Warwickshire Ring in 1 week from Alvechurch?

[Montgomery]

Good evening, we (an experienced active crew of 4 in our 20's and 30's) are heading out from Alvechurch in August for 1 week... We would like to do a ring (rather than an out and back) the obvious ones are The Stourport Ring or the Black Country Ring.... But I was wondering if the Warwickshire ring is doable from Alvechurch in 1 week? Or is it just a bit too far to be enjoyable? 

Thoughts? 

Thanks 

[OldGoat]

I was about so say 'easy', but then I had a look at Canalplan and it says:-

This is a trip of 194 miles, 5½ furlongs and 253 locks from Alvechurch Marina to Alvechurch Marina.

So I think not. There's no point in blasting through; yes, you will/ can save time in working smartly through the flights with an energetic crew, but there as so many places to see - and give yourselves and have a break, Brum, BCLM are worth a visit. The plan says 12 days - you can't cut that in half....

Anyway there won't be any water in August PLUS loads of other idiots boaters doing the same. A pity 'cos it's a good ring! 

 

 

Edited March 28, 2018 by OldGoat

[john6767]

Have a play with canalplan, but the Warwickshire ring, the longer version with the alvechurch side trip, will be a push I think.  You are about a day short working it in my head.

Edited March 28, 2018 by john6767

[Montgomery]

21 minutes ago, OldGoat said:

I was about so say 'easy', but then I had a look at Canalplan and it says:-

This is a trip of 194 miles, 5½ furlongs and 253 locks from Alvechurch Marina to Alvechurch Marina.

So I think not. There's no point in blasting through; yes, you will/ can save time in working smartly through the flights with an energetic crew, but there as so many places to see - and give yourselves and have a break, Brum, BCLM are worth a visit. The plan says 12 days - you can't cut that in half....

Anyway there won't be any water in August PLUS loads of other idiots boaters doing the same. A pity 'cos it's a good ring! 

 

 

I didn't think it was that far with so many locks? I thought around 115 miles and 120odd locks? 

21 minutes ago, john6767 said:

Have a play with canalplan, but the Warwickshire ring, the longer version with the alvechurch side trip, will be a push I think.  You are about a day short working it in my head.

I punched 10hr days in on canal plan and it reckons 6.5 days.... But I don't know whether that's realistic with holiday traffic? 

[Rob-M]

1 hour ago, OldGoat said:

I was about so say 'easy', but then I had a look at Canalplan and it says:-

This is a trip of 194 miles, 5½ furlongs and 253 locks from Alvechurch Marina to Alvechurch Marina.

So I think not. There's no point in blasting through; yes, you will/ can save time in working smartly through the flights with an energetic crew, but there as so many places to see - and give yourselves and have a break, Brum, BCLM are worth a visit. The plan says 12 days - you can't cut that in half....

Anyway there won't be any water in August PLUS loads of other idiots boaters doing the same. A pity 'cos it's a good ring! 

 

 

I think you got something wrong with your plan, I get 116 miles and 121 locks. Canal Plan on defaults is 9 days so I think possible if not wanting to stop much.

[Captain Pegg]

1 hour ago, Montgomery said:

Good evening, we (an experienced active crew of 4 in our 20's and 30's) are heading out from Alvechurch in August for 1 week... We would like to do a ring (rather than an out and back) the obvious ones are The Stourport Ring or the Black Country Ring.... But I was wondering if the Warwickshire ring is doable from Alvechurch in 1 week? Or is it just a bit too far to be enjoyable? 

Thoughts? 

Thanks 

Yes.

Just plan it out and crack on. Be prepared to cruise early in the morning and late into the evening if you need to but the chances are you won't have to. It's a fabulous route and from Alvechurch you will be going the route through Birmingham city centre. In August if you turn up early at Alvechurch you could be in Brum on the first evening. Also going clockwise you have a long lock free run home so can just put the hours in to get back if you have to; but probably won't.

JP

ETA - I've given Montgomery his first greeno simply for posting a question about boating. Thank god it's got back to that after the winter nonsense. Just seen the first two hire boats of the season in Droitwich this week. It's all good.

Edited March 28, 2018 by Captain Pegg

[BEngo]

Yes.  It is not very hard.  We (four fairly fit 20 ish) did it as a second or third trip. You won't be lying-in or doing much sightseeing though.

It was late summer so we had reasonable light.  The big advantage is there are some good long levels which are handy for catching up if hindered. Day one for example is an easy run to Hockley Heath or the top of Lapworth. 

I think we went

Gas St

Curdworth

Nuneaton.

Coventry

Braunston

Long Itchington

Shirley.

We had a breakdown at Hartshill for a couple of hours too!

N

[Sea Dog]

You can't beat a good rush and a tight deadline when you're getting away from it all, eh!

It's definitely doable in a week, and I've done it, but to be realistic that was out of season. In August you're bound to be affected by traffic to an unknown degree, so there's an element beyond your control. How relaxing will the end to your holiday be if, despite your own very smooth and efficient cruising, you find you're a day and a half out from Alvechurch with a day to do it in?  There's plenty to see and some interesting cruising to be done from Alvechurch without busting a gut.

Mind you, we tend to bimble wherever we go now which is a luxury you have when you don't need to go to work and have your own boat, so perhaps I'm now overly cautious timing wise.  I do, however, remember the attraction of covering as much distance as possible when my allotted boating periods were short, few and far between.  Best of luck if you do decide to give it a go - have a fabulous holiday whatever route you choose.

[john6767]

23 minutes ago, BEngo said:

Yes.  It is not very hard.  We (four fairly fit 20 ish) did it as a second or third trip. You won't be lying-in or doing much sightseeing though.

It was late summer so we had reasonable light.  The big advantage is there are some good long levels which are handy for catching up if hindered. Day one for example is an easy run to Hockley Heath or the top of Lapworth. 

I think we went

Gas St

Curdworth

Nuneaton.

Coventry

Braunston

Long Itchington

Shirley.

We had a breakdown at Hartshill for a couple of hours too!

N

You need to push on a bit more, you will not do Shirley to Alvechurch on the last morning.  Also Long Itchington to Shirley is lot for a day, that is almost 50 locks, whilst Braunston to Long Itchington is not that big a day.

how about

 Birmingham

Dog and Doublet

Atherstone

Rugby

Long Itchington

Top Hatton

Kings Norton

you have a couple of 30 lock days there.

 

Edited March 28, 2018 by john6767

[Montgomery]

Thanks all for the comments. So it looks like it's doable, but a bit of a rush job? The other options are the Stourport ring or the Black Country Ring.... The Stourport worries me if the Severn is in flood, and Im not sure about the black country ring.... From reading some posts it sounds like it runs through some undesirable places? 

[kawaton]

Easily doable. Have done it.

Have also done Warwickshire ring from Shobnall and Mercia marina, which are both a fair bit further.

Its a case of whether you want to do an average of 10 hour days, or less, and stop more.

Its all down to personal preference.

Personally for me the first few days i love going from 0630 to 1930/2000....I just want to keep moving and love the early mornings/evening cruising.  im relaxed and its what i enjoy.

However as the holiday goes on i do less and less down to 6-7 hours.  This works for me.

Your cruise would be a nice jaunt. (and an hour or so less per day than my weekly averages)

 

Edited March 28, 2018 by kawaton

[BEngo]

The Severn flooding is not a problem because you won' t get on at Stourport or Worcester if it is in flood and if it is not then the river trip does not take long enough to get caught by a flood.  

The back of the map  on the BCN is not a major bandit problem either.  Moorings at Windmill End, Merry Hell, Stourbridge  are all fine. 

Also BCLM, Tipton, Gas St/NIA/Holliday St.

N

[Captain Pegg]

14 minutes ago, Montgomery said:

Thanks all for the comments. So it looks like it's doable, but a bit of a rush job? The other options are the Stourport ring or the Black Country Ring.... The Stourport worries me if the Severn is in flood, and Im not sure about the black country ring.... From reading some posts it sounds like it runs through some undesirable places? 

Stourport Ring and Black Country Ring go through broadly the same areas of Birmingham and the Black Country; it depends on the specific routes chosen how much they have in common. I wouldn't say undesirable but they aren't salubrious; that's the attraction for some folk on here and I include myself in that. The Delph and Stourbridge lock flights are superb; but hard work.

The Severn in August will probably be fine and if you talk to the yard before you set off they will have an eye on the conditions. The Stourport Ring is a straightforward week but it does include some lock heavy days and I doubt it's that much different from the Warwickshire Ring in terms of number of locks. The river element is half a day. If you do the Stourport Ring you could consider going from Birmingham to Tipton via the Old Main Line and moor at the Black Country Museum. Then go round to Factory locks and back to Dudley Port junction and Netherton Tunnel. You won't struggle to complete the basic ring and the literature on ABC boats will suggest the Stourbridge route rather than Wolverhampton. It will also give you some conservative advice about where (not) to moor in Birmingham.

In response to Sea Dog you could do 100 locks in a weekend hire from Alvechurch if you head south for 12 miles and return. Locks are part of the fun and cruising is relaxing,

JP

Edited March 28, 2018 by Captain Pegg

[Sea Dog]

4 minutes ago, BEngo said:

The Severn flooding is not a problem because you won' t get on at Stourport or Worcester if it is in flood and if it is not then the river trip does not take long enough to get caught by a flood.  

Absolutely.  You're heading from Alvechurch, so if you head south you'll know exactly what state you're gonna find the Severn in, and a five day weather forecast is pretty accurate if you went anti clockwise.  The river is a half day transit.

[Montgomery]

3 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

Absolutely.  You're heading from Alvechurch, so if you head south you'll know exactly what state you're gonna find the Severn in, and a five day weather forecast is pretty accurate if you went anti clockwise.  The river is a half day transit.

Around 25yrs ago when holidaying with my parents we decided to do the Stourport ring from Dunhampstead anti clockwise (so Tardebigge first) we got as far as Stourport to be turned back as the Severn was in spate.... It was a mad rush to get back and had to do Tardebigge twice... As a 10yr old kid I loved it though! 

[nikvah]

IMHO the Stourport ring (anti-clockwise) is the most perfect 1 week ring. That was our 1st boating holiday with a crew of 5 (me, my wife and 3 children aged 7-10). With your older and more experienced crew you can stretch it to decsend the Wolverhampton 21 instead of the Stourbridge route or visit the Black Country Museum (a whole day at least) or pop into Stourbridge to moor or restock.

If the Severn is a bit dodgy (we knew no better and surfed down on amber) you can still retrace to Alvechurch in 3 long days. If you're running behind schedule cut thro' Droitwich instead of Worcester.

The Stourport ring is, IMHO the finest 1 week ring - delightful countryside, long tunnels, an aqueduct, urban renewal and canal restoration, thriving city centre, industrial heritage, well maintained lock-flights, country pubs, a river cruise, a cathedral city or wide-beam barge locks and b&w spa town with lift bridges, exquisite views and rural moorings and the challenging 50 odd locks to Tardebigge and the spot where Tom Rolt and Robert Aikman conceived the IWA.

[NickF]

Absolutely doable if, like me, you enjoy boating, early starts and not too much sight seeing. I tend to do a "canalplan" route just so I can keep track of whether i am ahead of schedule or not. If you are not half way round by the time you are half way through your holiday then turn round! With a crew of four you will have no problems ... just take a couple of windlasses and handcuff keys of your own so everyone has one of each. (even after you have dropped one in!)

I do find in season early morning and in the evening are the quietest times

Have a great trip!

[Montgomery]

Thanks all for the replies and suggestions.