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Stratford on Avon Canal Headroom


Skinny Barge

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Hi All

 

Any info appreciated as we are due to travel on the Stratford on Avon Canal Kingswood to Stratford (coming off the Grand Union). Our Nicholsons' Guide maximum dimensions states headroom as 6'. Can anyone confirm if this height is correct and where are we likely to encounter 6' headroom on this section so that we can be prepared!! Many thanks for any details.

 

SB

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There are two low bridges just before you arrive in Bancroft Basin, and one pretty low a couple of locks before. They aren't as low as they used to be. The headroom is about 6'5" usually. I have to duck!

 

EDIT:

 

Is this the same Nicholson's Guide which states the headroom on the T&M as 5'9"? Pinch of salt!

Edited by Dave_P
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The lowest would be the one at the entrance to Bancroft basin, which at it worst could be only a couple of feet!

 

You won't be trying to go through that bridge under those conditions

 

Richard

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Between the one at the tail of the bottom lock and the entrance bridge to the basin, I think the one at the bottom lock is slightly lower, but those 2 are certainly the lowest on the canal, and are amongst the lowest that you find anywhere.

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Yes the one going into Bancroft used to be the lowest but it was modified years ago. When we went down to Statford for the first time in about 35 years (which was about 10 years ago) I was all prepared for a very tight bridge but in fact it was a complete non-event. Unless you have large pikes of junk on your roof, or an exceptionally tall boat, it won't be a problem.

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Yes the one going into Bancroft used to be the lowest but it was modified years ago. When we went down to Statford for the first time in about 35 years (which was about 10 years ago) I was all prepared for a very tight bridge but in fact it was a complete non-event. Unless you have large pikes of junk on your roof, or an exceptionally tall boat, it won't be a problem.

I would put our boat a quite/very tall, it is tight in Gosty Hill and Asthted tunnels and under the M5 on the Droitwich, but the 2 on the Stratford are not in that category, and there is perhaps a foot clearance on those, so still lots of room really. It is helped by the fact that the are flat, and it usually the curvature that gets you (Droitwich excepted).

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Last visited Stratford-on-Avon at Easter 2011. Couple of low bridges before the basin are very low. Everything off the roof, including a 'birds nest' aerial had to go.

The specification for our boat is 1.90m minimum height clearance - so if your boat is any higher - proceed with caution.

 

Enjoy your trip SB.

Moorings in Bancroft Basin are terrific - if you can find a space. We arrived early Friday morning on St George's Day and the Anniversary of Shakespeare's birthday. Fantastic week-end.

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Last visited Stratford-on-Avon at Easter 2011. Couple of low bridges before the basin are very low. Everything off the roof, including a 'birds nest' aerial had to go.

The specification for our boat is 1.90m minimum height clearance - so if your boat is any higher - proceed with caution.

 

Enjoy your trip SB.

Moorings in Bancroft Basin are terrific - if you can find a space. We arrived early Friday morning on St George's Day and the Anniversary of Shakespeare's birthday. Fantastic week-end.

On the mooring front, if the basin is full you can always go down onto the river to moor, there is a lot of space there. If you were not planning to get a river licence anyway, it is £5 from the information boat in the basin.

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Thanks all for the replies, very helpful. We are NB Dutch Barge so with wheelhouse and everything folded down think we are a couple of inches over 6'. Will make sure we are fully watered up/ loaded & everything off roof when nearing Stratford, just in case!!!! Looking forward to the trip as we are planning to then continue onto the Avon & Severn.

 

SB

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We were in Bancroft Basin some years ago, before the bridge was raised.

 

Two hire boats travelling together, one a narrow beam dutch barge style, arrived off the river, with a crew of about 20 German students between them, and the roofs of both boats carrying several canoes. Despite carrying the canoes across the road they were still several inches short of getting the dutch barge wheelhouse under the bridge, so they pressed into service quite a large number of tourists and passers-by to stand on the stern - there must have been about 30 people crammed into the wheelhouse before they could get through.

 

That must have been some people's shortest ever boat trip!

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Thanks all for the replies, very helpful. We are NB Dutch Barge so with wheelhouse and everything folded down think we are a couple of inches over 6'. Will make sure we are fully watered up/ loaded & everything off roof when nearing Stratford, just in case!!!! Looking forward to the trip as we are planning to then continue onto the Avon & Severn.

 

SB

Don't know how wide you are, but be aware that some of the locks on the Wilmcote flight are quite tight, as is Stratford bottom lock (just before Bancroft Basin).

 

It's best to pick fenders up to avoid unnecessary excitement!

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I lost my chimney under the bridge entering lock 55. height was fine as I went under bridge but as I emptied the lock the boat rose and went backwards (nowhere to tie boat up and single handed)-

 

Heard today that an Amber boat got well and truly stuck in Lock 44 as too wide!

 

As per previous comments Bancroft Basin has to be one of the great places to overnight-unless you want absolute peace and quiet

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We've just returned from a trip down the Stratford and I was quite surprised at how low some of the bridges are at the moment, under 6' I would say. There were also many tales of boats getting stuck in locks, but it's largely because some of the gates don't fully open.

 

But our main issue with this canal is the state of the lock paddles, most of which were extremely stiff to operate and a number of crews we met said they had extended their usual passage times as a result.

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On the mooring front, if the basin is full you can always go down onto the river to moor, there is a lot of space there. If you were not planning to get a river licence anyway, it is £5 from the information boat in the basin.

ANT now charge to moor opposite the Theatre (£5), so the 1 night charge becomes £10

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ANT now charge to moor opposite the Theatre (£5), so the 1 night charge becomes £10

You are right I had forgotten those new signs. I did notice that when we were there last month, but as it was early evening when we arrived (via the river) there was nowhere to pay. If you don't have a river licence do they charge you twice though?
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We made it ok and are now on the Avon. Our headroom is 6'2" the lowest bridge was 65 at the tail of lock 52 the headroom there was 6' 6" Bancroft Basin was a couple of inches higher at the time of our journey. We did witness a boat getting stuck in lock 45 they had left a long rope bow fender down which wedged on the ledge that sticks out on the lock wall, they evetually got sorted ok. Thought the Stratford canal was lovely but would agree about some of the gates and paddles being very hard to work we had one gate that was very hard to shut!! This was my first post found all the advice from fellow boaters very usefull, thanks again.

Elaine.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Its not the headroom that may cause some issues and a paint rub its the crap state of the locks overall , the gates are very hard to open and the paddles , if they aint brocken are very hard to use

 

Should & could be great trip from the Union into the basin BUT..................

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Its not the headroom that may cause some issues and a paint rub its the crap state of the locks overall , the gates are very hard to open and the paddles , if they aint brocken are very hard to use

 

Should & could be great trip from the Union into the basin BUT..................

We went through there a couple of weeks ago and the locks were not too bad but the lack of mooring was. Even the visitor moorings at Wilmcote were very overgrown on the offside leaving just enough room to pass if boats were moored and made it difficult to see if something was coming the other way. There is a longish stretch of mowed to the edge and pilings on the longest pound between the two sets of locks but otherwise overgrown all the way to Stratford.

 

Ken

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We were there last few weeks in August, didnt notice it being to overgrown but as we travelled we saw two groups of CRT men cutting the grass. The paddles and gates were a s**. Possibly the worst we have done. Bancroft Basin was great once we got in but met a boat coming out of the basin and had to reverse to a place we could pass, with moored boats by the bridge and wind it wasn't easy! We arrived at about11am with only two spaces left! It was very busy with people all day but i didnt find the night particularly noisy, but then i perhaps slept well having worked through some very heavy locks!

Edited by little duck!
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