Avon ring overnight moorings

[robert anthony]

So just planning my trip around the Avon ring (anti clockwise) and the canal planner has the following stops listed for overnight stays.

Worcester - Diglis bottom lock

Avon - Defford railway bridge

Avon - Chadbury lock weir entrance

Avon - W A Cadbury lock weir entrance

Stratford canal - Field bridge No. 58

Stratford canal - Lock No. 19

Stratford canal - Warstock bridge No. 5

These are based on 7 hours cruising per day but as I have not been on this route before I was wondering if anyone could suggest if these moorings are ok or are there better places to moor overnight? I don't mind lengthening / shortening cruising hours to suit but would rather moor near to a pub, village, town or somewhere of interest not just a bridge or lock in the middle of nowhere.

 

[Graham Davis]

Are you coming down the Severn or the W & B to Worcester?

[blackrose]

You can moor overnight at most of the Avon locks. The 24 hour moorings are usually the blue poles.

Edited September 29, 2015 by blackrose

[robert anthony]

Are you coming down the Severn or the W & B to Worcester?

Droitwich then the Severn to Worcester.

Edited September 29, 2015 by robert anthony

[keble]

Forget Defford railway bridge! Just along from it is Eckington Bridge, a great mooring with a short walk to a nice village.

Highly recommended!

[keble]

Not sure what is meant by Diglis bottom lock; there is just one Severn lock at Diglis.

Nowhere to moor below (south of) it, but there is a reasonable pontoon you can overnight on between (but not at) the lock at the W&B junction and Diglis lock.

Or you can moor at Worcester race course, fee payable.

[john6767]

Places to aim for on the Avon if you don't want middle of nowhere, Evesham, Pershore, Bidford. Also, you probably want to stop in Stratford, either on the river or in the canal basin. From Stratford you can get to Kingwood in a day, but if you have more time you could stop at the top of Wilmcote locks or the north end of Edstone Aquaduct. A lot of the South Stratford has a rough towpath edge so you need to pick your spots to moor.

At Kingswood you can moor on the junction arm or on the GU or go up another 6 or so lock where there are visitor moorings. Whilst there are places to moor further in most people would stop somewhere south of Shirley lift bridge on the way into Birmingham, Hockley Heath or Dickens Heathfor example.

[jonesthenuke]

Forget Defford railway bridge! Just along from it is Eckington Bridge, a great mooring with a short walk to a nice village.

Highly recommended!

Agreed, Eckington has a nice pub and we had and excellent meal there in August.

[Emerald Fox]

Lyons Boat yard might be worth putting on your list, between the Shirley lift bridge and Brandwood Tunnel:

 

http://www.lyonsboats.co.uk/index.php

 

Don't believe the scare stories about zombies and cannibals west of the bridge, it's quite a pleasant rural stretch, just a bit of graffiti and the odd shopping trolley sticking up. On the Stratford Canal there's a good length to moor up whilst you have a shower/lunch just before the T-junction with the W&B.

Between Stratford & the end of Lapworth the locks are very narrow - even we (6'9") had to pull our side fenders up.

[David Mack]

Droitwich then the Severn to Worcester.

In that case, rather than Diglis, I would overnight at the Camp House Inn below Bevere Lock, a couple of miles above Worcester.

[robert anthony]

Cheers all for the suggestions, I'll put them into the route planner and see how it looks. I seem to remember someone posting that the lower locks on the Stratford are very narrow? My boat is 7 foot wide so may have to turn around and go back along the river if it doesn't fit in the locks.

[PaulG]

Regarding the Avon, it depends on the time of year and how busy the river is.

If you are planning to stop anywhere on the lower Avon, it's a good idea to have a plan "B"!

On the Upper Avon above Evesham, many of the locks have VM's.

Moorings are usually available in Tewkesbury by Avon lock, fee of (I think) £3.00.

The new moorings at the Fleet Inn at Twyning are open. Jointly funded by ANT and Wadworths brewery, so there is no obligation to use the pub. There is also the "Village Inn" as an alternative.

[ditchcrawler]

Regarding the Avon, it depends on the time of year and how busy the river is.

If you are planning to stop anywhere on the lower Avon, it's a good idea to have a plan "B"!

On the Upper Avon above Evesham, many of the locks have VM's.

Moorings are usually available in Tewkesbury by Avon lock, fee of (I think) £3.00.

The new moorings at the Fleet Inn at Twyning are open. Jointly funded by ANT and Wadworths brewery, so there is no obligation to use the pub. There is also the "Village Inn" as an alternative.

I was then going to ask if that was open yet, they were working on it when we passed.

[PaulG]

I was then going to ask if that was open yet, they were working on it when we passed.

Yes, they're fully open now.

But you lot can all b*gger off on Sunday afternoons in the winter as we will be pottering up there for Sunday lunch!

[Martin Megson]

Thanks for the tips. I'm currently doing the ring clockwise. Have spent a few days in Stratford, lovely town although the fair arrived at the weekend creating a bit of noise. Planning to head down the Avon this week ans stopping at Bideford, Pershore and Evesham.

[Emerald Fox]

Cheers all for the suggestions, I'll put them into the route planner and see how it looks. I seem to remember someone posting that the lower locks on the Stratford are very narrow? My boat is 7 foot wide so may have to turn around and go back along the river if it doesn't fit in the locks.

 

Crumbs. I thought they made boats at 6'10" and ours was an inch thinner because of all the scraping we've done!

[Tim Lewis]

Cheers all for the suggestions, I'll put them into the route planner and see how it looks. I seem to remember someone posting that the lower locks on the Stratford are very narrow? My boat is 7 foot wide so may have to turn around and go back along the river if it doesn't fit in the locks.

 

My boat was built at 7' and half an inch. We have done the Stratford Canals many times and the only lock I recall struggling for width on was the first one after the basin at Stratford we have stuck in a couple of bridge holes in the past but I believe that some work has been done to inprove them.

 

Tim

Tim

[Martin Megson]

Currently heading down the Avon and loving it. A beautiful river, especially in Autumn.

Managed to damage the rudder yesterday on a lock cill - should know better after 4 years.

 

Great service from Evesham Marina. I called in yesterday afternoon with a very stiff rudder with limited range. They lifted the boat this morning and repaired damage to the skeg and replaced the damaged rudder bearing before lunch.

[robert anthony]

Thanks all for the tips. Had a great time up and down the Avon. Locks can be a bit lively going upstream! Managed to rip one of my rubbing strakes off coming down through a lock with angle iron on the lock edges.

Blackrose - saw your boat on the way. That's a very industrial looking chimney you have. Is it just a wood burner you have or a small blast furnace? ?

Just having a few beers in Tewkesbury before getting back on the Severn on the morning.

[Mrs Trackman]

Thanks all for the tips. Had a great time up and down the Avon. Locks can be a bit lively going upstream! Managed to rip one of my rubbing strakes off coming down through a lock with angle iron on the lock edges.

Blackrose - saw your boat on the way. That's a very industrial looking chimney you have. Is it just a wood burner you have or a small blast furnace?

Just having a few beers in Tewkesbury before getting back on the Severn on the morning.

Good you enjoyed. Did you find it easy enough to moor? We've only been on avon once. Loved it but found mooring difficult. It was june so i guess a busy time. The towns were pleasant enough but found the traffic in them awful & off putting. Just loved being moored opposite the theatre in stratford though it certainly wasn't a quiet spot.

[robert anthony]

Good you enjoyed. Did you find it easy enough to moor? We've only been on avon once. Loved it but found mooring difficult. It was june so i guess a busy time. The towns were pleasant enough but found the traffic in them awful & off putting. Just loved being moored opposite the theatre in stratford though it certainly wasn't a quiet spot.

It was very quiet on the Avon this last week. No shortage of moorings anywhere, we moored up opposite the RSC in Stratford and there were only 2 other boats there and lots of space in Bancroft basin.