Ideal intro week/weekend routes....

[robtheplod]

Hi All

 

We're in the process of looking at canal life and wanted to get a feel for it. Are there any recommended routes which are a long weekend or week whereby you'd come across most aspects of canal life? I was hoping for a good mixture of locks/tunnels/junctions urban and country views/nice pubs etc..... any recommendations greatly appreciated!

 

I was initially looking at the Warwick Ring for the week, but a little alarmed by Birmingham suburbs and reports of 'trouble'...

 

rob

[john6767]

Warwickshire ring will give you a bit of everything, particularly if you go via the centre of Birmingham. No need to be concerned, just plan where you will be stoping going in and out of Birmingham as you would with any city.

[PaulG]

Hi All

 

We're in the process of looking at canal life and wanted to get a feel for it. Are there any recommended routes which are a long weekend or week whereby you'd come across most aspects of canal life? I was hoping for a good mixture of locks/tunnels/junctions urban and country views/nice pubs etc..... any recommendations greatly appreciated!

 

I was initially looking at the Warwick Ring for the week, but a little alarmed by Birmingham suburbs and reports of 'trouble'...

 

rob

We've been visiting Birmingham on a fairly regular basis for the best part of ten years.

We've not had any "trouble" worth speaking of.

 

Like any big city, there are areas where you would think twice about parking your car, and this applies to the canals as well.

Birmingham is a brilliant area for cruising, and we always look forward to going back.

[robtheplod]

thanks for the replies, very helpful....... are there any recommended long weekend routes?

[PaulG]

thanks for the replies, very helpful....... are there any recommended long weekend routes?

If you hire from Alvechurch you can cover a lot of distance as you have the whole of the BCN to go at with only a few locks (or none at all, if you wish).

 

If you want a bit more of an "experience" you could consider the Droitwich Ring, which is do-able in a long weekend, and will give you a mixture of canal, river, both wide and narrow locks, one very low tunnel under the M5 and one short but more conventional tunnel at Dunhampstead.

[robtheplod]

thanks for the helpful replies, lots to look at here. keen on the Warwick ring, but also on the suggestions by PaulG... ta!

[Joe the plumber]

If you fancy something different, you could have a long weekend from Union Wharf in Market Harborough, Leicestershire. That gets you a (very) slightly urban bit at the start, followed by five miles or so to get used to the boat before you ascend Foxton Locks and then have the beautiful, scenic lock-free 20+ mile Grand Union Summit at your disposal. You'll go through Husbands Bosworth tunnel, after which you can nip down the Welford Arm for a pint at The Wharf Inn, or carry on to Crick, turn around and head slowly back.

Edited August 16, 2016 by Joe the plumber

[Ssscrudddy]

I would like a bit longer than a week to do the Warwickshire ring. I did it in 2 weeks but I also have to add 3 days each way to get to it & back. I felt this was a bit rushed. It is lovely though & needs doing.

Joe the Plumber makes an excellent suggestion, & i think I can find that reverse trip in several videos & time lapse mostly.

 

Watford bottom lock to outside Crick marina, includes the staircase fight & Crick tunnel

 

Crick Marina to almost the Welford Arm junction

 

(This might take a while as I'm doing it from my phone)

[Ssscrudddy]

Past the Welford arm junction to bridge 57 towards Foxton locks (I do the arm on the way back), includes a stop for some boaters gold!

 

Bridge 57 to Foxton top lock & wait for my turn.

[Ssscrudddy]

Foxton locks, top to bottom. Worth mooring here overnight & going to the little pub, your head will hurt in the morning, lol

 

Foxton bottom lock to Market Harborough. Includes heading in the opposite direction 1st to Debdale Wharf & using the pumpout... hey you did say you wanted it all

[___]

The Warwickshire ring is certainly a good mix of typical canal environments. It's just short on good tunnels. It's a full week and does include some hard work but first time hirers do it routinely. Don't worry about Birmingham.

 

If you were considering a shorter break then possibly hire in the Napton/Stockton/Rugby area and head for Crick/Welford and return. You will get narrow and wide locks, a couple of proper tunnels and the staircase at Watford all mixed in with some notable canal locations. I did a very enjoyable Monday to Friday from Stockton (Kate Boats) to Foxton Junction and return a couple of years ago. Welford would be a more realistic destination for most folk.

 

As for the Droitwich ring; it's interesting but I would say pretty much the opposite of typical.

 

JP

Edited August 16, 2016 by Captain Pegg

[___]

Foxton bottom lock to Market Harborough. Includes heading in the opposite direction 1st to Debdale Wharf & using the pumpout... hey you did say you wanted it all

There's a good point. Despite being a regular hirer and having done a small amount of volunteering on the BCNS working boats until I actually owned a boat I never experienced the side of the canal you see when you have to buy diesel, solid fuel, tools and equipment for maintaining the boat, find moorings within the canal community, attend events as a boat owner, dispose of your own solids etc...

 

As a hirer you will never truly experience the full canal environment. You simply won't go to the places you rely on as a boat owner. These places and the folk you meet at them add another level of enjoyment.

 

JP

Edited August 16, 2016 by Captain Pegg

[JohnEW2912]

If you fancy something different, you could have a long weekend from Union Wharf in Market Harborough, Leicestershire. That gets you a (very) slightly urban bit at the start

Joe - your suggestion is an excellent one, but there is no way that the Market Harborough arm can be described as urban. You've clearly never been to Manchester or Birmingham.

[Joe the plumber]

Union Wharf has buildings to three sides of it, some of which were originally industrial. How much more urban do you want (he wrote, tongue decidedly in cheek...)? Anyhow, the OP only wanted urban views, and you can see the odd factory and a main road within the first mile!