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Hired a boat, starting at Norbury, where to go?


Deltatango

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Hi all, I booked a boat for a fortnight starting end of June (23th). It is based at Norbury so I will start from there. As a complete boating Noob and single-handed captain, I now look for some nice picturesque route with not too many locks and not too many other difficulties. I know about the Middlewich breech so the ring is no option.

 

Was thinking about the Llangollen up to the end and back but I don't know whether it will be too crowded with boats and maybe generally a bit difficult for a boating newbie. Yes, there are plenty of locks to get there, like at Audley but after all, that's part of the game.

 

I could also go up to Chester or south to the Staffs & Worcs. Also I have no idea how far I can go at all during the timeframe. Also want to visit some of the towns and sightseeing places along the route.

 

Do you have any suggestions? I just ordered volumes 2 and 4 of the Nicholson Guidebooks, I hope they have some recommendations as well. Also have to consult the info the Canal and River Trust provides on the website.

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59 minutes ago, Deltatango said:

Hi all, I booked a boat for a fortnight starting end of June (23th). It is based at Norbury so I will start from there.

 

Can't help but say this incisive executive decision of yours made me smile. You have the makings of a GREAT boater!

 

  • Haha 1
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Llangollen is a nice canal, a bit over-rated, but the last bit is truly spectacular. It will be busy but mostly mid-week as that's when all the hire boats arrive so you could plan to arrive at the weekend.

 

Chester is good and the boat museum at Ellesmere Port is certainly worth a visit.

 

However as you have the boat for two weeks I might be tempted to go 'tother way and get up the T&M,maybe to to Stone, though in two weeks you could do that and go the Ellesmere Port. Would be nice to pop into Birmingham but that involves a LOT of locks so not ideal for single handing.

 

................Dave

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13 minutes ago, Boater Sam said:

Could I suggest you just go the way the boat is pointing, meander along for half your hire period taking in the sights and places you come to, turn round and go back? The less planning the more spontaneous fun in boating.

 

Totally agree. Both ways from Norbury are interesting cruises. And cruising to a pre-planned timetable never works out, just leads to unnecessary stress.

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Going up the Llangollen shouldn't be too bad in June, especially if you hit Llangollen at the weekend (Hurleston midweek - it is quicker coming back than going up due to the flow).  Watch out for the narrows as you approach Llangollen.  There are some passing places, but part of it is unsighted so without a crew member going ahead you could get caught - best to follow another boat in.  There are a lot of locks from Norbury, but they are mostly low rise except Hurleston.  Hurleston usually has a volunteer lockie on, and occasionally a CRT one. Same at Audlem. Let them know you are singling.  The same goes for Grindley Brook.   If the locks are busy then you will get plenty of help (but beware of ignorant owners who thing they are soooo much more knowledgeable and important than hirers).  If the locks are quiet then you will have plenty of time to go at your own pace.

 

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2 hours ago, john6767 said:

Have you specifically checked with the hire company that they are OK with the boat being single handed.  Most hire companies require at least two adults on the boat.

Good and valid question, but I did of course verify this with the hire company as I suspected that not everyone might be happy with a single-handed noob.

Edited by Deltatango
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1 hour ago, Boater Sam said:

Could I suggest you just go the way the boat is pointing, meander along for half your hire period taking in the sights and places you come to, turn round and go back? The less planning the more spontaneous fun in boating.

Indeed, that is at the moment my favourite idea.

BTW: does it make sense to bring a walkie-talkie? Is there a "boater's chat channel" like the truckers have?

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3 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

No, given you are single handing!

 

Or do you mean a CB radio? Boaters don't really use such things.

i was referring to a CB radio.

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I would definitely go south, that section of the Shroppie is lovely through Wheaton Aston and Brewood,  turn left at Autherly junction go up the Staffs and Worcs and see how far you get.  That is a much more doable journey for a single handed novice than heading towards the honeypot Llangollen.  The Staffs and Worcs is still one of my favourite canals even though I've been up and down it countless times, and you won't have much trouble mooring which you certainly will going North on the Shropshire union. 

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1 minute ago, Deltatango said:

i was referring to a CB radio.

 

I wasn't sure. Boaters don't use CB as far as I am aware but newbies often use walkie talkies. 

 

Quite useful really for steerer to communicate with lockwheeler but they still look like pillocks using them!

  • Greenie 2
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1 hour ago, David Mack said:

 

www.canalplan.eu will give you some idea of how long it will take to do a particular route.

Ah, yes indeed. Forgot about that one. I still find it amazing how easy it is these days to get almost any information simply by browsing the web. Several websites for canal maps, dozens of hours on youtube (CruisingTheCut, Jono, CountryHouseGent, The Tiller People and many more), Canal&River Trust website, forums and whatnot. How did we even survive through the seventies and eighties ...

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I agree with the suggestion to go south frrom Norbury to Autherley I would then continue south of the S&W towards Stourport. The locks are nicely spaced out and there are interesting places to visit like Whightwick Manor House at Compton and take a steam train ride from Kidderminster to Bewdley and back. The S&W is a really attractive canal.

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Thanks for all the suggestions. I decided not to push it and leave the Llangollen for the next boating holiday. Will most likely go down the Shropshire and maybe some way into the Staffs & Worcs to take it easy. Will turn around and go back to Norbury after a week or so to be back in time. Am pretty sure there is lots to see on the way.

Just paid the hire fee so all is set. Now I'm logging off to watch all the Videos about the Shropshire Union Canal on Youtube (again) :)

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Setting off from Norbury you have time to do the entire length of the Staffs & Worcs in two weeks so on reflection I would go down to Stourport then up to Great Haywood, if you have time in hand you could then do a bit of the T&M these are old canals and have a distinct character quite different to the Shropshire Union.

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When I  had a shareboat, we were moored at Norbury for 3 years. 

 

Based on 6-7 hours cruising per day, Great Hayward was an easy week and the end of the Ashby doable in a fortnight.

 

I would set off towards Autherly Jcn, turn left onto the Staff & Worcs and then turn right at Great Hayward. At the half way point of your holiday turn around and retrace your steps.

 

Whatever you do, enjoy it.

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When you want quiet time through locks I find getting up at dawn gives you a good few hours free from other boats, and when you would appreciate the benefit of a bit of help then travelling midmorning or midafternoon ie not lunchtime also works, particularly when the flow is sufficient the let the locks alternate in direction ie one down, one up, without too much waiting. 

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Thanks for the advice. I still have to decide whether to turn left at Autherly and try the northern part of Staffs&Worcs, or go south towards Kidderminster. I don't intend to only travel. There's much to see on the way like museums and stately homes and everything.

 

I am not sure however whether the "getting up at dawn" concept will work for me :) 

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On 08/05/2018 at 17:07, Richard T said:

I agree with the suggestion to go south frrom Norbury to Autherley I would then continue south of the S&W towards Stourport. The locks are nicely spaced out and there are interesting places to visit like Whightwick Manor House at Compton and take a steam train ride from Kidderminster to Bewdley and back. The S&W is a really attractive canal.

The southern Staffs & Worcs canal is very pretty. It’s one of the earlier canals that was built and so follows the river valley and gently drops down to the river Severn at Stourport. Hence the locks occur individually rather than in flights, except for the three at the Bratch, where there is usually a lock keeper, followed by the staircase locks at Botterham.

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/places-to-visit/the-bratch

 

As said, Wightwick manor is close to the canal

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/wightwick-manor-and-gardens

 

The privately run Severn Valley Railway runs from Kidderminster to Bridgnorth.

It’s a real tourist attraction and Bridgnorth is a nick old town with a victorian cliff railway between high town and low town.

http://www.svr.co.uk

 

The SVR hosted the Flying Scotsman last year and the operation of the engine was made into a program by the BBC. I though it was a great program that gives a good idea of area the Severn Valley Railway travels through. A DVD can be bought here 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Flying-Scotsman-Footplate-DVD/dp/B01NBR08W8

 

There are two supermarkets by the canal in Kidderminster.

 

If you want to moor in Stourport, the visitor moorings are just before descending York Street lock which drops you down into the canal basins.

 

If you think you might want to venture onto the river Severn, ask the hire boat company to put an anchor on board. It’s an interesting little maze to find your way through the Stourport canal basins to the two sets of narrow staircase locks that narrowboats use to access the river. Narrowboats don’t use the large barge locks.

 

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