Canal Route Advice Please

[EEng]

Hi

 

Going on a 13 day cruise out of (and back to) Wigrams Marina (Napton Junction)

 

What routes would you consider ? Whys ? Wherefores ? Any problems or highlights ?

 

Have various children with us as well

 

 

[Alan de Enfield]

More information needed - example

 

Are you 4 hour a day cruisers or 12 hour a day cruisers ?

 

Are the children of 'lock handling' age ?

 

Do you want Town or Country ?

[EEng]

Sorry about that

 

2 adults and for a few days 3 adults, 4 kids 9,10,10 and 11

 

Cruising average 6 hours a day, stop for lunches - ideally planning an 11 day trip with 2 days in hand for either bad weather or days where we don't go far

 

More towards country but not desolate and small towns and good pubs

Edited March 11, 2015 by EEng

[Chalky]

Cruise to Oxford.

 

1 day - to Cropredy - pubs

1 day - to Banbury. Shopping centre, Leisure centre with swimming pool

1 day - to Lower Heyford - pubs

1 day - (stop at Thrupp to fill water/ buy books from the canal society book stall) - Oxford

 

Moor on 7 Day moorings. About 20 - 30 minutes walk to city centre with lots to do. Lots of Museums (Oxford natural history museum, The Pitt Rivers and Science museum are a must as is the Ashmolean). Visit the Bodlean (where they filmed some of Harry Potter), the colleges, (relatives/friends/colleagues etc) . Get Oxford Tube into London for a day (bus station is 5 minutes from end of canal). Climb Carfax tower. There's a park with a playground by the 24 hour moorings. There's a swimming pool in Summertown about 20 minutes walk away. Lots of resturants, really good bookshops (warning - leave credit cards at home!). The Oxford Ice rink is walking distance from the canal.

 

Then turn round and come back.

 

We usually are off the moorings by about 9:30 and cruise till about 6 ish. Check out the route on AC Canal planner with your timings. if you can't get on the 7 day moorings or are going to take longer to get there then moor up on the 48 hour moorings in Jericho.

 

We've done the route with 3 children. The youngest was 5 when we started she's now 13.

Edited March 11, 2015 by Chalky

[EEng]

Thanks, that sounds good, whats a 7 day mooring ?

[Nightwatch]

One day to Cropredy is possible I guess but is pushing along at pace.

 

Don't forget Aynho and the lovely Great western Pub and their beer and food. There are others as well.

Seven day mooring is a mooring that is restricted to 7 days maximum. There are 48 hr ones also. There are signs.

 

Martyn

[Chalky]

One day to Cropredy is possible I guess but is pushing along at pace.

 

 

Yes I think you're right. We start at Fenny... If you're going during the Cropredy Festival then it can be a bit slow above and below Cropredy.

[EEng]

Dates are not during the Cropredy Festival so is it worth going to Cropredy as well ?

[magpie patrick]

Cruise to Oxford.

 

We've done the route with 3 children. The youngest was 5 when we started she's now 13.

 

You took more than 4 days then didn't you!

 

You've at least five "out and back" routes, although I'd suggest the northern GU has too many locks for comfort.

 

Without checking on canal plan I'd have thought the Ashby Canal, or the Leicester Section to Market Harborough might be appealing. In nine 6 hour days the Warwickshire ring is do-able but it does involve Birmingham. This means the northern GU one way only

[Nightwatch]

We are at the top end of the Ashby at the moment. Very pretty. We fell for the lack of shops at the northern end. If you are short of supplies ensure you stop at Market Bosworth.

 

Shackerstone is really good. Very pleasant local pub,The Rising Sun, is friendly, local farmers to chat to and last time I was in I was chatting to an ex lorry driver delivering coal throughout the country. Well I thought it interesting. Good food as well. We are opposite the farm at Shackstone which is lambing at the moment. A bit noisy at times but this IS the country and I find it wonderful.

 

The canal has gained an extra half a mile recently (there abouts). Worth a visit.

 

I like the Southern Oxford and......I also like the Ashby.........

 

Martyn

Edited March 11, 2015 by Nightwatch

[jonesthenuke]

What do you like when cruising? If you don't mind a "there and back" trip rather than a ring, consider :-

 

Napton to Braunston, then down GU to Stoke Bruerne and visit the waterways museum.

Then on return could lock down into Northampton or continue up to Crick via Foxton locks, then back to Napton

 

This has a selection of locks and tunnels, maybe not the most scenic but it depends on what you want.

 

The Oxford canal as set out in a previous post is scenic and has narrow locks.

 

The Ashby is very rural and quiet.

 

The Warwickshire ring would be relatively easy in the time you have but it depends on whether you like Birmingham (I do, mostly)

[OldGoat]

Either Oxenford or Birmingham...

 

Oxford

Enough locks to keep the kids occupied - but not too exhausted...just enough!

Oxford museums are great but perhaps not for the young - other than the Natural History and Pitt Rivers which should take their interest. Wander round some colleges and perhaps partake of some of their music. Avoid the popular streets.

 

Birmingham

The canal part is relatively safe and lots to do.

The pen and jewellery museums and perhaps the NT back to backs are hands on (well the first two).

Black Country Museum - unless it's gone further downhill is an excellent day out for the young - small funfair, coal mine, plus the tunnel trip. It is possible to moor at the museum as well.

[EEng]

Thanks for all the advice, one question as it school holidays will all the canals be busy or would say the birmingham ring be less busy than going down to oxford from napton ?

 

Also can you moor up anywhere on the canal for the night or do you need to pick a special place - 24/48 hr mooring etc ?

[OldGoat]

The canals are always busy in the summer - but all boats 'spread out' once they get moving. Hire companies will try to persuade their customers to go in different directions and there's always a gap between boats leaving as customers arrive at different times and the handover process delays them slightly as well.

Depending on where you are on handover day may to be to your advantage as boats may be coming the other way - meaning lock(s) will be 'set' for you.

Bets to avoid the Napton area on a Saturday afternoon is my best advice.

[EEng]

Im leaving Napton around 12ish saturday.....

[EEng]

Thanks for all the advice, one question as it school holidays will all the canals be busy or would say the birmingham ring be less busy than going down to oxford from napton ?

 

Also can you moor up anywhere on the canal for the night or do you need to pick a special place - 24/48 hr mooring etc ?

 

Bump

[Nightwatch]

Yes you can. Tow Path side unless indicated otherwise.

 

Sharp bends need to be avoided when moorings as you may get hit,the boat not you, and at best a couple of advisory comments from passing boats.

 

Martyn

[nicknorman]

Bump

You can moor pretty much anywhere on the towpath side provided it's deep enough and you are not causing an obstruction, however in urban areas common sense applies and it may be better to stick with recognised mooring spots ie where you see other boats moored.

[The Pipe]

 

We've done the route with 3 children. The youngest was 5 when we started she's now 13.

He's got 13 days to do this not 8 years.

[EEng]

Started out today, wind was really high, was like trying to canoe sideways !

 

And went round a couple of rather tight bends where the canal was narrow and low and behold 4 or 5 boats moored on the towpath on the bend (Not holiday boats either), was pretty difficult getting round in the wind, perhaps they don't read this or know the untold rules.....

 

Common sense and all that

[bottle]

Ah! yes but they had the common sense to not move in high winds.

[Tisinca]

Beggars belief, Was hit at full speed today whilst moored on a straight bit of canal by a Wyvern hire boat. Surely they have been told or at least should have the common sense not to cruise in such high winds !!!

[EEng]

I missed all boats moored and cruising

 

Didnt go far though