1st boating holiday - some planning questions

[Garyevs]

Hi

We will be taking our first boating holiday in a few weeks on the Llangollen canal.   We start from Wrenbury and hope to get to Llangollen and back in a week, from some of the guides I've seen it seems reasonable.

We pick up the boat at 2.30pm, so I assume that we should be on the way by 4pm at the latest.   I've started to look at our route for overnight stops etc, and it should be about 3 hours to the Horse & Jockey near Grindley Brook.

So a couple of questions:

1.  Is Wrenbury > Llangollen and back in a week reasonable, or would it be a case of not having time to stop anywhere ?

2.  Is the Horse & Jockey on the Wrenbury side of the locks (and do they have moorings), we don't really want to work our way through those in the evening, as there will only myself and my wife (plus the dog, but she won't help much).  If not, are there moorings before the locks and not too far away that we can tie up to while we go for food and a drink ?

 

Any help is much appreciated, along with any other advice from you guys. 

No doubt, I'll be nagging you some more with more questions as the route plan comes together.

 

Thanks 

Edited March 15, 2018 by Garyevs

[Athy]

Welcome, Gary. I do not know that canal, but there are plenty on here who do, so I'm sure you'll get information and advice from them.

[Jerra]

I wouldn't like to comment on mooring spots but Wrenbury (in the late 60s was just boats) to Llangollen was my first cruise and was done in a week easily.  Canal Planner (www.canalplanner.org.uk) makes it a little over 37 hours cruising.

[David Mack]

http://www.canalplan.eu reckons Wrenbury to Langollen and back will take about 37 hours. So 3 hours on your first day and an average of 6 hours per day thereafter. You should be fine.

On the first night you can moor at the bottom of Grindley Brook locks, not far from the Horse and Jockey.

Edited March 16, 2018 by David Mack

[Timx]

Get yourself a guide book -Pearsons, gives you all the pubs and timings and mooring spots in an easy read fashion.

[Boater Sam]

Starting at Wrenbury is a good move, the lower end of the canal is the hard part.

An easy week but bear in mind, committing to 6 hours a day means that you may have to cruise in the rain. Be prepared to cut the trip short- early- and go the the end by road, its easy.

Battering on through a blizzard just to get the boat back on time is a sure way of putting partners off boating for ever, seen it happen.

[Scholar Gypsy]

Worth doing the steam railway at Llangollen - if you like that sort of thing. This is not recommended when crossing the aqueduct

https://www.facebook.com/groups/NarrowboatOwnersGroup/permalink/2057071127904498/

 

[rgreg]

5 hours ago, Timx said:

Get yourself a guide book -Pearsons, gives you all the pubs and timings and mooring spots in an easy read fashion.

This is good advice; either Pearson or Nicholson guides will help you get the most out of your trip. Regarding timings, your plan should work well. If you want to set off a bit earlier, sometimes the hire company will let you have the boat sooner than the stated pick-up time if it's prepared; it's worth asking them. 

[Movin' on]

It is a busy canal and the "timings" various bodies might suggest might well be out so allow plenty of time and don't try to do to much - and I know it sounds obvious but do remember you have to turn around and go back - as others have said there's nothing worse than pushing on in the rain to catch up for your handover - better to spend more time in the pub after all its all about the journey NOT the destination 

Enjoy......................

[john6767]

Before we had our own boat we hired from Anglo Welsh at Banbury on the SU, and had no problem going to Llangollen and back in a hire week.  That was in July I think, so earlier in the year there should be less traffic, I remember we took hours to get up Grindley Brook.  You can moor before you get to the locks.

If you haven’t, as others have said, get a guide book, you can get them on Amazon.  That will help with planning.  In my opinion it is well worth putting in the effort to get to the end.

[Garyevs]

Thanks for all the replies so far.

I already have the Nicholson guide book, though it doesn't say much about the moorings at Grindley Brook.  it was a toss up between that and Pearson's, is the Pearson one better  ?

 

 

[john6767]

Just now, Garyevs said:

Thanks for all the replies so far.

I already have the Nicholson guide book, though it doesn't say much about the moorings at Grindley Brook.  it was a toss up between that and Pearson's, is the Pearson one better  ?

 

 

There are different styles rather than one being better than the other.  The Nicholson’s is based on OS map which I prefer.  You can moor almost anywhere so do not expect all mooring locations on canals to be marked, and having just had a look Nicholson’s it does not mark mooring there, but Pearsons does.  In general Nicholson’s does not show mooring locations so don’t rely on that to show exactly we’re you could moor.

[Pie Eater]

Gary

Have a look on the Shropshire Union Canal Society website, click on The Canals, then Visitor Moorings, then Llangollen Canal and you will find a complete list of moorings.

The Horse and Jockey is a short walk ( through the petrol station) from Grindley Brook bottom lock.

You also have the option of stopping at Willeymoor Lock.

Steve

[john6767]

18 minutes ago, Pie Eater said:

Gary

Have a look on the Shropshire Union Canal Society website, click on The Canals, then Visitor Moorings, then Llangollen Canal and you will find a complete list of moorings.

The Horse and Jockey is a short walk ( through the petrol station) from Grindley Brook bottom lock.

You also have the option of stopping at Willeymoor Lock.

Steve

But for the OP's benefit, that is a list of their visitor moorings only.  It is not a list of the all the places that you can moor.  There are plenty more places that you can moor other than specifically designated visitor moorings.

[Mac of Cygnet]

A couple of years out of date, but hope it helps:

COTTON ARMS, Wrenbury 5+3+7=15 A pleasant relaxing pub, but food-oriented.

DUSTY MILLER, Wrenbury 3+3+7=13 Pleasant enough Robinson's dining pub.

SUN, Welshampton 5+5+8=18 Worth the walk - sofa, woodburner and books.

WHITE HART, Ellesmere 4+4+8=16 A pleasant cheap pub with local people and local beer. GBG

MARKET HOTEL, Ellesmere 1+4+6=11 1+4+6=11 A standard, unimaginative town pub.

BRIDGE INN (THE TRAP), Chirk Bank 3+5+10=18 Everything a local should be. The best this year.

MILL INN, Cefn Mawr 1+4+6=10 Rather neglected former GBG pub.

TELFORD INN, Trevor Basin 2+4+6=12 Better than expected in pleasant surroundings.

PONSONBY ARMS, Llangollen 5+4+8=17 Dedicated to beer, but variable quality. GBG

AQUEDUCT INN, Froncycyllte 2+5+7=14 The Big Yellow Pub. Great views. GBG

HAND HOTEL, Chirk 2+3+7=12 Big, old and worn. Lots of rooms and old-fashioned bar.

POACHER'S Gledrid Bridge 3+4+5=14 Large Marston's dining pub.

BLACK BEAR, Whitchurch 5+5+7=17 A beer Mecca, but a bit OTT Interesting decor. GBG

WHITE BEAR, Whitchurch 4+4+7=15 Rather luxurious.

OLD TOWN HALL VAULTS, Whitchurch 5+3+7=15 Nothing special.

HORSE & JOCKEY, Grindley Brook 5+3+7=15 Large eclectic collection of pictures. GBG

WILLEYMOOR LOCK, Willeymoor lock 5+4+7=15 Check the opening times! GBG

[David Mack]

18 hours ago, john6767 said:

There are plenty more places that you can moor other than specifically designated visitor moorings.

Actually you can moor to the towpath anywhere that isn't causing an obstruction and where there aren't No Mooring signs.

[NickF]

I am a fan of cruising till you want to stop, turning round at half time and not planning too much!

[tizzy]

If you want to go to the Horse and Jockey (and I recommend it and it is dog friendly) then you need to moor before the locks . If you are coming down there are visitor moorings before the water points then you have to walk along the towpath and out through the garage. If you are coming up you need to moor up before the redundant railway bridge and then follow the towpath under the bridge and then cross the road.

Hope this helps

Just to add don't go beyond the bridge or you will have to do the locks because there is nowhere to moor until the top of the 6 locks.

[arbutus]

I’m sure you will have a great time.

Here’s some random thoughts.

Try to load a week’s provisions onto the boat before you start off, especially heavy and bulky items as there will not be many places to stop and stock up. Carrying stuff back to the boat on foot can literally be a pain in the neck. Here’s a list for starters beer, wine, milk, bottled water (if you use it), potatoes, fruit, toilet rolls. 

Ellesmere is the easiest place to stock up mid-trip. You can go up the canal arm and try to find a mooring. The town, and Tesco supermarket are at the end of the canal arm. There is a good delicatessen in the town Vermeulen & son. 

Make sure you can make a couple of evening meals, just in case you decide to moor overnight in the countryside or you find that you are running late and can’t get to a pub in time.

You may like actually cruising along the canal and decide to go further than your original plan. If you decide to get back to the boatyard  a day to two early and explore the other end of the canal then as the boat is longer than the canal is wide, make sure you know where to turn the boat when you decide to head back to base. Turning points or winding holes are marked on the canal guides but are not always easy to spot.  I’ve met a few hire boats that have missed their turning point and have had to continue to the next point. This added a few hours to their journey and really threw their plans into disarray. 

Early morning and late evening can be the best times of day to cruise. 
Do start off early at least one morning when the mist is still on the canal.

It’s best to fill the water tank every day. Water points are marked on the canal guides. It can take an hour a day to queue and fill the tank, especially if you like your showers.

When you take over the boat, loading the boat takes time.

Space on the boat will be at a premium. For your luggage, either try to use soft bags that can fold and stow, or if you have a car, empty your bags and suitcases and leave the empty suitcases in the car.

If you moor in Llangollen there is a ruined castle on a hill that is a pleasant walk and gives good views,
Castell Dinas Bran http://www.castlewales.com/dinas.html  

In Llangollen, I’ve had some nice food at the Corn Mill. This is just over the bridge, overlooking the river. http://www.brunningandprice.co.uk/cornmill/   
 

[mrsmelly]

My twopenneth. Enjoy the cruise thats the holiday, the destinations are only part of the picture. If you need to stop at various places on a plan then go by car. It will invariably take longer than you anticipate anyway and when you say " In a few weeks " ? if this puts you in any period of school holidays then forget about any time scales!!. Basicaly you should chill and not think of actualy getting anywhere  forcing yourself to have to boat in high wnds or heavy rain wil make it your first and also your last boating holiday.

[cuthound]

Grindley Brook can be a bottle neck especially when the lock keeper is absent (ithe contains a staircase of three and needs someone to turn it around or it just becomes a one way street - as can the Pontycysllte Aqueduct at times).

Having once taken 5 hours to go up it because boats just kept coming down and not letting anyone up until Mrs Hound took control, my strategy is always to moor before it, then get up early and do the flight before anyone else. Then stop and have breakfast.

[AllanD]

With just the two of you on your first boating holiday it would be helpful if you can get into a routine for handling locks and any bridges.  If you have a canal near where you live, why not spend some time watching how others do it. It could save you time and stress during your own holiday. 

[mrsmelly]

59 minutes ago, cuthound said:

Grindley Brook can be a bottle neck especially when the lock keeper is absent (ithe contains a staircase of three and needs someone to turn it around or it just becomes a one way street - as can the Pontycysllte Aqueduct at times).

Having once taken 5 hours to go up it because boats just kept coming down and not letting anyone up until Mrs Hound took control, my strategy is always to moor before it, then get up early and do the flight before anyone else. Then stop and have breakfast.

This is where boating experience comes into play. Same as mooring up. We rarely boat after about 1pm if we need to use a vm that day as loads of peeps dont even start looking for a mooring till after 5pm and its tooooooooooooooo late by then quite often.

[rgreg]

3 hours ago, cuthound said:

Grindley Brook can be a bottle neck especially when the lock keeper is absent (ithe contains a staircase of three and needs someone to turn it around or it just becomes a one way street - as can the Pontycysllte Aqueduct at times).

Having once taken 5 hours to go up it because boats just kept coming down and not letting anyone up until Mrs Hound took control, my strategy is always to moor before it, then get up early and do the flight before anyone else. Then stop and have breakfast.

I remember once being tied up at the bottom of Grindley Brook waiting to ascend and walked up to help out. The lock-keeper went for his lunch and handed control over to me! If I remember rightly, three up and three down was the order of the day.

[john6767]

6 hours ago, mrsmelly said:

This is where boating experience comes into play. Same as mooring up. We rarely boat after about 1pm if we need to use a vm that day as loads of peeps dont even start looking for a mooring till after 5pm and its tooooooooooooooo late by then quite often.

I get your point, but if you have paid a shed load of money to hire a boat for a week you don’t really want to be doing that, you want to use the boat as much as possible, plent of time after the holiday to take it easy.