Newbies Need Advice - trouble shoot our plan

[southdakotan]

Hello,

 

We are an American family (Dad, Mom, daughter age 26, son age 18) gearing up for our long-anticipated trip to visit your beautiful country in June. We hope to sample some of the variety that England has to offer, spending our first three days in the Cotswolds with a rental car ("car hire" I believe it's called ), followed by three days in London. Then comes the part of the trip that we are most looking forward to - a week on a narrowboat. We made a timeshare trade into a Canaltime boat out of Market Harborough.

 

I have been reading the forums here, and experimenting with route plans through Canal Plan. Here is our tentative plan:

 

Monday: Check in at 2:00, get our boating lessons (tuition, eh??), make our way to Foxton Locks and perhaps even through the locks. Moor nearby for the night.

 

Tuesday morning - make our way up the Welford arm, lunch in Welford. Turn around, make our way back through Foxton Locks and slightly further up the canal toward Leicester before retiring for the night.

 

Wednesday - Spend the day making our way to Leicester, mooring near Newarke Bridge. Evening spent exploring nearby Leicester.

 

Thursday - The kids need to head back home to their jobs, so they will catch a morning train from Leicester to Heathrow. Mom and Dad are now free for a couple days and have no clue what to see - any suggestions?

 

Friday - cruising? or rent a car and explore? maybe York? Is it safe to leave the boat moored for the day?

 

Saturday - head back to Market Harborough

 

Sunday - turn in boat, catch train to Heathrow.

 

So... do the distances and times seem reasonable? Anything we're missing? Would love to hear any suggestions or advice. Thanks in advance!

 

South Dakotan Mom

[Scholar Gypsy]

I would suggest going further south, it seems a pity to spend so little time on the summit section, which is gloriously remote. Although Leicester is a fine city, it would not be my favourite canal holiday destination.

 

You could easily get to Braunston / Napton / Rugby during the week, or down the Grand Union mainline to Stoke Bruerne.

 

[There is a good bus service from Braunston (to Banbury then train to Reading for a bus to Heathrow), and Crick is an easy taxi ride to Rugby Station. And you could get to Rugby by Tuesday evening, where you can moor 5 mins from the station. That also gets you more tunnels - but then starting from MH you cannot avoid them.]

 

Good luck!

[Tuscan]

Hi I would be tempted to go the other way

Day 1 get to bottom of Foxton Locks

Day 2 up flight ( will take a couple of hours maybe 3 dependent on queue) get to Welford maybe stay or back to Crick if time

Day 3 go to Braunston ( nice canal village)

Day 4 kids get taxi to Rugby station move boat back to Buckby

Day 5 buckby to bottom of Foxton Locks

Day 6 return boat

[PaddingtonBear]

Shame you are in South Dakota as I know a couple in Chapel Hill NC who would be a great help although their expertise is further south. They know every nook and cranny of the BCN even to the extent of being able to correct the maps! Unfortunately they have sold their boat and I miss them both greatly. Not a great place to start IMHO and Leicester is NOT a great place to stop, it is full of young people and their silly music .

[Graham Davis]

Forget Leicester; it's not really a tourist venue!

Ditto the car trip to York, timewise you would be rushing.

 

Either of Tuscan or Paddington's suggestions sound very sensible and much more interesting.

[john6767]

Hi I would be tempted to go the other way

Day 1 get to bottom of Foxton Locks

Day 2 up flight ( will take a couple of hours maybe 3 dependent on queue) get to Welford maybe stay or back to Crick if time

Day 3 go to Braunston ( nice canal village)

Day 4 kids get taxi to Rugby station move boat back to Buckby

Day 5 buckby to bottom of Foxton Locks

Day 6 return boat

I would second this plan.

The Leicester line summit is very nice, and going this way I would say the locks are a lot easier as they are in flights (Foxton, Watford, Braunston), and you get to go through Braunston Tunnel which is a great experience.

 

Logistically you are never going to be that far from Rugby which is on the west coast main line (railway) and you have fast trains to London when you need it a taxi ride away. Get some taxi (prvate hire) company phone numbers lined up before you go (google).

[IanM]

Hi I would be tempted to go the other way

Day 1 get to bottom of Foxton Locks

Day 2 up flight ( will take a couple of hours maybe 3 dependent on queue) get to Welford maybe stay or back to Crick if time

Day 3 go to Braunston ( nice canal village)

Day 4 kids get taxi to Rugby station move boat back to Buckby

Day 5 buckby to bottom of Foxton Locks

Day 6 return boat

 

 

I would second this plan.

The Leicester line summit is very nice, and going this way I would say the locks are a lot easier as they are in flights (Foxton, Watford, Braunston), and you get to go through Braunston Tunnel which is a great experience.

 

Logistically you are never going to be that far from Rugby which is on the west coast main line (railway) and you have fast trains to London when you need it a taxi ride away. Get some taxi (prvate hire) company phone numbers lined up before you go (google).

 

I would agree too.

 

We did part of this route (Braunston to just north of Crick) at the weekend and was very pleased with the canal and commented on how we would happily come back that way again

[bottle]

As above,

 

One tip Foxton Locks, you need to 'book in' with the lock keeper, to be able to go through the locks open at 08:00 hrs and close (last boat in) at 18:15 hrs.

 

Depending on your leaving time from Market Harborough, you may just make the closing time but better to take it easy and book in early the next day.

[Keeping Up]

I'd follow Tuscan's plan too.

 

If you just aim to get to the bottom of Foxton for the first night, and aim to spend the following night at Welford, then you won't be stressed about trying to keep up with your plans (which are potentially a little bit too stretching). Personally I'd continue further south too, the trip to Leicester is hard work and IMHO not worth the effort - the trip across the summit and to Braunston is much more rewarding, and then the kids can catch their train from Rugby.

[bottle]

Just another thought the number 12 bus from Braunston goes to Rugby railway station.

 

Bus service is hourly. Journey time about 45 minutes.

Edited May 1, 2013 by bottle

[Kwacker]

Hi I would be tempted to go the other way

Day 1 get to bottom of Foxton Locks

Day 2 up flight ( will take a couple of hours maybe 3 dependent on queue) get to Welford maybe stay or back to Crick if time

Day 3 go to Braunston ( nice canal village)

Day 4 kids get taxi to Rugby station move boat back to Buckby

Day 5 buckby to bottom of Foxton Locks

Day 6 return boat

Spot on that man!

The locks going north down to Leicester are exceptionally hard work, and Leicester, although best seen from the canal / river would not be on my list of places to visit in England.

The scenery going south is lovely, and very typical of rural England, in places, if they haven't cut the reeds back, you could almost think you are on a river.

Edited May 1, 2013 by Kwacker

[Roy n paula]

Hi I used to have a time share canal time boat,by the time you have loaded up the boat,had your DVD training video,and tuition not forgetting the little swing bridge you might find it better to moor up at the bottom of the locks on your first day,have a nice meal in one of the pubs,take a stroll up the locks to see what's I store for you, I also agree that is the best route to take,and there used to be a lovely pub at the end of the Welford Arm,I think that's what is was called,bit of a tight turnaround,there was also a nice pub with bar skittles on one of the locks,but can't remember the name ,in the tunnels remember to look up into the air shafts,and last have a great time,oh yes slow down near all boats and wave to the owners,we don't bite,well most of us don't, ; )

[David Mack]

Just another thought the number 12 bus from Braunston goes to Rugby railway station.

 

Bus service is hourly. Journey time about 45 minutes.

 

For planning public transport journeys while you are here:

 

National Rail Enquiries

Transport for London Journey Planner - Trains, tubes, buses in and around London

Traveline - Local bus and train services

Transport Direct - Government National Journey Planner (car and public transport)

[southdakotan]

OK.... I'm very glad I asked this question! Thank you for all the advice, it sounds unanimous. We will head south.

 

The reason I originally chose Leicester was the ease of transport to Heathrow: put the kids on the train and they don't have to make any stops or changes. I'm a little concerned about the transport from Rugby, which will involve a couple of changes. Maybe our best option would be to rent a car in Rugby for the day and drive them directly to Heathrow, then do a little exploring in Rugby before turning the car back in.

 

in the tunnels remember to look up into the air shafts,and last have a great time,oh yes slow down near all boats and wave to the owners,we don't bite,well most of us don't, ; )

 

Look up into the air shafts?

 

And yes indeed, we will wave. And stop to chat. Looking forward to meeting you pros!

[LEO]

Hi,

 

It's an easy rail journey from Rugby or Coventry down to London Euston (fast or slow stopping train - I use the latter). Then Underground (Northern Line) to Leicester Square, change to Piccadilly Line to Heathrow (check which terminal). Or leave train at Berko (need a slow train for this) take a taxi to Chesham (about £10) and connect with a good bus service to Heathrow. (let me know if you want details of this bus service).

 

This way you take advantage of a good canal route and visit Leicester (well sort of).

 

Leo.

[David Mack]

The reason I originally chose Leicester was the ease of transport to Heathrow: put the kids on the train and they don't have to make any stops or changes. I'm a little concerned about the transport from Rugby, which will involve a couple of changes. Maybe our best option would be to rent a car in Rugby for the day and drive them directly to Heathrow, then do a little exploring in Rugby before turning the car back in.

 

There's little difference in getting to Heathrow from Leicester or Rugby.

 

There is no direct train from Leicester - you would have to get a train from Leicester to London St Pancras and then the Piccadilly Line Tube (Underground) to Heathrow.

 

As Leo says, from Rugby it is train to London Euston then Northern Line to Leicester Square then Piccadilly Line to Heathrow.

 

Personally I wouldn't recommend driving from Rugby to Heathrow.We drive on the wrong side of the road. And we have stick shift cars (although you probably can hire rent an automatic). And you'll miss out on a day of boating. At 26 and 18 your kids are old enough to make their own way by train/tube to Heathrow. Its not difficult. Just allow plenty of time.

 

OMG - Just realised! When you said no changes from Leicester to Heathrow, you weren't getting confused between Leicester Square Underground station in central London and Leicester station in the East Midlands were you? I know that Americans frequently contract street names to miss off the "road", "street" or whatever. In UK we don't - and doing so can result in much confusion. A colleague of mine once mislaid an American visitor who took the Underground to Edgware when my colleague lives near Edgware Road station ("I took the train to Edgware like you said"). And I have also heard of tourists in London getting the train to Liverpool (the City in Northwest England - where the Beatles come from), when they were intending to go to Liverpool Street Station in the eastern part of central London.

Edited May 2, 2013 by David Mack

[Scholar Gypsy]

One other thought: there's an express coach/bus service from Coventry to Heathrow, takes about two hours. A slightly longer taxi ride from Braunston.

 

http://coach.nationalexpress.com

 

Rugby is, I would say, less of a tourist attraction than Leicester, unless you want to see the birthplace of the game of Rugby football....

Edited May 2, 2013 by Scholar Gypsy

[matty40s]

There is also a station at Long Buckby, about half a mile from the canal, which connects to the same West Coast mainline route to Euston.

Edited May 2, 2013 by matty40s

[Scholar Gypsy]

There is also a station at Long Buckby, about half a mile from the canal, which connects to the same West Coast mainline route to Euston.

 

Sorry to be pedantic: 1.2 miles from the Wharf. 1.6 miles from the top lock (next to the New Inn, which I see from another posting is just about to reopen!!)

[PaulG]

Forget London if you want to experience England. It's so cosmopolitan now that you could be in any big city anywhere in the world.

The last figures I saw showed that 37% of the population were born outside the UK.

Spend more time in "God's own country" - AKA the Cotswolds!

[IanM]

Sorry to be pedantic: 1.2 miles from the Wharf. 1.6 miles from the top lock (next to the New Inn, which I see from another posting is just about to reopen!!)

 

I've walked it and I agree with these figures

[matty40s]

 

Sorry to be pedantic: 1.2 miles from the Wharf. 1.6 miles from the top lock (next to the New Inn, which I see from another posting is just about to reopen!!)

Ah pedants, pedants, never seems that far.

I spoke to the landlord of the new inn yesterday and they are looking at opening on sunday if they can. Food will just be baguettes n chips to start with.

[Dominic M]

Forget London if you want to experience England. It's so cosmopolitan now that you could be in any big city anywhere in the world.

The last figures I saw showed that 37% of the population were born outside the UK.

Spend more time in "God's own country" - AKA the Cotswolds!

And something like 90% of the population of the Cotswolds were not born in the Cotswolds either

Edited May 2, 2013 by Dominic M

[nicknorman]

If you do decide to go into leicester, you will notice that there are no boats moored, except for the small visitor mooring pontoon right in the centre which is relatively secure (you need a BW key to get out into the city). There are no boats moored for a good reason! We went through last year and it can be summed up as "grotty" - if that translates? Also as has been mentioned, the locks into Leicester are wide gauge, frequent and quite hard work.

[PaulG]

And something like 90% of the population of the Cotswolds were not born in the Cotswolds either

But I'll bet that more than 90% were born in the UK