Manchester Castlefield visitor moorings

[Andrew Denny]

How long can you moor in Castlefield Basin in Manchester when you arrive?  And is there a difference between visiting CRT and native Bridgewater Canal boats? 

Thanks 

[dmr]

I think its either 48 or72 hours but I can't be sure. It does get patrolled.  There appears to be some Bridgewater boats who are in favour and can stay as long as they like but I don't know how official this is.

Castlefield has gone rather downhill over the last couple of years. Most of the visitor moorings have been given over to long term moorings so visitors can only moor on the car park side and its often full. The water has got very shallow and has not been dredged. We can not even get in to the side in some places. The place used to feel quite lively and trendy with a fair bit of nightlife but some parts are now homeless squats and except for the Wharf pub everywhere else is closed. I fear it will all become high rise housing before too long. Of all of the cities that I have visited Manchester makes the worse use of its canals, though New Islington marina is an exception, and volunteers are working hard to make the canals in that area a better place.

Go to Liverpool instead ?

 

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

[Andrew Denny]

Thanks. I'll be arriving there on Sunday from the T&M on my CRT licence (7 days on the Bridgewater Canal gratis), and rather hoped I could leave the boat there a few days, instead of having to tackle the Rochdale 9 and Ashton straight away, hence my question.  Unfortunately the Bridgewater office isn't open to call until 2-4pm and I'm in meetings this afternoon, hence my question.  

[dmr]

The Rochdale 9 is not nearly as bad it looks, though the underground sex and drugs lock can be a bit intimidating. See if you can leave the boat in New Islington marina for a few days instead.

 

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

[Andrew Denny]

Thanks, dmr, but I'll be short of time when I arrive on Sunday and need to leave the boat and catch a train back, so I was hoping I could stay my allotted 7 Bridgewater days there rather than race up the Rochdale. Also, are the locks closed after dark, or is that just the towpath? 

[TheBiscuits]

1 hour ago, Andrew Denny said:

Thanks. I'll be arriving there on Sunday from the T&M on my CRT licence (7 days on the Bridgewater Canal gratis), and rather hoped I could leave the boat there a few days, instead of having to tackle the Rochdale 9 and Ashton straight away, hence my question.  Unfortunately the Bridgewater office isn't open to call until 2-4pm and I'm in meetings this afternoon, hence my question.  

Go up Dukes Lock and stop there for a few days, just past the lock landing.  That's a 14 day CRT mooring. 

[pearley]

5 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

Go up Dukes Lock and stop there for a few days, just past the lock landing.  That's a 14 day CRT mooring. 

Just be aware that the water level can fluctuate quite a bit on that pound. 

 

Definitely 72 hours at Castlefield. Everywhere else on Bridgewater supposedly 24 hour. Unless it's changed since our last visit - when we got a ticket! 

[Andrew Denny]

By Dukes Lock, do you mean above Lock 92? I'm a bit nervous of leaving it unattended on the towpath, is that a popular mooring? 

[TheBiscuits]

20 minutes ago, pearley said:

Just be aware that the water level can fluctuate quite a bit on that pound. 

 

Definitely 72 hours at Castlefield. Everywhere else on Bridgewater supposedly 24 hour. Unless it's changed since our last visit - when we got a ticket! 

Lymm visitor mooring is 72 hours also (signposted), but a bit far away for the OP!

18 minutes ago, Andrew Denny said:

By Dukes Lock, do you mean above Lock 92? I'm a bit nervous of leaving it unattended on the towpath, is that a popular mooring? 

Yes, just up one lock.  There are usually boats there, and it's only a lock and a landing length from Castlefield Basin, If you would be happy to leave your boat a few hundred feet away, why worry?

[dmr]

I reckon a few hundred yards can move you into a different universe alltogether when it comes to urban moorings ?.

 

Castlefield generally feels reasonably safe whilst the Rochdale soon gets a bit dodgy though I feel has probably got a bit better over the last few years. I would still try to get to New Islington. The non residential moorings are on water that is open to the public but there are lots of people and other boats about which should make it a lot safer.

 

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

[Sea Dog]

1 hour ago, dmr said:

I reckon a few hundred yards can move you into a different universe alltogether when it comes to urban moorings ?.

 

Castlefield generally feels reasonably safe whilst the Rochdale soon gets a bit dodgy though I feel has probably got a bit better over the last few years. I would still try to get to New Islington. The non residential moorings are on water that is open to the public but there are lots of people and other boats about which should make it a lot safer.

 

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

Yep.  They were just doing Nitrous Oxide in the car park outside our boat a couple of months ago whilst we were moored in Castlefield, whereas there was a whole range of stuff going on by the canal itself! Quite frankly, I don't think I'd be keen to moor my boat in Manchester for a few days with me on it, never mind leave it unattended.  In 3 days we didn't see a single copper in an area where I've never seen so many people incapacitated through during and drugs, whist the Police Canal Watch Emergency number advertised by the canal turned out to be defunct.  It's not a place I'll be taking time to visit by waterway again but, if passing through is unavoidable, Thomas Telford basin at Picadilly is a very pleasant overnight stay for quiet, considerate boats (restricted to 24 hours).  

[ditchcrawler]

2 hours ago, TheBiscuits said:

Lymm visitor mooring is 72 hours also (signposted), but a bit far away for the OP!

 

 

Its 48 with no return in 3 days. we have just come through there.

 

Earlier this year I stopped in castlefield for a couple of nights.

Edited October 26, 2018 by ditchcrawler