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cruising through london - berths


hackenbush

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I'm planning on starting a journey in Roydon and making my way to Uxbridge and possibly Tring on a 48ft narrowboat.

Am I likely to discover I'll find it tough to get a berth as I travel this route?

 

Also, any recommendations on best routes? I'll be in no hurry whatsoever

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Best route?

I think the best route would be up The Thames - Up The Oxford - Grand Union to Birmingham - BCN - Shroppie - Llangollen - Chester - Across to Trent & Misery - Anderton - River Weaver - etc etc - Ending with approaching Tring from the North.

 

However if you don't have a year then Route Planner suggests Down The Lea - onto the Hertford Cut - onto the Regents - Up to the Grand Onion at Bulls Bridge - On to Tring. It suggests 5 days.

 

Finding somewhere to tie up?

Should be fine.

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I'm planning on starting a journey in Roydon and making my way to Uxbridge and possibly Tring on a 48ft narrowboat.

Am I likely to discover I'll find it tough to get a berth as I travel this route?

 

Also, any recommendations on best routes? I'll be in no hurry whatsoever

 

I did Roydon to Bulls Bridge solo in a very easy 4 days last year. Stopped at Enfield on the Lea, Victoria Park above locks on Hertford Union, Alperton on Paddington Arm and Bulls Bridge (outside Tesco). Uxbridge is only a short hop from there.

 

Cheers

Edited by nine9feet
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I'm planning on starting a journey in Roydon and making my way to Uxbridge and possibly Tring on a 48ft narrowboat.

Am I likely to discover I'll find it tough to get a berth as I travel this route?

 

Also, any recommendations on best routes? I'll be in no hurry whatsoever

 

You have already posted this just recently.
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Best route?

I think the best route would be up The Thames - Up The Oxford - Grand Union to Birmingham - BCN - Shroppie - Llangollen - Chester - Across to Trent & Misery - Anderton - River Weaver - etc etc - Ending with approaching Tring from the North.

 

However if you don't have a year then Route Planner suggests Down The Lea - onto the Hertford Cut - onto the Regents - Up to the Grand Onion at Bulls Bridge - On to Tring. It suggests 5 days.

 

Finding somewhere to tie up?

Should be fine.

i saw the word "Thames" and a shiver went down my spine. Maybe when I know how to handle a boat. Your second route looks very good for though. I can still take that one slowly. I'd like to stop along the route often and for as long as I'm allowed (2 weeks)

You can book a mooring at London Canal Museum and at Rembrandt Gardens.

Thanks. And are there lots of towpath moorings along this route?

 

I did Roydon to Bulls Bridge solo in a very easy 4 days last year. Stopped at Enfield on the Lea, Victoria Park above locks on Hertford Union, Alperton on Paddington Arm and Bulls Bridge (outside Tesco). Uxbridge is only a short hop from there.

 

Cheers

This sounds like the trip I want to take

You have already posted this just recently.

And yes, kind of, but not a post specifically about the actual route with advice on which ways to go and moorings along the way.

Are lack of moorings likely to be an issue for instance? Could I find myself moving for several hours more than planned just so I can go to bed? You may have guessed I;ve never done this in any way before

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hackenbush, on 02 May 2016 - 9:51 PM, said:

i saw the word "Thames" and a shiver went down my spine. Maybe when I know how to handle a boat. Your second route looks very good for though. I can still take that one slowly. I'd like to stop along the route often and for as long as I'm allowed (2 weeks)

Thanks. And are there lots of towpath moorings along this route?

This sounds like the trip I want to take

And yes, kind of, but not a post specifically about the actual route with advice on which ways to go and moorings along the way.

Are lack of moorings likely to be an issue for instance? Could I find myself moving for several hours more than planned just so I can go to bed? You may have guessed I;ve never done this in any way before

 

What a sensible boater - there are so few newbies who are that.

 

So welcome aboard.

 

Try canalplanac on t'web detailed route wit pics of moored up boats.

If there's a space it's not safe to stop...

 

and the Thames was just a wind up - but do it sometime 'cos it's lovely

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i saw the word "Thames" and a shiver went down my spine.

Why? If you bring the boat from Cambridge to London by water you will already have plenty of river experience before you get anywhere near the Thames - Cam, Ely Ouse, brief tidal passage from Denver to Salters Lode and the Nene.

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.................. and the Thames was just a wind up - but do it sometime 'cos it's lovely

 

No it wasn't!

OP asked "any recommendations on best routes? I'll be in no hurry whatsoever"

 

It's certainly one of the routes I intend doing when I'm in the envious position of being in no hurry whatsoever.

 

How about "If there's a space it's not safe to stop..." Are you saying that's not a wind up? At the very least it's unhelpful.

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What a sensible boater - there are so few newbies who are that.

 

So welcome aboard.

 

Try canalplanac on t'web detailed route wit pics of moored up boats.

If there's a space it's not safe to stop...

 

and the Thames was just a wind up - but do it sometime 'cos it's lovely

Thank you for that OldGoat.

 

I can't see how to see pics of the route though

Why? If you bring the boat from Cambridge to London by water you will already have plenty of river experience before you get anywhere near the Thames - Cam, Ely Ouse, brief tidal passage from Denver to Salters Lode and the Nene.

Unfortunately, I'm so busy at work right now that I can't actually take the time off to ferry the boat to London, so I'm either going to haul it part-way or all the way by road or part-way or all the way by river/canal but have (possibly) Ian the Boatman at the helm (know him?). Of course, I will try and meet him (and Peterx?) along the way, but I certainly won't have proper river experience.

 

But still.. the Thames. (still gives me a shiver to think of me on that river right now)

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Try the Paddington Basin you may well find a mooring there. Also Kensal Green near cemetery should be space. There is lots of free towpath that you cannot moor against. Esp near the Zoo.

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Try the Paddington Basin you may well find a mooring there. Also Kensal Green near cemetery should be space. There is lots of free towpath that you cannot moor against. Esp near the Zoo.

OK, thanks. I'm guessing worse comes to worse I should be able to find a mooring if I gently cruise for a day surely?

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OK, thanks. I'm guessing worse comes to worse I should be able to find a mooring if I gently cruise for a day surely?

 

London is very busy, and whether you find a place to stop is partly down to luck -- it depends where everyone else has decided to stop. Sometimes you can be surprised by the number of spaces at Paddington Basin; there's often plenty of room at Kensall Green; and I once even saw a gap at Camden. If you want people on this forum to guarantee that you'll find a mooring each night, then you'll probably be disappointed. However, breasting up is common in London, though, which obviously increases the spaces, and you'd have to be very unlucky not to find anywhere to stop.

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London is very busy, and whether you find a place to stop is partly down to luck -- it depends where everyone else has decided to stop. Sometimes you can be surprised by the number of spaces at Paddington Basin; there's often plenty of room at Kensall Green; and I once even saw a gap at Camden. If you want people on this forum to guarantee that you'll find a mooring each night, then you'll probably be disappointed. However, breasting up is common in London, though, which obviously increases the spaces, and you'd have to be very unlucky not to find anywhere to stop.

That sounds positive to me. And I'm imagining as I work my way Uxbridge way it will become progressively easier?

What are the chances of visitor moorings (if that;s what they're called) in Little Venice? I've walked past the boats there so often it would be great to be able to be on the water for a change

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You can pre book (there are only two bookable ) a berth at Little Venice. Lots of demand tho. Also London Canal Museum.

 

One past Kensal you will be fine. We just cruised past Uxbridge and Bulls Bridge and nowhere was difficult to moor pretty much where you like. In fact there were a couple of miles almost completely devoid of boats at Stockley Park and Hayes. As per usual.

 

Just go for it and be prepared to muck in.

 

Oh and enjoy the contrast between the 40 million pound houses at Regents Park and the rear of the Harrow Road. :)

Edited by mark99
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You can pre book (there are only two bookable ) a berth at Little Venice. Lots of demand tho. Also London Canal Museum.

 

One past Kensal you will be fine. We just cruised past Uxbridge and Bulls Bridge and nowhere was difficult to moor pretty much where you like. In fact there were a couple of miles almost completely devoid of boats at Stockley Park and Hayes. As per usual.

 

Just go for it and be prepared to muck in.

 

Sounds very peaceful. Safe? And did you pass through Ealing on your way|?

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We went past Bulls Bridge junction and carried straight onto Brentford which meant we went through Hanwell Flight which is close to Ealing. This won't be the way you are going however. You don't get that near to Ealing Centre the way you are going.

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Best route?

I think the best route would be up The Thames - Up The Oxford - Grand Union to Birmingham - BCN - Shroppie - Llangollen - Chester - Across to Trent & Misery - Anderton - River Weaver - etc etc - Ending with approaching Tring from the North.

 

However if you don't have a year then Route Planner suggests Down The Lea - onto the Hertford Cut - onto the Regents - Up to the Grand Onion at Bulls Bridge - On to Tring. It suggests 5 days.

 

Finding somewhere to tie up?

Should be fine.

You left out the Canal De Midi

:)

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You left out the Canal De Midi

smile.png

 

That would mean turning left out of Bow Creek and not right. Although I imagine Kennet & Avon - Bristol Channel and then turn left would also work.

You doing the next BCN challenge Laurie? If so you could try it out for me.

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That would mean turning left out of Bow Creek and not right. Although I imagine Kennet & Avon - Bristol Channel and then turn left would also work.

You doing the next BCN challenge Laurie? If so you could try it out for me.

Yep it does work, I did it the opposite way last year on the BCN challenge, trouble was I didn't get any points for starting at Carcassonne on the Canal De Midi.

 

This year for the BCN challenge I'm starting in Amsterdam, hoping to improve my score.

 

:)

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!!

I thought the "challenge" for Laurie on the BCN Challenge is to move as little as possible!

 

:-)

Oh, I move a lot but don't seem to get any points.

:)

Now, now. No nasty comments about 'continious moorers' please.

 

biggrin.png

 

ETA According to my, ahem, crew we may be challenging Laurie for the wooden spoon this year!

Looking forward to meeting you at the finishing post (hope to get there this year).

:)

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