Middlewich - Atherstone?

[The Bearwood Boster]

What route is that ? ? ?

[Rob-M]

Û

What route is that ? ? ?

Going via Birmingham, either across the Middle which Branch and down the Shroppie as suggested by Matty or as the OP put having turned right at Great Haywood instead of continuing along the T&M to Fradley Junction.

[nicknorman]

I think our confusion stems from the best way to get from Autherley Jn to Atherstone. Yes you could climb up the 21 and then down the 38 locks to Fazeley (= 59 locks), or you could go via Gt Haywood which although slightly further, has 17 locks which, especially for a single hander, would be much quicker.

Edited October 19, 2014 by nicknorman

[James Owen]

ÛGoing via Birmingham, either across the Middle which Branch and down the Shroppie as suggested by Matty or as the OP put having turned right at Great Haywood instead of continuing along the T&M to Fradley Junction.

Bless....

 

Middlewich branch to Barbridge, south to Autherley. North to Gt Haywood, turn right to Fradley then right to Atherstone...

[Rob-M]

But Junior wants to get to Braunston ultimately, Atherstone is just a point he needs to get past before the planned closure. Avoiding it completely is an option and going his Birmingham, Lapworth and Hatton as he suggested himself. If going via Birmingham it is probably better to use the Shroppie rather than the T&M.

Edited October 19, 2014 by Rob-M

[nicknorman]

Up to the heady heights of the Wolverhampton level, down a long flight of narrow then wide locks to get to just above the river avon, then back up numerous locks to get to Braunston. 100 locks total. Vs down 19 and up 14 all narrow and you are at Braunston.

 

Yes the Brum way is shorter, but a lorra lorra locks! But maybe J likes locks!

Edited October 19, 2014 by nicknorman

[Mike Todd]

That's going some! Remember that the days are becoming shorter and he is single handed.

The day before the clocks change is barely different in length to the one after! The days have been gradually getting shorter since midsummer and will continue to do so until midwinter!

 

You just have to be prepared to time-shift if you wish to maximise the use of daylight hours . . .

[Cheshire cat]

We did Aqueduct Marina on the Shroppie branch to Roade Heath yesterday, 9 o clock until dusk and Roade Heath to Aston Marina 0800 to 19.45 today. No holdp at the tunnel but only six locks in total were in our favour. Had to do an hour in the dark as a result.

[Kendal]

Junior, you should be able to do it easy in 6 days. I reckon between 4 and 5 days at 10 hours a day, 5 to 6 days at 8 hours (via Fradley and Fazeley). If you are up against it at the 11th hour (when you get to the bottom of Atherstone) I will pop over and give you a hand up the flight, just let me know if you're running out of time so I can keep the 2nd free before the stoppage starts on the 3rd.

Edited October 20, 2014 by Kendal

[Liam]

Two days for me last year from Nantwich to Brewood and then Brewood to Rugeley.

 

You could do Middlewich to Rugeley by going through Harecastle but you would probably only manage this better if you could get through the tunnel on day 1.

 

I did the Shroppie way last year as I didn't want to get wrapped up at Harecastle and also the Shroppie is a personal favourite of mine. It seemed longer but easierat Audlem etc.

 

After Rugeley I did Hawkesbury junction and then on to Braunston.

[furnessvale]

Two days for me last year from Nantwich to Brewood and then Brewood to Rugeley.

 

You could do Middlewich to Rugeley by going through Harecastle but you would probably only manage this better if you could get through the tunnel on day 1.

 

I did the Shroppie way last year as I didn't want to get wrapped up at Harecastle and also the Shroppie is a personal favourite of mine. It seemed longer but easierat Audlem etc.

 

After Rugeley I did Hawkesbury junction and then on to Braunston.

Yes Liam, but not many do overnighters! Remember I was still cooking my porridge at Atherstone when you came stonking through non stop from Middlewich a year or three ago.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

[NilesMI]

Looking at my logs for this year, Middlewich Junction to Atherstone via Harecastle was done in just under 36hrs, single handed.

 

Atherstone to Braunston Turn was an additional 12hrs. Again, single handed, so 48hrs in total, which doesn't include lunch/tea stops.

 

 

At the default settings, CanalPlan AC predicts 55hrs for that route and 67hrs via Autherley and Gt Haywood.

 

Using my own personal settings for speeds and lock timings, AC has 49hrs and 61hrs, respectively.

 

I've found CanalPlan to be very useful but only if you tune the parameters to match your own logged timings, rather than using the default settings.

Edited October 20, 2014 by NilesMI

[alan_fincher]

Bless....

 

This really isn't necessary, is it?

[Tony Dunkley]

4 days Middlewich- Atherstone. 2 days Atherstone-Braunston. That's what it took me this summer, in the reverse direction.

 

You can take one whole day off there . . . Braunston to Atherstone is only a day, and an easy one at that.

[NilesMI]

 

Braunston to Atherstone is only a day, and an easy one at that.

 

I expect it depends what you mean by an easy day.

 

Braunston Turn to Atherstone is 33 miles plus the 3 locks if you ignore the stop lock at Hawkesbury. So, not hard work, but a longish day. 12 hours solid cruising at 3 lock-miles per hour.

[Tony Dunkley]

 

I expect it depends what you mean by an easy day.

 

Braunston Turn to Atherstone is 33 miles plus the 3 locks if you ignore the stop lock at Hawkesbury. So, not hard work, but a longish day. 12 hours solid cruising at 3 lock-miles per hour.

Ten and a half hours with a pair of empty boats, and the Atherstone pound was full up with slurry from quarry washing screens in those days (1960's) . . . as for your lock miles . . . how do take an hour down Hilmorton with a single boat?

Edited October 20, 2014 by tony dunkley

[NilesMI]

Oh right.

 

Have you matched that time more recently?

 

50 years ago you might not have encountered quite so many moored up boats to slow down for.

[Tony Dunkley]

Oh right.

 

Have you matched that time more recently?

 

50 years ago you might not have encountered quite so many moored up boats to slow down for.

 

Probably not , but I wouldn't have slowed down that much anyway. If boats you're passing are tied up as they should be then isn't any need to slow down all that much . . . if they're not tied up in a decent fashion, then they won't be moored boats after you've gone by, and you know what, it might just make them think about doing a better job of tying up next time.

[Liam]

Yes Liam, but not many do overnighters! Remember I was still cooking my porridge at Atherstone when you came stonking through non stop from Middlewich a year or three ago.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

Tut... I had Atherstone for breakfast

[Liam]

 

I have 'er indoors now, so not allowed to do that sort of thing now.

 

The next time I pass you i'll most likely disturb your pimms o'clock

[NilesMI]

. . as for your lock miles . . . how do take an hour down Hilmorton with a single boat?

 

You don't. Lock-miles is just useful as a rough ready reckoner.

 

My log shows last time I went UP the Hilmorton locks it took 35 mins and that this summer while some cruising days with lots of locks I managed nearly 5 lock-miles per hour, other days could be less than half that.

 

Maybe that's because I choose to slow down for moored boats. Silly me, eh?

[Tony Dunkley]

 

You don't. Lock-miles is just useful as a rough ready reckoner.

 

My log shows last time I went UP the Hilmorton locks it took 35 mins and that this summer while some cruising days with lots of locks I managed nearly 5 lock-miles per hour, other days could be less than half that.

 

Maybe that's because I choose to slow down for moored boats. Silly me, eh?

 

Yes, I think encouraging people to tie up badly is bloody silly.

[NilesMI]

 

Yes, I think encouraging people to tie up badly is bloody silly.

 

No. Like criticising a poorly laid out and punctuated message on a canal discussion forum, it's big-headed to show up the blatantly obvious failings in others.

[Tony Dunkley]

 

No. Like criticising a poorly laid out and punctuated message on a canal discussion forum, it's big-headed to show up the blatantly obvious failings in others.

 

That sounds like the sort of thing someone who doesn't know how to tie up properly would say.

[NilesMI]

Like I said. Big-headed.