Jump to content

Coventry Canal Basin


Ray T

Featured Posts

This neglect must be recent. We visited the Basin in 2016 (on foot) and it was quite lively, with the Valley Cruises hire fleet based there and a nice café where we had a cuppa.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Its a few years ago when we eventually managed to actually get to the basin (past semi-submerged TV's, road cones and bin-bags) to a arrive at the dirtiest most dog-fouled place I think we have ever had the pleasure to visit.

 

I have read that in the past 8-10 years (or so) that it had improved and that the arrival of the hire-fleet made things better.

 

Due to our draft and beam it is no longer a trip we can make.

 

But it is good to see that efforts to spruce it up and make it 'live again' are planned.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was wondering if these people from the council have ever stayed a night in the Basin.

Largo is quite a regular in there and the only problems that I have seen arise from the square that is well lit and has seating! The square is immediately adxsjacent the old swing bridge.

 The fact that it has good lighting makes it a meeting place for the foreign students from the flats above. Sometimes there is loud music played from a  ghetto blaster but not much because the lady in the flats immediately above the square has a very commanding laud voice that seems to control and excess noise!

Putting more lighting wont make it any safer because in my mind there is quite enough already.

As for the boarded up shops, then maybe the council could help there and lower the council taxes for them so as to make them more attractive to shop keepers.

To my mind, it seems to me that Coventry is now run by the university and the council are perhaps trying to justify there worth by talking about, what is a very small area of the city.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Last time we went near, probably December time, we visited the Ricoh centre. Think we got as far as Bridge 6 and winded, so never went into the basin. It was dodge the settee cushions, floating pallets, and other dross. I remember thinking that some boaters are not helping, as empty coal bags were stuffed in the hedge rows. A lot of canal side properties were being built, so it's fair to say property developers would like to see this part of the Coventry Canal tidied up so they can pick up a premium selling 'canal side dez rezzes'.  

 

Wish though the Ricoh would provide a mooring area, to get to Tesco you've got to over a (busy road) bridge, through a bus station, and car park. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, Jennifer McM said:

Last time we went near, probably December time, we visited the Ricoh centre. Think we got as far as Bridge 6 and winded, so never went into the basin. It was dodge the settee cushions, floating pallets, and other dross. I remember thinking that some boaters are not helping, as empty coal bags were stuffed in the hedge rows. A lot of canal side properties were being built, so it's fair to say property developers would like to see this part of the Coventry Canal tidied up so they can pick up a premium selling 'canal side dez rezzes'.  

 

Wish though the Ricoh would provide a mooring area, to get to Tesco you've got to over a (busy road) bridge, through a bus station, and car park. 

There are moorings for the Stadium, but not Tesco end, loads of rings have been provided, but sadly nobody uses them, or perhaps don't see them!

I think it's a mistake not to go on into the basin, i saw very little debris there the last time i was there in December and indeed, most of the canal side uni flats nearer the basin have cleared up there frontages from what it was like a few years ago! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 minutes ago, nipper said:

There are moorings for the Stadium, but not Tesco end, loads of rings have been provided, but sadly nobody uses them, or perhaps don't see them!

I think it's a mistake not to go on into the basin, i saw very little debris there the last time i was there in December and indeed, most of the canal side uni flats nearer the basin have cleared up there frontages from what it was like a few years ago! 

We were last there in October, and I did use the rings at the Ricoh, admitidly for a day time stop, not overnight.  I don't think I would want to be the only boat there overnight.

 

as to the basin I thought getting there was easier than previously, although still a lot of floating rubbish, and rubbish on the towpath.  The basin was very quiet, there is little there other than a Polish shop and a cafe, and deserted at night.  Clearly much more could be made of it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I first went into the Basin in about 1996 ish, at that time the water was Crystal clear, you could see the fish weeds and of course the rubbish down below the boat, it also use to be very weedy. We have moored in the basin several times over the years and never had a problem, there use to be a Polish mini market there and if I remember correctly a tool shop.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, nipper said:

I was wondering if these people from the council have ever stayed a night in the Basin.

Largo is quite a regular in there and the only problems that I have seen arise from the square that is well lit and has seating! The square is immediately adxsjacent the old swing bridge.

 The fact that it has good lighting makes it a meeting place for the foreign students from the flats above. Sometimes there is loud music played from a  ghetto blaster but not much because the lady in the flats immediately above the square has a very commanding laud voice that seems to control and excess noise!

Putting more lighting wont make it any safer because in my mind there is quite enough already.

As for the boarded up shops, then maybe the council could help there and lower the council taxes for them so as to make them more attractive to shop keepers.

To my mind, it seems to me that Coventry is now run by the university and the council are perhaps trying to justify there worth by talking about, what is a very small area of the city.

To me Coventry City Centre is no longer that, it is a university campus - I live here!

The major problem with the Canal basin is access, lack of car parking and the cursed ring road.

When I worked for BT I was involved with highway diversions. The City Council did put forward plans to "lower" the Ring Road in this area so to get to the basin pedestrian access would be level instead of via the dreadful foot bridge now in place. I suppose to be fair to the Council when the Ring Road was built the basin was just an eyesore, there were plans at one time to fill it in and build the new cathedral on the site.

The estimate of costs for diverting BT plant alone, was just in excess of £1.5m at the time. On top of this would be other utility costs plus that of the engineering to divert / lower the road.

The plan was quietly dropped.

Another hare brained scheme the Council had was to put a pedestrian crossing at level instead of the bridge. Cars do a minimum of 40mph along here!!   

 

So unfortunately the Basin remains a white elephant.

 

The shops there are, a Ukrainian food shop, not Polish, a fishing tackle shop, ladies hair dressers, the cafe and an engravers. There is also a canoe club based in the warehouses.

 

 

Canal basin.jpg

Edited by Ray T
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The cafe was very good for a cheap meal.  The other businesses seem to be hanging on by their fingernails - as the day wore on, more and more doors were opened, but that is hardly a vibrant business model!  Last Summer, it all seemed very clean and pleasant but a bit lifeless.  We had no problems with rubbish in the cut at all.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We were there mid April this year.  Lots of rubbish in the canal on the way there and back, and our return was delayed a few hours when magnet fishers hooked a hand grenade near Bridge 5.  The cafe was shut throughout our stay, with a smashed window boarded up. Mooring was somewhat limited, with Valley cruisers occupying one arm completely.  No rubbish disposal available, and the facilities building taken over by "druggies" - according to Valley Cruisers.

 

On the bright side, the City Centre was easily accessed via the footbridge.  The Transport Museum was brilliant, and on our second visit (Sunday Morning) local classic car owners were having a meet outside.  The shopping was generally good and we felt the diversion was well worth the effort.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.