Route advice

[jddevel]

O.K. so we are lucky enough to be collecting our first boat from Castleford Boat yard in about 6 weeks time. Whilst having hired numerous craft over the years both in England and Ireland we've never really been this far north. We intend spending two or three weeks in the area before spending the Summer cruising to our final destination somewhere in the Gloucester/Worcester area. The question is which route to take bearing in mind it is to be leisurely and with periods when we will return home to Cornwall for two or three weeks at a time. So marinas/secure temporary moorings on route will be necessary. We don't envisage travelling for more than 3 to 4 hours maximum a day unless on a tidal water and would therefore resist that unless as stated a safe mooring was available. All previous holidays have been a "there and back" situation with no real long route planning necessary.

Thanks in anticipation and over to you for advice and routes.

[Guest]

O.K. so we are lucky enough to be collecting our first boat from Castleford Boat yard in about 6 weeks time. Whilst having hired numerous craft over the years both in England and Ireland we've never really been this far north. We intend spending two or three weeks in the area before spending the Summer cruising to our final destination somewhere in the Gloucester/Worcester area. The question is which route to take bearing in mind it is to be leisurely and with periods when we will return home to Cornwall for two or three weeks at a time. So marinas/secure temporary moorings on route will be necessary. We don't envisage travelling for more than 3 to 4 hours maximum a day unless on a tidal water and would therefore resist that unless as stated a safe mooring was available. All previous holidays have been a "there and back" situation with no real long route planning necessary.

Thanks in anticipation and over to you for advice and routes.

 

Crossing the Pennines via. the Leeds Liverpool and then South via. The Bridgwater onto the Trent and Mersey is a varied route with great scenery and lots to see in terms of industrial heritage too.

[Derek Porteous]

 

Crossing the Pennines via. the Leeds Liverpool and then South via. The Bridgwater onto the Trent and Mersey is a varied route with great scenery and lots to see in terms of industrial heritage too.

Or indeed east to the New Junction Canal and up the tidal River Trent if you want to avoid Wigan Locks and re-touching up your blacking!

[Guest]

Or indeed east to the New Junction Canal and up the tidal River Trent if you want to avoid Wigan Locks and re-touching up your blacking!

 

I know a lot is made of the Wigan flight but we didn't find it that bad really (going up) - yes it was hard work but if you can pair up with another boat its manageable. Plus going down, which is the direction the OP would be doing them in is arguably a bit quicker.

 

We need to be encouraging people to use the flight more IMHO otherwise its reputation will just precede it and the less use it gets the worse it will become.

 

The alternative cross Pennine route of course would be the Huddersfield/Rochdale onto the Bridgewater but no doubt somebody will drum up some scare stories about that way too. If the OP's boat is 58ft or less this would be worth considering too.

[magictime]

If you're not in an immediate hurry to start heading south, I'd definitely take the chance to head up to Selby (and York if you're comfortable on the tidal Ouse - we chickened out at that point)! You could also take the opportunity to head partway along the Leeds-Liverpool (say, to Skipton or Gargrave) and/or the Rochdale (say, to Hebden Bridge), depending on which route you do decide to take south.

 

The Manchester end of the Rochdale has a reputation for being a bit of a slog - low pounds, lots of rubbish in the canal - and unfortunately that was our experience of it a couple of years back. I can't say what the Huddersfield Narrow is like, but it's probably the most direct route and has the virtue of bringing you on to the Peak Forest and Macclesfield, which was a stretch we really enjoyed.

 

If you decided to take the L&L/Bridgewater/T&M route, I'd be tempted to turn off at Middlewich and head down the Shropshire Union rather than the rest of the T&M. As I recall it's the more scenic and less lock-heavy route - plus you'd avoid the very low Harecastle Tunnel at Kidsgrove, which we found a bit of a hair-raising (and boat-bashing) experience!

 

None of which helps with marinas, secure moorings etc., I know...

[Guest]

 

If you decided to take the L&L/Bridgewater/T&M route, I'd be tempted to turn off at Middlewich and head down the Shropshire Union rather than the rest of the T&M. As I recall it's the more scenic and less lock-heavy route - plus you'd avoid the very low Harecastle Tunnel at Kidsgrove, which we found a bit of a hair-raising (and boat-bashing) experience!

 

 

Actually yes I would agree with that. I wish we had done that when we did that route in reverse. The Harecastle is not the most pleasant of experiences even if its not the lowest and longest, but not something I would wish to repeat in a hurry given there is an alternative.

[nicknorman]

Actually yes I would agree with that. I wish we had done that when we did that route in reverse. The Harecastle is not the most pleasant of experiences even if its not the lowest and longest, but not something I would wish to repeat in a hurry given there is an alternative.

Now what was that you were just saying about scare stories? We've done harecastle many times and it is nothing to get excited about. I think it was a bit trickier when there was still a towpath but now that is gone you have to try fairly hard to hit something.

 

Anyway, shroppie vs T&M? Different, but I wouodnt say I prefer one to the other. Shroppie, more rural and fewer locks but also long straights plus the dreaded "shelf". T&M more interesting and diverse.

[Guest]

Now what was that you were just saying about scare stories? We've done harecastle many times and it is nothing to get excited about. I think it was a bit trickier when there was still a towpath but now that is gone you have to try fairly hard to hit something.

 

Anyway, shroppie vs T&M? Different, but I wouodnt say I prefer one to the other. Shroppie, more rural and fewer locks but also long straights plus the dreaded "shelf". T&M more interesting and diverse.

 

I think there is a huge difference between what gets said abot the Wigan flight/The Rochdale and the Harecastle Tunnel. The Harecastle is a well used waterways facility whereas the Wigan flight is not. Some people are very comfortable in small dark spaces for long periods others are not, if I wasn't in a hurry going back that way I would choose to avoid Harecastle if I could that is all I am saying. Particularly as we have never done the Shroppie but have done the T&M many times.

 

I also found you didn't have to try very hard at all to hit something in the tunnel, just a very brief loss of concentration at the wrong time was sufficient. (Of course the impact sounds a lot worse down there than it actually is)

[Detling]

I also prefer the Shroppie to the T&M as the locks are easier and the scenery better. The T&M also has Stoke which has very few mooring opportunities with 3-4 hour days as you really need to get through it. You have the same of course in areas of Manchester, and I suspect any city. Also the Shroppie avoids the eastern part of the Staffs and Worcester en route to Stourport to get onto the Severn, If you like locks and cities you can go up the Wolverhampton 21 across Birmingham and down the Tardebigge flight to Worcester.

[Derek Porteous]

I didn't mean to raise any "scare" stories about the Wigan flight. We have done it about 20 times (10 times in each direction) without any issues. The point I was making was it is a lots of locks with the associated rubbing strake blacking damage; nothing that a few moments with a paint brush would not solve. The same it true with the Rochdale. I really would not recommend the Huddersfield with a brand new boat. When we went through the Standedge Tunnel the top sides were damaged (slightly) by the tunnel walls despite the protective rubber mats. Each of the four routes (River Trent, Leeds-Liverpool, Rochdale and Huddersfield) have their pros and cons, so it is up to the OP to choose which he prefers. Co-incidentally we will also be traveling through Castleford about the same time as the OP is picking up his boat. Our route is down the Wigan Flight and onto London to fight for an overnight berth in the big city!

[Cruising Mike]

Whats wrong with Harecastle? I found it a thoroughly enjoyable experience! Took us 40 minutes and didn't hit anything along the way

[Guest]

Whats wrong with Harecastle? I found it a thoroughly enjoyable experience! Took us 40 minutes and didn't hit anything along the way

There is nothing 'wrong' with it as such.

My personal preference would be to avoid it if I had the option, and that option exists. Your preference is clearly different.

[jddevel]

Thank you all for that. It would appear from the general concensus that head West and then South is the way to go. The boat is a 45 foot craft with a 38hp engine so possibly long tidal runs at the "wrong" time may be frustrating and possibly hard going. Now the decision Huddersfield/Peak/Macclesfield or Leeds Liverpool and on to the Trent. Reading all, my leaning is Calder/Rochdale then on to the Peak and Macclesfield then Trent and Mersey and across to the Shropshire. Does that sound worth considering?

I appreciate some of the fears but would not let that deter me -lifes a challenge that I enjoy.

[Cruising Mike]

Doing the Peak forest, macclesfield and the Shroppie in one trip will reap the rewards, as they can be some of the most scenic in the whole canal system

[magictime]

Like Mike, we really enjoyed the Peak, Macc and Shroppie. The detour down to Bugsworth Basin (on the Peak Forest) is worth taking too. As for the Rochdale, it's a lovely canal for much of its length and if you're up for the potential challenges (especially at the Manchester end) I'm sure you'll enjoy it. I wouldn't have wanted to do it as an inexperienced boater as it was pretty 'hands-on' in terms of filling and navigating low pounds, pulling carrier bags off the prop, etc., but it sounds like you have the right attitude!

 

In which case, if you're still spending a couple of weeks up north before you start heading home, I'd definitely recommend a trip up to Selby (the Selby canal has a character all of its own - lush, overgrown, quiet, secluded) and another through the Bingley locks and on to Skipton.

[Guest]

Like Mike, we really enjoyed the Peak, Macc and Shroppie. The detour down to Bugsworth Basin (on the Peak Forest) is worth taking too. As for the Rochdale, it's a lovely canal for much of its length and if you're up for the potential challenges (especially at the Manchester end) I'm sure you'll enjoy it. I wouldn't have wanted to do it as an inexperienced boater as it was pretty 'hands-on' in terms of filling and navigating low pounds, pulling carrier bags off the prop, etc., but it sounds like you have the right attitude!

 

In which case, if you're still spending a couple of weeks up north before you start heading home, I'd definitely recommend a trip up to Selby (the Selby canal has a character all of its own - lush, overgrown, quiet, secluded) and another through the Bingley locks and on to Skipton.

The Selby was one of our favourites. Mooring spots are not exactly plentiful but the plus side to that was the lush but not unduly over grown vegetation for much of the length. That said we never had a problem actually getting moored. West Haddlesey being a particular favourite.