Route Plan for Honeymoon

[Richardcn]

Hi all

 

Prior to us buying a boat of our own (if we EVER find 'the right one') we are going on honeymoon at the end of this month (Sept) for a week (don't worry I have pre-booked the weather - cold, wet and windy ?). I have been flailing around trying to plan a route but I'm struggling using CanalPlan (probably just my ineptitude) then I remembered all you kind and knowledgeable folk on the forum so thought I'd ask here. We already have a mooring, ready for The Right One, and would like to stop-over there during our trip (I chose the hire location accordingly). I had almost got that bit sorted but then I realised that I had neglected to actually make the Honeymoon Trip interesting!!! Not that the Canals aren't, I hasten to add! So... if I give you the details does anybody fancy pointing me in the right direction for any 'Places of Interest' or towns/cities that we could wander around for a bit (or a way to do that in CanalPlan preferably). We don't mind using public transport to get around if need be.

 

Regards

Richard

[Idunhoe]

On which canal is your mooring?

Where are you hiring from?

[Richardcn]

Ok thanks for your quick reply, here are the details. We're hiring from ABC at Gayton for 7 nights and our mooring is at Fenny Stratford. I can see that it would make a good stop-over on the 2nd night and if we return the same way I guess we could to also stay on the 6th night in order to make the return deadline of 9am on the last day. Although this is very much a triple purpose trip (honeymoon/use our mooring/re-stimulate our dream post wedding-stress) it would be nice to see one or two of the places near to the canals and maybe a visit back to the rat-race for a few hours, a cinema or a meal out maybe? Any help is very much appreciated, even though we are both over 50 and this is a 'low-key' wedding my cup still overfloweth!

 

Regards

Richard

[mayalld]

Hi all

 

Prior to us buying a boat of our own (if we EVER find 'the right one') we are going on honeymoon at the end of this month (Sept) for a week (don't worry I have pre-booked the weather - cold, wet and windy ). I have been flailing around trying to plan a route but I'm struggling using CanalPlan (probably just my ineptitude) then I remembered all you kind and knowledgeable folk on the forum so thought I'd ask here. We already have a mooring, ready for The Right One, and would like to stop-over there during our trip (I chose the hire location accordingly). I had almost got that bit sorted but then I realised that I had neglected to actually make the Honeymoon Trip interesting!!!

 

 

I was under the impression that honeymoons are not dependent on outside influences for interest.

[GUMPY]

I'll throw in one idea, 7th night, Stoke Bruene, meal in either the Boat or the Indian opposite

[Richardcn]

I was under the impression that honeymoons are not dependent on outside influences for interest.

Lol . Well let's hope that 40 lengths of the pool twice a week and 5km dog walking every day has reversed the ravages of time eh!

[Richardcn]

I'll throw in one idea, 7th night, Stoke Bruene, meal in either the Boat or the Indian opposite

Ah now that looks good (I CanalPlan'd it). A nice short trip in the morning which is what we'd like. Also, I see a tunnel to do there? Oh how she loves tunnels! I'll just conveniently forget about that particular feature on the day and once we're through on rhe way up we'll have no choice but to come back. Lol . Are there time restrictions at Blisworth?

[Ray T]

Ah now that looks good (I CanalPlan'd it). A nice short trip in the morning which is what we'd like. Also, I see a tunnel to do there? Oh how she loves tunnels! I'll just conveniently forget about that particular feature on the day and once we're through on rhe way up we'll have no choice but to come back. Lol . Are there time restrictions at Blisworth?

 

No restrictions unless a wide beam is transiting, otherwise two way working.

[GeoffS]

You will traverse the whole of Milton Keynes so you can easily experience the rat race, shops and cinemas within relatively easy walking distance.

 

You could aim for Marsworth Junction passing the scenery of Ivinghoe Beacon and Whipsnade Zoo. At the Junction, depending on how fast you have travelled, you could decide to go down the Aylesbury Arm and back, very rural, or ascend to Bulbourne Junction past the reservoirs and possibly across the Tring Summit and back and even take in the lovely short Wendover Arm.

[Richardcn]

No restrictions unless a wide beam is transiting, otherwise two way working.

Thanks. A tunnel with other boats in then, she'll like that even more!

[Richardcn]

You will traverse the whole of Milton Keynes so you can easily experience the rat race, shops and cinemas within relatively easy walking distance.

 

You could aim for Marsworth Junction passing the scenery of Ivinghoe Beacon and Whipsnade Zoo. At the Junction, depending on how fast you have travelled, you could decide to go down the Aylesbury Arm and back, very rural, or ascend to Bulbourne Junction past the reservoirs and possibly across the Tring Summit and back and even take in the lovely short Wendover Arm.

Ah Milton Keynes, how did I miss that! Too busy 'not looking out of the window' so to speak. Aylesbury and Ivinghoe Beacon are familiar names, I used to go to those places as a kid (born in High Wycombe). I used to love watching the model gliders flying on the beacon, in later years I found myself mimicking them when I took up paragliding in Sussex. Ah this will be a memorable trip in more ways than one I feel. Would we make Aylesbury without having to cruise to hard do you think?

 

Richard

[GeoffS]

Canalplan gives this as 43 miles and 41 locks and with their standard settings says 3 days at 7.5 hours per day.

 

I normally add Miles and Locks together, 84 and divide by 3 so giving 28 hours but that is often single handed and obviously depends on whether you can share can with competant crews on other boats. This is normally worst case so it is certainly possible.

 

Good thing is that you can decide to turn at either Marsworth or Bulbourne Junctions if you dont think you will make it. You can also shorten the Aylesbury Arm by turning after 13 of the 16 locks.

 

ETA This is each way!

Edited September 10, 2014 by GeoffS

[GUMPY]

If you get as far as Marsworth then the Red Lion is good for beer.

ETA pubs to avoid

Globe near Linslade

Grove at Grove lock

Three locks at Soulbury

Edited September 10, 2014 by Loddon

[Tuscan]

If you get as far as Marsworth then the Red Lion is good for beer.

ETA pubs to avoid

Globe near Linslade

Grove at Grove lock

Three locks at Soulbury

As you go down the Aylesbury arm stop at Wilstone and have a drink in the Half Moon.

[Richardcn]

Thank you all so far. I've put in a route which has Aylesbury as the farthest point and (now that I've worked out how to do it) set Fenny Stratford as a stopover, both ways and Stoke Bruerne as the final stopover. That looks like it's doable and it would be nice to have a solid destination like Aylesbury with options for an evening out there. Any ideas on that would be good btw. It's looking like a workable plan but are there any nice/interesting places to stop along the way? The more options the better, with all these pub stops I'll need to be doing 60 lengths when I get home ;-)

Richard

[Scholar Gypsy]

Thank you all so far. I've put in a route which has Aylesbury as the farthest point and (now that I've worked out how to do it) set Fenny Stratford as a stopover, both ways and Stoke Bruerne as the final stopover. That looks like it's doable and it would be nice to have a solid destination like Aylesbury with options for an evening out there. Any ideas on that would be good btw. It's looking like a workable plan but are there any nice/interesting places to stop along the way? The more options the better, with all these pub stops I'll need to be doing 60 lengths when I get home ;-)

Richard

 

• I always enjoy walking around the reservoirs at Marsworth.
• There's Bletchley Park museum, which I keep meaning to go to.
• Mentmore Towers looks interesting, but is quite a walk and is not currently open to the public I think.
• Whipsnade is probably a bit too far away?

[GUMPY]

I would add to my Stoke Bruene idea

The Boat for a beer

The curry house opposite for food!

[BlueStringPudding]

Ah Milton Keynes, how did I miss that! Too busy 'not looking out of the window' so to speak. Aylesbury and Ivinghoe Beacon are familiar names, I used to go to those places as a kid (born in High Wycombe). I used to love watching the model gliders flying on the beacon, in later years I found myself mimicking them when I took up paragliding in Sussex. Ah this will be a memorable trip in more ways than one I feel. Would we make Aylesbury without having to cruise to hard do you think?

 

Richard

Not near Lewes, by any chance?

[GeoffS]

As you go down the Aylesbury arm stop at Wilstone and have a drink in the Half Moon.

Agree Red Lion Marsworth and Half Moon Wilstone good. But dont write off Three Locks/Globe/Grove as long as you know what to expect. All 3 are good stopping places for an evening beer. Red Lion is as expensive for beer as the other three but the others are more gastro although you dont need to eat.

[BlueStringPudding]

<p>

 

 

• I always enjoy walking around the reservoirs at Marsworth.
• There's Bletchley Park museum, which I keep meaning to go to.
• Mentmore Towers looks interesting, but is quite a walk and is not currently open to the public I think.
• Whipsnade is probably a bit too far away?

Oh yes. I also recommend Bletchley Park (especially the Pigeons at War section).

 

Other stuff you could do is to enjoy a nice walk round the reservoirs at Marsworth - very pretty at sunset, if mozzie central. You could also do the Museum in Tring (part of the Natural History Museum collection). Also another curry house to recommend is Olive Limes in Tring. Push on a bit to Berkhamstead and you've got the ruins of the castle to visit (not grand but important historically) and there is a brilliant Thai restaurant in Berko.

[Richardcn]

Not near Lewes, by any chance?

Er yes, very near actually!

 

Richard

[GeoffS]

Oh yes. I also recommend Bletchley Park (especially the Pigeons at War section).

 

Other stuff you could do is to enjoy a nice walk round the reservoirs at Marsworth - very pretty at sunset, if mozzie central. You could also do the Museum in Tring (part of the Natural History Museum collection). Also another curry house to recommend is Olive Limes in Tring. Push on a bit to Berkhamstead and you've got the ruins of the castle to visit (not grand but important historically) and there is a brilliant Thai restaurant in Berko.

Yes agreed. If you can get to Berkhamstead castle and the town itself is lovely. Havent done the sums but you wont be able to do Aylesbury as well but a good option none the less.

[Richardcn]

Thanks for the latest ideas, I will add them to my rapidly growing list. Frustratingly, I have just noticed that my CanalPlan itinerary includes a NINTH day for some strange reason. Now I'm confused! I assumed that when it asks for trip length it means number of days in total (for which we will have the boat - Sat to Sat), which is 8. Then when it asks for first and last day's travelling time I assume that they are not additional days? I did 'edit stops' to ensure that we stayed at our mooring in both directions, at Aylesbury and at Stoke Bruerne on the last night but it keeps adding a 9th day! It may just be a glitch but I haven't used CanalPlan before so I am a little concerned in case all of my calculations are wrong. I'm up to 10 days now whilst trying other settings for start/end etc. Ugh!

 

Richard

[Richardcn]

Okay so I've started a new CanalPlan route and I can see what the problem is now. Adding Fenny Stratford as a stopover in both directions has pushed the days to be too long to make it to, and stopover at, Aylesbury. I will have to make a plan B as we do not want to be cruising for long hours, tradition dictates that we'll be far too busy and too tired for that. I wish!

 

Richard

[BlueStringPudding]

Er yes, very near actually!

 

Richard

 

I used to live in Lewes and would watch the paragliders taking off from the high point on the South Downs, beyond the Cliffe end of town. Can't remember the name of the high crop of land, but the paragliders were one of the cool things about the scenery around Lewes (when you're a teenager, Lewes seems dull compared to cool stuff).