Droitwich hidden gem or best ignored?

[little duck!]

Hello having been forced to change our route after various stoppages in Birmingham we decided to do the stourport ring, and what a treat! We loved stourport basin and the excitement of locking down on to the river

. we decided to take "short cut" acroos the Droiwich canal. I think i have mixed opinions about it, yes very beautiful in parts but as the guides suggest mooring is very limited and the gates on some locks very hard to close. Just wondering what other peoples opinions are on this canal?

[mattlad]

If you don't do it you'll never know! ;-)

[little duck!]

yep, thats true i'm glad we did it, i liked the swing bridges and the stiatcase and the low tunnel!

[sharpness]

We went up to Droitwich a couple of weeks ago, yes, the gates are very heavy but its well worth the effort we thought. Moorings are good in the basin & the town is very nice too, Waitrose very convenient. We went on up to the new marina for diesel & empty the cassette, lovely lady in charge that day.

Well worth the effort.

 

Steve

[john6767]

Really enjoyed the Droitwich. We went down hill, and did not notice the locks being particularly heavy. Droitwich its self was good, and good mooring in the basin. It is a shame that there can not be a couple of mooring sites cleared on the Barge Canal, as there are some nice spots. Arrival at the Severn is quite dramatic, on a wide bend in the river.

[Mac of Cygnet]

Went down the Droitwich Aug 3-4. We really enjoyed it, and thought that the restoration had been very well done. Didn't notice any difficulty with locks, but then I'm used to the Rochdale! Droitwich itself is a pleasant town with some excellent pubs, and a little museum including a fascinating history of broadcasting, with the original equipment for you to play with. "Droitwich calling..........." A valuable addition to the canal itinerary.

 

Beware the pub at Hanbury Junction, a large chain eatery where we had a not very good meal on our Ruby Wedding Anniversary. There are far better places in Droitwich.

 

Edited to say that we did see a boat moored towpath side at Salwarpe, so it is possible, but mostly it 'Swallows an Amazons' expedition through the reeds, which I thought contributed to its charm.

Edited August 11, 2013 by Mac of Cygnet

[MaryP]

I went through Droitwich just after it opened and loved it. Stourport has the feeling of an old fashioned seaside town I thought. Very impressed that after 10 pm, the fair ground closed and all was silent! Basin good for mooring, and the Staffs and Worcs canal is a delight!

 

Enjoy it if you go!

[cotswoldsman]

Went down the Droitwich Aug 3-4. We really enjoyed it, and thought that the restoration had been very well done. Didn't notice any difficulty with locks, but then I'm used to the Rochdale! Droitwich itself is a pleasant town with some excellent pubs, and a little museum including a fascinating history of broadcasting, with the original equipment for you to play with. "Droitwich calling..........." A valuable addition to the canal itinerary.

 

Beware the pub at Hanbury Junction, a large chain eatery where we had a not very good meal on our Ruby Wedding Anniversary. There are far better places in Droitwich.

 

Edited to say that we did see a boat moored towpath side at Salwarpe, so it is possible, but mostly it 'Swallows an Amazons' expedition through the reeds, which I thought contributed to its charm.

I see you waited until I had moved away from Hanbury!! Where are you now? Oh the pub chain you refer to are now in administration I am told.

[Mac of Cygnet]

I see you waited until I had moved away from Hanbury!! Where are you now? Oh the pub chain you refer to are now in administration I am told.

 

Really? Can't say I'm sorry, (referring to the pub company!) but I doubt if the pub will revert to a decent establishment as described by Nicholsons.

 

I'm in Scotland, the boat is in Birmingham, and we're heading back north via the Wolverhampton 21 and (probably) Shroppie in a few days.

[steve hayes]

Oh the pub chain you refer to are now in administration I am told.

 

Not according to Companies House

 

We ate there a few weeks ago, it is very much of the Wheatherspoons fair, cheap and chearful

Edited August 11, 2013 by steve hayes

[cotswoldsman]

 

Not according to Companies House

 

We ate there a few weeks ago, it is very much of the Wheatherspoons fair, cheap and chearful

I did qualify it and also CH can take quite a while especially if it is Volutary Administration. I was told by the publican a few miles away they have 5 pins in the group I think.

[steve hayes]

I did qualify it and also CH can take quite a while especially if it is Volutary Administration. I was told by the publican a few miles away they have 5 pins in the group I think.

Sounds like the chain, they own a few in Hereford and Worcs, if so a shame to see a local business go down

[DustyDave]

I love droitwich. The basin is quiet and secure. Lovely park for the kids to play in. Waitrose gives me the opportunity to spoil the missus a little. Another mooring spot would be good though.

 

Dave

[Mac of Cygnet]

 

Not according to Companies House

 

We ate there a few weeks ago, it is very much of the Wheatherspoons fair, cheap and cheerful

 

You may get an idea of what I meant when I say that it didn't even approach Wetherspoons. It was cheap and nasty mediocre.

Edited August 11, 2013 by Mac of Cygnet

[Ange]

We went on the Droitwich the year it re-opened and it's great. Not so great as to describe it as a hidden gem though, but definitely not best ignored

 

The memory that sticks out in my mind is opening a swing bridge in the middle of the town just before a lady arrived with her shopping hoping to cross. I apologised profusely as our boat plus three others passed before I could close the bridge and she smiled and said not to apologise because she'd lived by the canal since she was a child and was chuffed to pieces to see boats moving along it again. It was such a refreshing attitude.

[Allan(nb Albert)]

 

You may get an idea of what I meant when I say that it didn't even approach Wetherspoons. It was cheap and nasty mediocre.

I had the £8 'Number 8 combo' about a month ago. It was so large that it turned into a spectator sport.

 

Unfortunately, a couple of members from my cruising club turned up just as it was being placed in front of me. No doubt a compromising photo will appear in next months club's magazine.