot per year that was on a notice board and the prices seemed to be ok market rate. Not intereted myself; just being nosey. It is not owned by Foxhangers Hire Boat company which is next door at the bottom of the Caen Hill flight.

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Dominic M Influencer

Dominic M

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Is that why Caen Hill Marina is mostly empty?

I'm surprised, but I don't doubt what you say. Certainly marina berths are in short supply between Devizes and Bristol, and there's not much going in the opposite direction. It may take time, but there are all the towpath boats in abundance down there who can no longer argue that they can't find a mooring, of course. It depends on how tough BW and it's successor get over that issue.

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Ace 01 Collaborator

Ace 01

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So where are they all? Out cruising? hmmm....

 

Hi

 

If they're coming from further afield, they can't come from the East because the locks at Gt Bedwyn/Crofton are closed due to water shortage and if they're coming from the West, the Avon at Bath is closed due to Victoria? bridge being closed due to it being unsafe. This will have probably caused a lot of delays.

 

We have seen it and it looks a very nice marina, the electricity was connected on the day we were there, it had previously been via a generator. We have actually booked a place for next July ready for when our nb will be finished.

 

Ann

 

ETA - They opened in September .... touch of bad timing in regards to closures unfortunately.

Edited by Ace 01
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Chris Pink Veteran II

Chris Pink

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I'm surprised that the boats in Devizes Marina Village haven't moved down to Caen Hill Marina.

 

Cos it's horrible soulless place with no landscaping except for some stupid and unbouyed 'islands' (ask me how I know) in a horrible windblown location next to a horrible noisy road. I'd rather have my nipples pierced with a rusty nail than live there.

 

I think I should add that the management are very nice.

 

Hi

 

If they're coming from further afield, they can't come from the East because the locks at Gt Bedwyn/Crofton are closed due to water shortage and if they're coming from the West, the Avon at Bath is closed due to Victoria? bridge being closed due to it being unsafe. This will have probably caused a lot of delays.

 

So dominic's point (which my comment you quote was an answer to) that it was intended to clear up some of the existing online moorers?

 

When you seem to imply that all it will do is bring another 200 boats (the current shortfall) onto tje western k and a.

Edited by Chris Pink
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Ace 01 Collaborator

Ace 01

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Cos it's horrible soulless place with no landscaping except for some stupid and unbouyed 'islands' (ask me how I know) in a horrible windblown location next to a horrible noisy road. I'd rather have my nipples pierced with a rusty nail than live there.

 

I think I should add that the management are very nice.

 

 

 

So dominic's point (which my comment you quote was an answer to) that it was intended to clear up some of the existing online moorers?

 

When you seem to imply that all it will do is bring another 200 boats (the current shortfall) onto tje western k and a.

 

Hi Chris

 

I'm not implying anything but was merely wondering if the stoppages had anything to do with it appearing to have lots of empty spaces. Perhaps I should have said that more clearly.

We're going to moor there because it is fairly close to us and we can complete the interior before we CC.

 

Ann

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Chris Pink Veteran II

Chris Pink

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You may be right, presumably it will fill from somewhere and if you dont live aboard or spend time in it, it's as good a place as anywhere to leave a boat.

 

There was a deal of flag waving "this will cure congestion on the kanda" tho given where it is and the chronic mismanagement of Seend flight, 2 miles away, it will probably simply make it worse.

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Laurie Booth Veteran

Laurie BoothDonate to Canal World

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Cos it's horrible soulless place with no landscaping except for some stupid and unbouyed 'islands' (ask me how I know) in a horrible windblown location next to a horrible noisy road. I'd rather have my nipples pierced with a rusty nail than live there.

 

I think I should add that the management are very nice.

 

 

 

 

I was thinking as a place to moor a boat, not to live at. The only place on the K&A I would live at is the Somerset Coal Canal.

:)

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Jim Batty Proficient

Jim Batty

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I drove past the site last week. There had been a sign some while back stating that a marina was being created there. That has gone. It is possible the planning consent has lapsed. There was fierce local opposition at the time. A pity, because the K&A needs moorings, and I can't understand the objections.

 

I reckon that stretch of the K&A could use a good, well supplied chandlery attached to a marina ... to give a little competition to other operators on that sparse stretch.

 

BTW, the farm shop almost opposite serves the best chocolate tarte on the planet.

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GSer Experienced

GSer

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I reckon that stretch of the K&A could use a good, well supplied chandlery attached to a marina ... to give a little competition to other operators on that sparse stretch.

 

BTW, the farm shop almost opposite serves the best chocolate tarte on the planet.

 

 

I think that part of the areas charm is that it is sparse, I think in fact the area between Newbury and Honeysteet is pretty much devoid of canal based commercial enterprise and I think is the better for it.

 

Paul

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