Festival Park Marina - Stoke-on-Trent

[Ange]

I know we said we didn't want to live in a marina but this seems to be our best option while I'm working at North Staffs hospital. For lots of reasons we don't want to go back to running two cars, so I need to get to work via public transport. We'd really hoped to find our temporary home on the Shroppie but public transport is pretty well non existent (or adds far too much time between getting out of bed and getting to work - I did that in Nottingham and can't face that again!).

 

So ... there's a bus route from Festival Park Marina that runs to the hospital. We've phoned them and they have space for a 57' boat. Does anyone on the forum moor there? I'd love some feedback on the facilities before we move in after the BCN Challenge.

 

Any feedback gratefully received - via PM is fine if you'd rather keep it private.

 

Thank you

Edited May 15, 2014 by Ange

[kevinl]

From the look of it you'll have to get a bus into town then another one out to the hospital, 2 quite short journeys. I love these systems that work on the coloured line systems

K

http://www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/staffordshire_cheshire/assets/pdfs/journey_planning/maps/staffordshire_oct13.pdf

[paulstoke1975]

You'll only need one bus into Newcastle and the hospital is less than 10 minute walk from the bus station , I've not stayed in the Maria but looked at it the other day and it looks half empty of boats

[stickleback]

I've stayed there very briefly (3 nights) last year and liked it a lot.

[pearley]

Going in there on Saturday for 4 nights. Will report back next week

[Redeye]

I've stopped outside the pub a couple of times and the marina looks OK if not a bit tight to get in and out of. I suppose the main drawback is that the pub can get really busy in the summer so could be a bit noisy. Probably a price worth paying for the convenience.

 

Andrew

[nora]

Moored there , going back when the boat sells, and we get another one. really like it, people friendly. and possibly the best place to moor with a morrisons, takeaways,petrol station, cinema, bowling alley pub ,and lots more, all within walking distance, and plenty of buses, cant go wrong, and a lovely little weekend or day trip out on the boat, (no locks) to westport lake, and bird sanctuary, or the harecastle tunnel, reccomended! nora.

[richardf]

We moored there for a week last year and I thought that the people running it were just plain rude. We had booked in advance, but were yelled at when we entered the marina and were told (yelled across the marina) 'you don't get nothing - no power, no water, nothing' We were then told that we couldn't leave a car there for the weekend. The staging was really flimsy and the whole place needed a good sorting out

I've got a feeling it might have changed hands since?

[bizzard]

My cousin on his boat Amberley used to winter outside the China garden pub on the towpath amongst other boaters, he used to moor his boat in the marina when he went home to Benfleet for Christmas and so on. I visited him there several times and its quite nice. Stoke-on- Trent people very friendly

Shops and the usual ware houses, snooker club nearby. All seemed quite safe there. Sanitary station a mile away down at Stoke top lock.

[Bunny]

Moored there several times as Visitors. Friendly Helpful staff . Secure moorings , close to retail park. Not too noisy. Bunny

[Ange]

Thanks everyone - the input was exactly what I was hoping for. I had thought before I started this thread that the fact I'd never heard of the marina was actually a positive - contented moorers don't start threads to say how happy they are in their marina, unlike the feedback from the inhabitants of some notorious marinas

 

Keep 'em coming - this is likely to be our home for the next year so I'd like to be prepared.

[tillergirl]

Well we won't be stopping in Stoke ever again.........we moored near the Museum at the Junction on the recommendation of another boater as being "safe" and whilst we were at the Carvery between 6 and 7 this evening we had a fair bit of stuff nicked off the roof of the boat. Not like it was expensive stuff either mostly Poundland solar lights our solar owl and our cheeky gnome who has been with the boat forever.........no doubt these items are gracing some hardup Stokies garden now

Edited May 15, 2014 by tillergirl

[Alan de Enfield]

It was half-term - but Stoke is the only place that we have had a 'gang' of young (maybe 10 year old) kids throw a barrage of stones at us as we went past, holding up the phone (as in taking pictures) made them scarper but it wasn't nice.

[Ange]

Well we won't be stopping in Stoke ever again.........we moored near the Museum at the Junction on the recommendation of another boater as being "safe" and whilst we were at the Carvery between 6 and 7 this evening we had a fair bit of stuff nicked off the roof of the boat. Not like it was expensive stuff either mostly Poundland solar lights our solar owl and our cheeky gnome who has been with the boat forever.........no doubt these items are gracing some hardup Stokies garden now

 

 

It was half-term - but Stoke is the only place that we have had a 'gang' of young (maybe 10 year old) kids throw a barrage of stones at us as we went past, holding up the phone (as in taking pictures) made them scarper but it wasn't nice.

It's funny how experiences differ isn't it? We moored up near the museum for a couple of weeks last winter while we were waiting for the stoppage at Stoke locks to end and had no problems at all.

 

You hear of boats being set adrift and stuff being stolen in Braunston - sometimes it's not the actual place just wrong place wrong time.

[nine9feet]

People's experiences can be so different. I moored outside the museum on the Caldon on 4 separate occasions in March and then April without any problems.

 

It was further up the Caldon where my large (5ft) window was shattered - presumed to be by an air gun pellet!

[Cheshire cat]

We've moored up in Stoke and on the Westport Lake moorings several times and not had any problems. I think it's pot luck but it's not Beirut.

[Doorman]

Hi Ange,

 

During the winter of 2010/2011 we took refuge in that marina for about a week until the ice age conditions yielded. Not being frequent beer drinkers, we did feel compelled, but reluctant to enter the pub next to the marina. At that time you could have a lovely carvery meal for a fiver and to be honest I've never seen Yorkshire puddings as big in my life, they were like inverted 'ten gallon hats'.

 

As has been mentioned, the folks in these parts are very friendly and helpful too. Since that experience, I've managed to stay on the wagon and resist the sordid temptation of water, by only drinking Guinness.

 

So, in short, it's a decent place to moor your well travelled boat and Dave might find somewhere to express his skills nearby.

 

Go for it. :-)

 

Mike

Edited May 17, 2014 by Doorman

[pearley]

Arrived here about 11am. Yery pleasant welcome despite them having 9 boats going out today. There are no water taps on the pontoons so you may need a long hose and there are about twice as many berths as there are electricity points. Other than that, seems very nice

[Ange]

Hi Ange,

 

During the winter of 2010/2011 we took refuge in that marina for about a week until the ice age conditions yielded. Not being frequent beer drinkers, we did feel compelled, but reluctant to enter the pub next to the marina. At that time you could have a lovely carvery meal for a fiver and to be honest I've never seen Yorkshire puddings as big in my life, they were like inverted 'ten gallon hats'.

 

As has been mentioned, the folks in these parts are very friendly and helpful too. Since that experience, I've managed to stay on the wagon and resist the sordid temptation of water, by only drinking Guinness.

 

So, in short, it's a decent place to moor your well travelled boat and Dave might find somewhere to express his skills nearby.

 

Go for it. :-)

 

Mike

 

You gave me and Dave lots of giggles from that post Mike - thank you

 

And also thanks for the advice - it's looking very much like that'll be our home for the next year (though I do foresee us spending as much time out of the marina as in it!)

Arrived here about 11am. Yery pleasant welcome despite them having 9 boats going out today. There are no water taps on the pontoons so you may need a long hose and there are about twice as many berths as there are electricity points. Other than that, seems very nice

Thank you - exactly the sort of practical advice I was looking for when I started this thread So long hose needs to be invested in. We've lived for 5 years without hook up but I must admit it would be nice. It all depends what's available, but definitely not a deal breaker.

Edited May 17, 2014 by Ange

[Ange]

Well we're here now - paid up for the next three months. Dave arrived while I was at work so I've only had this evening to take stock and form a first impression. As far as marinas go it's quite small, so I'm hopeful of getting to know the residents and becoming part of a community. It's got the basics to meet our needs with the exception of laundry facilities. Never mind, we'll find the nearest laundrette which I'm sure won't be a long way away. There's a cinema and ten pin bowling nearby - we've missed loads of films while we've been travelling so I'm looking forward to catching new releases when they come out and ten pin bowling is great fun.

 

On the minus side there is a lot of road noise, which will take a bit of getting used to. Plus you just can't compare looking out of your window at the swans, ducks, geese, moorhens, etc to looking out at the adjacent boat - that's going to take a LOT of getting used to.

 

Still needs must for us at the moment, and it's just a temporary phase. I suspect we'll be regularly escaping onto the cut

Just a bit of admin now - I suppose we ought to advise CaRT of our change of status.

[Keeping Up]

We should be passing through Stoke in about 3 weeks time if all goes smoothly with fitting the new engine. We'll give you call, an evening of food, bowling, and beer sounds tempting.

[Ange]

We should be passing through Stoke in about 3 weeks time if all goes smoothly with fitting the new engine. We'll give you call, an evening of food, bowling, and beer sounds tempting.

Woo hoo! Sounds great - look forward to it

[nicknorman]

Well we're here now - paid up for the next three months. Dave arrived while I was at work so I've only had this evening to take stock and form a first impression. As far as marinas go it's quite small, so I'm hopeful of getting to know the residents and becoming part of a community. It's got the basics to meet our needs with the exception of laundry facilities. Never mind, we'll find the nearest laundrette which I'm sure won't be a long way away. There's a cinema and ten pin bowling nearby - we've missed loads of films while we've been travelling so I'm looking forward to catching new releases when they come out and ten pin bowling is great fun.

 

On the minus side there is a lot of road noise, which will take a bit of getting used to. Plus you just can't compare looking out of your window at the swans, ducks, geese, moorhens, etc to looking out at the adjacent boat - that's going to take a LOT of getting used to.

 

Still needs must for us at the moment, and it's just a temporary phase. I suspect we'll be regularly escaping onto the cut

Just a bit of admin now - I suppose we ought to advise CaRT of our change of status.

Sorry you weren't on board when we passed Iona the other day. In fact I was in such a daydream and unaccustomedly applying sun screen due to that strange yellow thing in the sky, that if Dave hadn't have called out we would have trundled past oblivious.

 

We overnighted just outside the pub there at Festival and it was fine. Yes a bit of road noise but you soon get used to that. I suspect the geese will be more sleep-depriving!

Edited June 17, 2014 by nicknorman

[Ange]

Sorry you weren't on board when we passed Iona the other day. In fact I was in such a daydream and unaccustomedly applying sun screen due to that strange yellow thing in the sky, that if Dave hadn't have called out we would have trundled past oblivious.

 

We overnighted just outside the pub there at Festival and it was fine. Yes a bit of road noise but you soon get used to that. I suspect the geese will be more sleep-depriving!

I was sorry I missed you too - I was rather hoping it'd work into your schedule to stop overnight at Barlaston but Dave explained that you were on a tight schedule to fly back so never mind. At least you got a chance to say hello to Dave, the quieter member of team Iona

 

Haven't encountered the geese yet - in fact thinking about it no swans or ducks to be seen. Early days yet. We'll be exploring the waters around the marina - we fancy the Holy Inadequate as our local pub - appeals a bit more than the Toby Carvery right next to the marina.

[bizzard]

Your lucky that the Sheldon steel works has closed down it was almost opposite a bit to the north of the marina and pub. The banging and booming was incredible. There should be a snooker hall and Mc Donalds in that complex across the way.