Avon Ring from Tardebigge - advice

[Rob-M]

Keep an eye on the weather in the weeks before you are going in case the Severn and\or Avon could go in to flood and prevent you doing the ring.

 

When I was 16 I took a group of Japanese students around the Avon ring from Alvechurch in a one week hire, as they didn't speak much English it was hard work.

[IanD]

8 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

Keep an eye on the weather in the weeks before you are going in case the Severn and\or Avon could go in to flood and prevent you doing the ring.

 

When I was 16 I took a group of Japanese students around the Avon ring from Alvechurch in a one week hire, as they didn't speak much English it was hard work.

 

If the rivers are high then the Stourport Ring may be easier than the Avon ring. Or not. Or both might be impassible...

[Sue Taylor]

Ok thanks for the information ! I have been told about the severn liable to flood .... fingers crossed.

Well we're pretty sure that we would /could do in a week weather and water permitting, as we're all quite fit and able.......

[IanD]

Just now, Sue Taylor said:

Ok thanks for the information ! I have been told about the severn liable to flood .... fingers crossed.

Well we're pretty sure that we would /could do in a week weather and water permitting, as we're all quite fit and able.......

 

Both Avon and Stourport rings are great weeks for a keen/fit crew who like long days and locks, lovely canals and rivers with some excellent stopping places. Always worth having a contingency plan though, especially on rivers... 😉

[Sue Taylor]

Yes true but we really want to do the tardebigge in whatever capacity ! Didn't think it could be possible in the first day.... My brother is a bit tentative me and my son etc just want to get on with it 🤣

[IanD]

10 minutes ago, Sue Taylor said:

Yes true but we really want to do the tardebigge in whatever capacity ! Didn't think it could be possible in the first day.... My brother is a bit tentative me and my son etc just want to get on with it 🤣

100% possible in the first day on a hire boat from Anglo-Welsh at Tardebigge... 🙂

 

To speed things up you need to get a system going at the locks, sending one person ahead to get the next one ready, ideally having two working the lock the boat is in, with one leaving when the boat does and the other staying behind to close up. That way there's no waiting, and if there aren't any other boats in the way you leave one lock and motor straight into the next one which is waiting ready. Slicker than a time traveling con artist that goes back in time to steal a submarine and mate with a whale swimming in olive oil... 😉

[john6767]

3 hours ago, Sue Taylor said:

Yes true but we really want to do the tardebigge in whatever capacity ! Didn't think it could be possible in the first day.... My brother is a bit tentative me and my son etc just want to get on with it 🤣

Are you certain that you want to go anti-clockwise, if you go clockwise you will be downstream on the Avon, and the locks are  much easier downstream.

[David Mack]

3 hours ago, IanD said:

To speed things up you need to get a system going at the locks, sending one person ahead to get the next one ready, ideally having two working the lock the boat is in, with one leaving when the boat does and the other staying behind to close up. That way there's no waiting, and if there aren't any other boats in the way you leave one lock and motor straight into the next one which is waiting ready.

A few years back we were working down Tardebigge like that when we caught up with a hire boat crewed by about 8 blokes in their 20s and 30s. After departing the lock the boat hovered in the tail while a couple of them closed the bottom gates, they all got on, motored to the next lock where most got off again to open the top paddles on the empty lock! They hadn't got a clue about sending one or two crew ahead. As it was, I had plenty of time to go down and fill a couple of locks in front of them and walk back to get our boat through. 

They must have felt the pressure though. After about four locks like this they moored up in one of the short pounds and we were able to get past. Phew!

[IanD]

1 hour ago, David Mack said:

A few years back we were working down Tardebigge like that when we caught up with a hire boat crewed by about 8 blokes in their 20s and 30s. After departing the lock the boat hovered in the tail while a couple of them closed the bottom gates, they all got on, motored to the next lock where most got off again to open the top paddles on the empty lock! They hadn't got a clue about sending one or two crew ahead. As it was, I had plenty of time to go down and fill a couple of locks in front of them and walk back to get our boat through. 

They must have felt the pressure though. After about four locks like this they moored up in one of the short pounds and we were able to get past. Phew!

That's something like happened to us with the boat in front, except there were only two of then not eight... 😉

 

(except they did know what they were doing, they were just much slower than we were -- and then they let us overtake them, so brownie points duly awarded...)

 

2 hours ago, john6767 said:

Are you certain that you want to go anti-clockwise, if you go clockwise you will be downstream on the Avon, and the locks are  much easier downstream.

True, but if you go the other way then you're faced with going up Tardebigge on the last afternoon with nowhere good to stop on the last night before returning the boat first thing in the morning -- if you go anticlockwise the last part of the week is more relaxed, and you can have the last night at the Weighbridge at Alvechurch... 😉

 

Sometimes the constraints of a weeks hire and pubs favour one direction. I'd have said the Stourport Ring clockwise had more attractions and wasn't quite such hard work in a week or as prone to delays as the Avon RIng anticlockwise, but's that's just my view.

Edited February 10 by IanD

[Captain Pegg]

Should the rivers be high there won’t necessarily be a choice to be made between the Avon or Stourport rings. Hire boats are only permitted when the rivers are on green boards.

 

This is perhaps one reason to head clockwise if this is a risk since a trip to Stratford and potentially back via Birmingham may be a better alternative than to Worcester and back if the rivers are prohibitive. Noting though that the Severn and Avon have quite different catchments.

 

As for mooring at Tardebigge there is plenty of very good mooring both above and below the top lock at what is a superb location. It just doesn’t have a pub.

 

[john6767]

9 hours ago, IanD said:

 

True, but if you go the other way then you're faced with going up Tardebigge on the last afternoon with nowhere good to stop on the last night before returning the boat first thing in the morning -- if you go anticlockwise the last part of the week is more relaxed, and you can have the last night at the Weighbridge at Alvechurch... 😉

 

Sometimes the constraints of a weeks hire and pubs favour one direction. I'd have said the Stourport Ring clockwise had more attractions and wasn't quite such hard work in a week or as prone to delays as the Avon RIng anticlockwise, but's that's just my view.

There is good mooring above Tardebigge locks at the wharf, and then a run through the tunnel to take the boat back next morning, so I would say that is not a reason to decide you have to go anti-clock. 

[David Mack]

8 hours ago, Captain Pegg said:

As for mooring at Tardebigge there is plenty of very good mooring both above and below the top lock at what is a superb location. It just doesn’t have a pub.

 The Tardebigge and Alestones micropub are both about 15 minutes walk from the top lock.

[Sea Dog]

1 minute ago, David Mack said:

 The Tardebigge and Alestones micropub are both about 15 minutes walk from the top lock.

The only problem is the 45 minute walk back... 

[gatekrash]

2 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

The only problem is the 45 minute walk back... 

Yeah, but at least it's downhill on the way back 😀

[IanD]

3 hours ago, David Mack said:

 The Tardebigge and Alestones micropub are both about 15 minutes walk from the top lock.

True, but the Weighbridge has good food and beer and is less than a minute's walk. Small though, if you want to eat there booking ahead is advisable -- we didn't and they were fully booked for food, so we ate on the boat and then went there for beers afterwards.

[David Mack]

8 minutes ago, IanD said:

True, but the Weighbridge has good food and beer and is less than a minute's walk.

Wouldn't disagree with that.

I haven't been in the Tardebigge since it changed hands 3 or 4 years ago. It's a bit of a barn-like road house, but back then the beer was reasonable and the food was affordable standard pub fare. In contrast the current website features dining but doesn't even mention beer! Still at least there's Alestones.

[agg221]

To reiterate a few points I would agree with.

 

1. It is all about the weather. You can generally tell in advance based on the forecast and the amount of rain over the preceding 48hrs whether the levels will be OK. If the weather is OK and stable when you set off, I would do the river section first, ie down Tardebigge. Down the Severn is short and quick, up the Avon is longer and slower. When we went the other way round (setting off from Wootton Wawen) we were advised to down the Severn and up the Avon. We went against the advice and were the only boat to make it back to the hire base, all the others being stuck on the Avon.

 

2. The clocks change after your first night, so the light won't be ideal on the first day, but it can be done. I would talk to Anglo Welsh and also turn up early. That should mean you are the first boat away. As has been mentioned, many boats moor up for the day from 4pm these days, so you are very likely to get a clear run. There is one pound (around lock 6 or 7 from the bottom I think) which is long enough to moor in overnight, so long as you get away early in the morning. It is a sensible walk from there down to the Queen's Head. If you make it to the bottom then great, but otherwise it is a reasonable Plan B.

 

We did the route in a week, including a run up to Gas Street and back. It means reasonably long days, but not painfully so. We stopped at Cadbury World (back in the days when it was still good) and at Avoncroft, and had a couple of hours in Worcester, so we weren't running dawn 'til dusk every day.

 

Alec

Edited February 11 by agg221

[Captain Pegg]

That’s a good point about mooring within the Tardebigge flight.

 

The pound @agg221 is referring to is probably the one on the bend which is between locks 33 and 34 so five locks up the flight.

 

I’ve moored there at least twice before and also once further up the flight near the lock cottage with the radio aerials and big dogs.

 

There are other places suitable for mooring too, such as beneath the reservoir near lock 50.

 

If you do end up mooring within the flight make sure there is plenty of water in the pound, check the gates and paddles are fully closed on the lock below and observe the water level when you arrive and perhaps every hour or two before you go to bed.

[Sue Taylor]

Thanks all ! I am getting really excited now about the trip. Have spoke to Anglo Welsh and they're going to try and get us an earlier start !  will keep you all posted 😉

 

 

How do I get a photo onto my profile 🤔

Edited February 26 by Sue Taylor
Duplicated

[IanD]

13 minutes ago, Sue Taylor said:

 

Thanks all ! I am getting really excited now about the trip. Have spoke to Anglo Welsh and they're going to try and get us an earlier start !  will keep you all posted 😉

 

How do I get a photo onto my profile 🤔

 

 

You could also ask them to have the boat pointing in the right direction so you don't have to turn it round.

 

Go to your profile, avatar photo is top left, profile photo is top right.

Edited February 26 by IanD

[Sue Taylor]

That's a good idea about the right direction yes we'll do that ! 

 

I'll try the profile thing

 

I don't have either of those settings 😞

[Sue Taylor]

Update we've now been moved to wootton Wawen to start our trip... So we'll definitely be attempting the Avon ring although there is now a boat stuck in a lock near Worcester and the severn could be flooded 🤦🏼‍♀️

 

[john6767]

3 hours ago, Sue Taylor said:

Update we've now been moved to wootton Wawen to start our trip... So we'll definitely be attempting the Avon ring although there is now a boat stuck in a lock near Worcester and the severn could be flooded 🤦🏼‍♀️

 

If you are still doing this on your original timeframe, then both of those will be a non issue by that time.

[agg221]

6 hours ago, Sue Taylor said:

Update we've now been moved to wootton Wawen to start our trip... So we'll definitely be attempting the Avon ring although there is now a boat stuck in a lock near Worcester and the severn could be flooded 🤦🏼‍♀️

 

OK, so assuming the river levels are OK you would be replicating our route of 1992. From memory, our moorings were:

Saturday - Stratford on Avon, on the river so no locks at the start of the next day.

Sunday - Fladbury, below the lock.

Monday - Upton on Severn.

Tuesday - Stoke Prior (having stopped for a bit in Worcester).

Wednesday - King's Norton junction (not the best place but it was tipping down with rain all the way up Tardebigge and by then we had had enough).

Thursday - Shirley Bridge No.8 (after a detour to Cadbury World and up to Gas Street Basin to wind).

Friday - Wootton Wawen having been struggling to find anywhere decent to moor for the past hour - dredging in the past 32 years may have significantly improved things, but at least the pub was nice!

 

Alec

[doratheexplorer]

13 hours ago, agg221 said:

OK, so assuming the river levels are OK you would be replicating our route of 1992. From memory, our moorings were:

Saturday - Stratford on Avon, on the river so no locks at the start of the next day.

Sunday - Fladbury, below the lock.

Monday - Upton on Severn.

Tuesday - Stoke Prior (having stopped for a bit in Worcester).

Wednesday - King's Norton junction (not the best place but it was tipping down with rain all the way up Tardebigge and by then we had had enough).

Thursday - Shirley Bridge No.8 (after a detour to Cadbury World and up to Gas Street Basin to wind).

Friday - Wootton Wawen having been struggling to find anywhere decent to moor for the past hour - dredging in the past 32 years may have significantly improved things, but at least the pub was nice!

 

Alec

If you overnight at Stratford on the river, you'll hit locks straight away the next morning whichever way you go.