What's it like at Castle Marina in Nottingham please?

[Shinypurple]

Hi! I'm new, so I hope that I'm in the right place, doing the right thing

 

We are (subject to survey) buying a narrowboat that is moored at Castle Marina in Nottingham.

 

It's our intention to find a mooring closer to where we live in North Worcestershire, but space is available at Nottingham, and I am wondering whether I should moor it there for a few months while we:

 

a) get used to the boat

have confidence that it's likely to make it past Birmingham

c) explore the city & waterways of Nottingham this summer

 

Are any of you guys moored there, or do you have any opinion what it's like there, please?

Where would be good to go for weekend trips around there on a narrowboat?

Is Nottingham the kind of place to spend summer weekends (have teenage daughter guaranteed to complain if there's nothing to do except feed the ducks)?

 

[Alan de Enfield]

Nowhere suitable for dogs - except an inner city tarmac / concrete towpath

[Guest User]

Hi Shinypurple and welcome to the forum.

 

I've moored at Nottingham Castle marina. I enjoyed my time there. The management are friendly and helpful. It'd be a great place to get used to a boat as there's pretty much all the facilities you could want on site (toilets, showers, laundry, elsan, pumpout, diesel, coal, gas, chandlery, slipway and covered wet dock, etc). David Mawby offers blacking at a reasonable rate and there other folk there that offer painting and mechanical work if needed.

 

The marina has secure access and car parking is very close to the boats. The site is surprisingly very quiet - so long as you don't take a mooring near the main entrance end. There's a good sized Sainsburys that's just five mins walk away. There's also couple of chain pubs, restaurants and fast food outlets nearby too. There's a Premier Inn very near the marina as well.

 

Nottingham has a large busy centre with loads of shops plus cinema, theatre, museum, ice rink/events arena, and many, many places to eat - there'll be plenty to do for a teenager. It's about 20 mins walking from the marina along the towpath right into the town centre (watch out for speedy cyclists). There are some busy canalside pubs in the centre and like most big towns the canal side in town feels like a bit of a different place after dark.

 

For weekend cruising - a few folk like to go for a short trip through the town centre then turn right onto the Trent and spend the weekend moored on the steps. Going the other way, turning left out of the marina, there's some really nice cruising along the Nottingham and Beeston and then out onto the river and heading upstream to wherever takes your fancy really (junction with the Soar/Erewash or carry on to the Trent & Mersey - just depends how far you want to go in a day I suppose.

 

LCx

Edited April 1, 2016 by Lady Cassandra

[Bearsteen]

We're in Nottingham Castle marina and love it. We do not live aboard but spend a lot of time there. Your daughter will love Nottingham, it's got 3 uni's and the nightlife is a teenagers dream. There are plenty of more sophisticated bars and restaurants too. We have found plenty of places to boat to from there but the downside is that you do have to spend an hour either way on the canal before you reach the Trent. We often boat up to Beeston and back and enjoy the tranquil scenery floating by, the other way through Nottingham is less picturesque but you can moor up almost in the city centre, 2 mins walk from the train station 5 mins to the castle or shopping centre. It's 15 mins walk down towpath from marina into city

Newark is in easy reach for a weekend trip

[Midnight]

Moored there for a short while. The staff are very friendly and the shops and town are close by. No problem walking my dog along the towpath.

[Mrs Trackman]

I'd say castle marina is a perfect place for you to get used to your boat whilst taking your time to explore a mooring closer to home. Nottingham is a great city for teenagers.

The potter up to Beeston, a couple of hours there and back is doable on a summer evening. or just go to Beeston which has great pubs and cafes, the navigation is a 15 minute walk from the mooring with great food and beer. The canal Is wide, relatively empty and amazingly pretty for an urban area. We often see kingfishers and peregrines nest on the tower opposite trevithics boat yard and on one of the boot's chimneys.

The trent needs checking for levels and flow. depending on your previous experience, I would suggest pottering on the canal while you get used to your boat before going on to the trent but if the trent is low it's no problem.

[OldGoat]

I looked at Castle Marinas generally some years ago and was impressed by their implied offer of "keep it there and move it to another" marina meaning the ability to transfer from one to another easily. I think that also may mean you could hop around their various sites by arrangement.

 

I don't know if that still applies (probably)??

[Ray T]

I looked at Castle Marinas generally some years ago and was impressed by their implied offer of "keep it there and move it to another" marina meaning the ability to transfer from one to another easily. I think that also may mean you could hop around their various sites by arrangement.

 

I don't know if that still applies (probably)??

 

Still applies, called flexi berth. You used to be able to stay at another Castle Marina for 6 months without additional charge, but, recently has been reduced to 1 month maximum.

 

Transfer to other Castle Marinas is possible providing there is space and any difference in fees is paid. Not all Castle Marinas have live aboard or residential berths however.

 

Ventnor where we are is strictly non residential apart from the harbour masters.

 

http://www.castlemarinas.co.uk/

 

 

Edited April 1, 2016 by Ray T

[Horace42]

Following comments already given it looks like your best bet is to stay at Castle Marina - sounds a nice place to me from what has been said - and you will be amongst other boaters who know the area and able to give help and advice if you need it.

But have you organised your home mooring? That is where you need to make sure you get it right. Good luck.

[SNAFU]

I've recently bought a boat from David Mawby at Castle Marina and am now mooring in the marina. I can only echo what has already been said, everyone is friendly and security is good.

 

The local run up and down the Nottingham and Beeston is good practice and Castle Lock is handy to practice locking which I have been doing since I got my boat. This week I've been up the Trent as far as Sawley and up the Soar as far as Kegworth, this should have taken little more than a day but I got stuck for 24h waiting for river levels to drop in Beeston and then had to wait overnight at Cranfleet waiting for the flood lock to be opened.

 

In short, in my admittedly short experience I would recommend Nottingham Castle Marina however if the River Level is up on the Trent you can be a bit trapped.

Edited April 1, 2016 by SNAFU