Leighton Buzzard moorings

[Derek Porteous]

Approaching Leighton Buzzard from the north, there is a long stretch of permanent moorings (perhaps 30 or 40 boats) before the "Shopping moorings" with spaces for six boats outside Tescos with a time limit of 2 hrs. Next are visitors moorings; space for 2 boats for 14 days. Makes overnight stops in Leighton Buzzard a tad hit or miss. I am struggling with the logic of this mooring split.

[HaulierP]

Approaching Leighton Buzzard from the north, there is a long stretch of permanent moorings (perhaps 30 or 40 boats) before the "Shopping moorings" with spaces for six boats outside Tescos with a time limit of 2 hrs. Next are visitors moorings; space for 2 boats for 14 days. Makes overnight stops in Leighton Buzzard a tad hit or miss. I am struggling with the logic of this mooring split.

To be honest,historically these moorings were always prone to drunkards and associated idiots,much better to moor at the Globe and walk

south into Town.

[tree monkey]

Approaching Leighton Buzzard from the north, there is a long stretch of permanent moorings (perhaps 30 or 40 boats) before the "Shopping moorings" with spaces for six boats outside Tescos with a time limit of 2 hrs. Next are visitors moorings; space for 2 boats for 14 days. Makes overnight stops in Leighton Buzzard a tad hit or miss. I am struggling with the logic of this mooring split.

Theres about 10 boats on the long term moorings, a short space for shopping 2hr limited and loads of what I think are 14 day moorings.

Are you talking about a different leighton Buzzard?

[Derek Porteous]

There may be 10 boats on the permanent moorings, but the reserves moorings run from Tescos up to opposite the hire boat company. I am pretty sure (although may subsequently be corrected) the 2 hour mooring has space for six boats and the visitor moorings only space for two. There may be 24/48 hour moorings in the vicinity, but I did not notice any.

I suspect there is only one Leighton Buzzard (is that a football song?)

[tommytelford]

Haven't been since last year but I thought that there were quite a few visitor apart from the Tesco Mooring. If coming from the north we normally go a bit further and moor just before Grove lock and go for a beer in th pub after being advised by a local that the Tesco Car Park is used by kids in cars in the evening and gets a bit noisy

[tree monkey]

There may be 10 boats on the permanent moorings, but the reserves moorings run from Tescos up to opposite the hire boat company. I am pretty sure (although may subsequently be corrected) the 2 hour mooring has space for six boats and the visitor moorings only space for two. There may be 24/48 hour moorings in the vicinity, but I did not notice any.

I suspect there is only one Leighton Buzzard (is that a football song?)

Plenty of moorings below the lock and loads just through the bridge on the tesco pound, which were almost empty last weekend

Sorry I honestly dont see the problem

[Bettie Boo]

Going N to S you've got Wyven first on your right, just before that on the two path side is some good moorings, then past Wyven you come to the Long Term moorings, then the 2 hour moorings outside the Tesco/Aldi then the 2/3 VM then the bridge, water point & waste facilities.

 

Go round the corner past the waste facilities and there are LOADS of lovely moorings along the towpath. TV & Wifi signal not great around the industrial buildings, but if you moor up across from the houses it's not bad at all if you need either TV or Wifi.

[Derek Porteous]

Thanks for all the replies I obviously had not gone far enough south as I grabbed the last (second) visitor's mooring just north of the bridge.

[alan_fincher]

To be honest,historically these moorings were always prone to drunkards and associated idiots,much better to moor at the Globe and walk

south into Town.

 

For balance, we regularly moor in the town centre, and I can't recall ever having had a problem.

 

I'm surprised if there are only 2 or 3 moorings between the "shop and stop" and the bridge that allow 14 day mooring. It has always seemed more than that to me, but I've never counted, I admit.

[Pete & Helen]

 

For balance, we regularly moor in the town centre, and I can't recall ever having had a problem.

 

I'm surprised if there are only 2 or 3 moorings between the "shop and stop" and the bridge that allow 14 day mooring. It has always seemed more than that to me, but I've never counted, I admit.

 

Alan, the VM's before the bridge used to be the service moorings for water, but that is under the bridge now. So thats why there is only a short length

[David Mack]

I'm surprised if there are only 2 or 3 moorings between the "shop and stop" and the bridge that allow 14 day mooring. It has always seemed more than that to me, but I've never counted, I admit.

I can confirm the 14 day mooring is that long, as we moored there a month ago. When we arrived there was a cruiser moored right in the middle of the moorings, and a 50 footer taking up much of the space north of that. We could only just squeeze Fulbourne in on right on the south end.

[Bettie Boo]

 

For balance, we regularly moor in the town centre, and I can't recall ever having had a problem.

 

I'm surprised if there are only 2 or 3 moorings between the "shop and stop" and the bridge that allow 14 day mooring. It has always seemed more than that to me, but I've never counted, I admit.

 

Hi Alan,

 

I stated 2/3 as depending on size/length. We were moored there last year and it was 2 x 57 ft boats with Jenlyn (who's boat I "think" is also 57ft). as the 3rd boat. The one that was closest to the Tesco moorings were actually a few feet onto the 2 hour moorings rather than the VM. So if your talking full length boats I doubt you'd get more than 2 between the bridge and the 2 hour moorings

 

I can confirm that the car park at wkends is a bit lively with the boy racers and their interesting collection of heavily based music. But it normally stopped around midnight, so no real bother for us.

 

 

 

ETA - We were down there a couple of weeks back and moored just in front of Fulbourne and there wouldn't have been enough space behind us to get another boat in before the 2 hour VM's well maybe a smallish cruiser

 

 

ETA - the bit about the cruiser

Edited June 29, 2016 by Bettie Boo

[Mike Todd]

Going N to S you've got Wyven first on your right, just before that on the two path side is some good moorings, then past Wyven you come to the Long Term moorings, then the 2 hour moorings outside the Tesco/Aldi then the 2/3 VM then the bridge, water point & waste facilities.

 

Go round the corner past the waste facilities and there are LOADS of lovely moorings along the towpath. TV & Wifi signal not great around the industrial buildings, but if you moor up across from the houses it's not bad at all if you need either TV or Wifi.

The only problem with those moorings south of the main road bridge is that the ground is notoriously soft and boats are liable to have their mooring pins pulled out by passing (slow) boats. They are good moorings (reasonably convenient for supermarket, town centre, train station) but it is well to take special precautions with the pins. Why do I know? Guess!

[alan_fincher]

OK, fully understood all - we must just be lucky when we get in there.

 

As has been said, there is more or less limitless visitor moorings if you go South of the main road bridge connecting Leighton Buzzard to Linslade.

 

As an aside, I can't remember if the canal is actually in Leighton Buzzard or Linslade at the point of those VMs, but I've a feeling it is probably the latter.

[David Mack]

As an aside, I can't remember if the canal is actually in Leighton Buzzard or Linslade at the point of those VMs, but I've a feeling it is probably the latter.

Where is the boundary? And why is the station in Linslade called Leighton Buzzard?

[Derek Porteous]

At the risk of being wrong (again) as I understand the postings there are designated moorings with mooring rings and/or bollards north of the bridge and pretty moorings with soft towpath which needs secure pins south of the bridge. Back to my original point; what is the logic of having six 2 hr moorings and only two 14 day moorings (both with bollards) north of the bridge? I could understand it if it was the other way round. As an aside all the two hour moorings are currently empty.

[matty40s]

Where is the boundary? And why is the station in Linslade called Leighton Buzzard?

The boundary is the river the other side of the Tesco

. Linslade isn't recognised as a separate town by the Post Office either.

[alan_fincher]

Linslade isn't recognised as a separate town by the Post Office either.

 

But isn't the official name of both the parish and the urban district actually now "Leighton-Linslade"

 

Leighton-Linslade Town Council web-site.

 

Could you not equally say that Leighton Buzzard is not recognised as a separate town?

[Bettie Boo]

At the risk of being wrong (again) as I understand the postings there are designated moorings with mooring rings and/or bollards north of the bridge and pretty moorings with soft towpath which needs secure pins south of the bridge. Back to my original point; what is the logic of having six 2 hr moorings and only two 14 day moorings (both with bollards) north of the bridge? I could understand it if it was the other way round. As an aside all the two hour moorings are currently empty.

 

Those 2 hour moorings outside the Tesco are fairly busy during the course of the day (or were the last couple of times we were down that way. Boats coming and going all day. We've only ever been able to get onto the 2 hour moorings once when going past, hence why I guess there are so many, the demand for them is there. And since there are so many other places to moor if you want to stay for longer it makes sense (IMO) to have as many 2hr ones as they do. They did tend to go pretty quiet after about 5-6 o'clock daily.

 

Are you annoyed that you can't moor for a longer period outside the Tesco? Sorry if that sounds rude, it's not meant to, but I don't understand what's frustrating you?

 

 

ETA - not trying to imply you are annoyed, it was just the "word" I used to sum up your post as it "sounded" like you are indeed somewhat annoyed with the division of moorings

Edited June 29, 2016 by Bettie Boo

[Keeping Up]

AIUI Linslade owes its prosperity to the coming of the canal. The residents of Leighton Buzzard always considered themselves superior to those of the "canal town" and later they objected strongly to the proposal for the railway to place a station in their superior town. So the railway went to Linslade as well.

[Derek Porteous]

No, not annoyed at all. Just curious why, out of an awful lot of moorings north of the bridge (all the way to the hire boat base) only two are allocated for anyone wanting to stay overnight. Please bear in mind my OP was before I was told of moorings (albeit using pins) south of the bridge. A bit like a post I made last year about the total lack of overnight moorings in that fine heritage centre of Saltaire, yet plenty of deserted 8 hour day moorings.

PS you have explained why there are so many 2hour miorings. Thanks for that.

Edited June 29, 2016 by Derek Porteous

[Mike Todd]

 

Those 2 hour moorings outside the Tesco are fairly busy during the course of the day (or were the last couple of times we were down that way. Boats coming and going all day. We've only ever been able to get onto the 2 hour moorings once when going past, hence why I guess there are so many, the demand for them is there. And since there are so many other places to moor if you want to stay for longer it makes sense (IMO) to have as many 2hr ones as they do. They did tend to go pretty quiet after about 5-6 o'clock daily.

 

Are you annoyed that you can't moor for a longer period outside the Tesco? Sorry if that sounds rude, it's not meant to, but I don't understand what's frustrating you?

 

 

ETA - not trying to imply you are annoyed, it was just the "word" I used to sum up your post as it "sounded" like you are indeed somewhat annoyed with the division of moorings

Most times we have been there the shopping moorings have been pretty busy.