River Idle

[Naughty Cal]

When we went up the Idle years ago we moored at Misson.

 

We visited Haxey Quays by road last Autumn and they have created some long term moorings. You could probably get on those if you ask. Site has elsan disposal and water plus the pub by the bridge. It is a residential and touring caravan site with a large events field so you may have lots of company.

 

Worksop and Retford Boat Club organise trips but they are strictly memebers only.

 

Rachael, there are a number of bridges to negotiate, West Stockwith (near your favourite brewery), West Stockwith new sluice, Misterton Soss footbridge and Haxey Gate bridge on the A161 north of Misterton. Can you lower your bridle/bar.

 

 

Mal

 

Our arch hinges so we can get our air draft down to 6'6" or with some extra weight a little bit less when necessary.

[maggie-y]

Ah. Had we known this in advance we would have come along and shared the cost of raising the sluice. Unfortunately we have a BBQ party tomorrow so cant make it

 

 

we were on a boat delivery to Haxley Quays - paid for by the customer

 

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/13861485@N05/?uploaded=6&magic_cookie=56158bc33fc95b3364b4883e3da44462

 

it was very low under the bridge after the second sluice

 

 

Maggie

[redfastlad]

We are planning a trip for our 57ft narrow boat this summer, and we intend to visit relations at West Stockwith, on a recent gathering of our family I was informed that the river Idle has some new lock gates!! and boats are now being moored around the pub area of the river.i will try and get more detailed information and post it here as and when .

[Mrs Trackman]

We are planning a trip for our 57ft narrow boat this summer, and we intend to visit relations at West Stockwith, on a recent gathering of our family I was informed that the river Idle has some new lock gates!! and boats are now being moored around the pub area of the river.i will try and get more detailed information and post it here as and when .

 

Hoping to go that way this year so would be very interested to hear how you get on. We don't have a Gold licence though so presume will need a temporary E A one, they don't come cheap on the Thames, anyone any idea how much it might be?

Edited January 21, 2015 by Mrs Trackman

[Idle boater]

Hello all. sat reading the posts with interest, not much to contribute about navigation etc but i can say there are about a dozen boats moored at Haxey Queys.

 

Mike.

[redfastlad]

Ok update , we went down to the idle in the car on Saturday, we parked in the car park opposite the White hart with our mission to view the bank and see if we could moor our NB without going through the sluice gate, well that's not possible and we walked up to the 2nd sluice gate and viewed the bank ,it is possible to moor between the two sluices but not what we want to do so back to the pub for lunch and a great Idle brewery pint ,our relations live in Stockwith and we met one of them in the pub where we were given a really warm welcome. After lunch we visited the basin on the Chesterfield and it is there that new top gates have been fitted, so on our summer trip we will stay there for a day or so. We then followed the Idle up to Haxey where we saw about 14 boats moored next to the bank on linear moorings at the caravan site with further moorings just having been built but it would appear to be mainly live aboard people but not for us as the idle would not be navigable very far for our 57ft boat.

[Tony Dunkley]

Ok update , we went down to the idle in the car on Saturday, we parked in the car park opposite the White hart with our mission to view the bank and see if we could moor our NB without going through the sluice gate, well that's not possible and we walked up to the 2nd sluice gate and viewed the bank ,it is possible to moor between the two sluices but not what we want to do so back to the pub for lunch and a great Idle brewery pint ,our relations live in Stockwith and we met one of them in the pub where we were given a really warm welcome. After lunch we visited the basin on the Chesterfield and it is there that new top gates have been fitted, so on our summer trip we will stay there for a day or so. We then followed the Idle up to Haxey where we saw about 14 boats moored next to the bank on linear moorings at the caravan site with further moorings just having been built but it would appear to be mainly live aboard people but not for us as the idle would not be navigable very far for our 57ft boat.

The Idle is alright for boats a lot longer than 57' almost to Bawtry. There are only two obstacles to consider before going up there, and both are courtesy of the EA.

There's a shallow stretch at Misson which they won't dredge because it's in a SSSI thanks to some VIP creepy crawlies that reside there and the fact that it's cheaper to pay out compensation to land owners in the event of flooding rather than to dredge the river. The other obstacle is the extortionate charge the EA make for letting you through the sluices at Stockwith . . . somewhere in the £200 region now, I believe.

[Neil TNC]

As the Idle was in 2002.

 

http://www.tuesdaynightclub.co.uk/Tour_02/Tour02_2.html

 

We found out that the price EA charge for raising the sluices was somewhat negotiable. To start with they did it for nothing, but some local boater insisting on a right of navigation at any time put a stop to that, a bit like Humber Lock on the Market Weighton Canal. We were told by the RWBC that is is best to go up there in the spring (or when there is water about,) and to time being above Misson while they are not sluicing, as this tends to drain the river. ISTR that is was about the time that we went up there that the RWBC stopped doing their annual bash.