Travelling to Ripon - what's involved.?

[DeanS]

Can anyone give me all the inside info on travelling from Leeds to Ripon...and York?

Thanks!

(July/August planning)

[Guest]

Can anyone give me all the inside info on travelling from Leeds to Ripon...and York?

Thanks!

(July/August planning)

 

 

We have never managed to venture out on to the Ouse despite it being 'just around the corner' from our mooring, only ever getting as far as Selby.

 

But the run from Leeds to Selby basin is pretty straight forward with decent moorings at Woodlesford, Ferrybridge, Castleford, Beale, West Haddersly Flood lock and Selby basin itself. The Selby Canal is beautiful with nice (but sparse) moorings too. The basin at Selby is where to moor and speak to the lock keeper about going out onto the Ouse, last time we tried we couldn't because of the river conditions and timings but we do plan try again at some point.

 

Possibly the only thing worth mentioning is when coming back onto the A&CN from the River Aire you will find Bank Dole lock a bit of a 'turbulent filler' so take care lifting the top paddles.

 

Apart from that it's all a breeze.

 

Others will advise as to the next bit.

 

ed - it did occur to me that some of the bridges on the Ripon Canal might be a bit tight for a Widebeam but looking at this picture taken when I was last up there (walking not boating) I think you should be OK.

 

Edited May 27, 2013 by The Dog House

[cotswoldsman]

Dean not quite sure what you mean by what is involved? Turn left after you exit Selby Canl Moor up for a few days in York, take the kids to The railway Museum and all the other sight in York then head up to Ripon Can spend a few days in Ripon catch the bust to Fountains Abbey. Then head back to York to visit all the places you missed first time then back to Selby Canal and head for Rochdale canal.

[cariad]

Beware of flash floods even though it may not be raining in YORK, if there is rain in the DALES you can cop it in YORK, as we did in 2010.

We had to move down river and tie up against a wall just outside a pub, I think it was LOWREY'S. Some of the local revellers decided that the

roof of our boat was a good seat at 3.00. a.m. in the morning. This didn't spoil our visit to this wonderful city which is probably the nicest in ENGLAND.

RIPON was not so busy but still worth a visit.

[Hoose]

We travelled with a widebeam hotel boat upto York and they had no problem on the Selby canal. You have to be on your toes on the Ouse , the amount of floating logs and other junk that is caught in the tidal shunt is incredible. It can be awkward getting moored up in York too so be prepared for bresting up. It's a great trip however.

[Mick and Maggie]

Dean.

 

We did our version of the nine month long grand tour last year.

 

Sheffield to Boston, via the River Trent and the Fossdyke. Then up through Cromwell and along the Trent and Mersey. Coventry canal and the North then South Oxford canal. Eventually going as far down as Oxford, Thames in flood so we came back the same route. Up the Grand union into Birmingham. Up the Shroppie and back onto the Trent and Mersey. Into Liverpool via the Bridgewater and then returning back on the Leeds Liverpool through Skipton to Leeds. Aire and Calder and Selby canal to Selby and as John says - we turned left. Get the tide right and you can get a good push up the river. A stay at Naburn for a few days before heading into York is a must. A few more days in York, before heading towards Ripon. Some of the locks along the route are heavy and if you can find someone to pair up with, it can make the journey easier.

 

Julie the Lockie in Ripon tipped us off about the heavy rainfall up on the moors. We did the long run from Ripon down to Naburn, on rising water levels. With a one hour stay in York for food. The next morning, I think we were the last boat out of Naburn before the flood water arrived in York. We could almost touch the swing bridge at Cawood as we shot under. It was a quick trip down to Selby but we locked without any problems. Handbrake turn below the lock and push back against the flow. Back down the Selby canal, and a stiff push along the Aire and Calder against rising water levels. Then onto the calmer waters of the South Yorkshire Navigation. We had a couple of weeks in and around Goole waiting for water levels to return to normal on the River Don before returning back to Sheffield.

 

The best bit of the "Grand Tour" journey - York to Rippon and back. We are going back again this year during the school holidays because we enjoyed it so much.

 

Mick

[Derek Porteous]

Echo all of the above. Lovely trip and well worth it to go all the way to Ripon basin. However there is a length issue for more than 57ft from Linton Lock onwards.

[The Bagdad Boatman (waits)]

Boroughbridge lock is 61.6 according to Imrays north east waterways. The Ripon Motorboat club guide to the Ouse and Trent is well worth buying. Wait for a neap tide it flows longer and slower. Floods are a major problem on the Ouse and Ure so watch the weather. When re-entering Selby lock turn above the lock and stem the tide. Visiting Ripon is a must. You will get your fat boat up there ok. If you are tough you could visit Pocklington canal. We used Goole to visit South Ferriby Anchome. If you enter Goole time it for a high tide if you can keep well away from the downstream wall as there is a vicious eddy there. Also it is a deep commercial dock and they will not help you with your ropes and it is a pain.

Edited May 27, 2013 by The Bagdad Boatman (waits)

[cotswoldsman]

 

Echo all of the above. Lovely trip and well worth it to go all the way to Ripon basin. However there is a length issue for more than 57ft from Linton Lock onwards.

I had no problems at 60ft.

[Titus]

My only problem was SWMBO, we reached Selby fine a few Augusts ago, she looked at the Ouse and said no way !!!

It was in flood, a mucky orange colour with trees floating down past Selby lock so unfortunately we turned round and came

back, still a great trip though.

 

Dave

[pearley]

Just to add, moorings in Ripon are 48 hour although we overstayed by another day, We were told by a local boater that a councillor lives opposite and reports overstayers to CRT. If so, she didn't report us!

 

I did complain to CRT, actually BW then, that 48 hours is insufficient considering the difficulty in getting there and the attractions to see. Fountains Abbey has been mentioned, the Minster, Police Museum, Workhouse, Old Courts. There is a great market in Ripon and Leyburn is also worth a bus ride - vintage bus when we were there. There are also nice moorings just above Oxclose Lock before going back onto the river.

 

Regards

Pete

 

But the run from Leeds to Selby basin is pretty straight forward with decent moorings at Woodlesford, Ferrybridge, Castleford, Beale, West Haddersly Flood lock and Selby basin itself. The Selby Canal is beautiful with nice (but sparse) moorings too. The basin at Selby is where to moor and speak to the lock keeper about going out onto the Ouse, last time we tried we couldn't because of the river conditions and timings but we do plan try again at some point.

 

Possibly the only thing worth mentioning is when coming back onto the A&CN from the River Aire you will find Bank Dole lock a bit of a 'turbulent filler' so take care lifting the top paddles.

Bank Dole and Beal Locks are easy now compared to what they were. They both have pontoons now making access a doddle. Back in the 90's you had to come up beyond the lock island towards the weir, jump onto a small platform and climb onto the lock island whilst the steerer had to reverse back and jockey round to get into the lock. Great fun if there was any stream running!

 

The Aire is a funny bit of river. It twists and turns so much you forget which power station is which after a while. And then there's the water skiers who take delight in coming down both sides of you!

 

Regards

Pete

 

PS. York Marina diesel is a lot cheaper than Selby Boatyard, or at least it was.

[MikeV]

I think the only note of caution, not mentioned above, is that there are few places to moor above Naburn. York, obviously, then Linton-on-Ouse, Borough Bridge and the Ripon Canal - unless someone knows of others? So quite long cruises between moorings and limited space. You might need to breast up to another boat, with their permission of course, when it's busy.

 

In York we were lucky to see a boat with a sign saying "Welcome to moor alongside", even though there was no one on board. We put a similar sign in our window when we were against the bank.

 

We stopped at Borough Bridge on the way up when there were a few spaces, and on the way back we fortunate to be invited to moor up against another boat. We had hoped to stop at Linton-on-Ouse on the way back but the limited moorings were filled with plastic cruisers, so a bit difficult with a steel narrowboat to moor alongside, so we had to carry on down to York and fortunately found a space against the King's Staithe. My wife doesn't like climbing ladders so she wasn't too happy with that mooring.

 

The only other thing to remember is that when returning to Selby boats ahead of you will take 15-20 minutes to be locked off the river, so it's worth letting them get a fair way ahead so you don't have to hang around outside the lock for too long while the lock keeper resets it.