Jump to content

Where should we go from Norbury Wharf


Islandpaddler

Featured Posts

We're hired a canal boat from Norbury Wharf for three weeks in June. We will be 73 and 76 then and tend toward leisurely travel. We've hired a canal boat before in Scotland, my husband lived on his sailboat for years and we recently lived for a year in our 19-foot van camper on a trip around the entire United States and most of Canada so we're experienced with things like holding tanks and water conservation. There are a couple of options. Should we pick the Four Counties Ring with perhaps a side trip on the LLangollen or the Caldon Canals. Or an out-and-back trip north on the Shropshire Union Canal to Chester, making side trips on the Llangollen and perhaps the Middlewich. Or do any of you have any other ideas that we haven't considered. We're open to all options. There isn't anything pressing on any of those canals that we want to see other than lovely scenery. Many thanks in advance for your replies.
 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If it were me I'd use the three weeks for a trip to Stourport and back - there is all the scenery you could shake a stick at and some lovely villages to see. Also there is no pressure - just turn around after 10 days if you don't make it all the way. The Llangollen is great but will be getting busy by June. Also if you go that way, really you want to get to the end and back.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Would imagine you could do the Stourport Ring with a return trip to Stratford included in that time. Alternatively to Shardlow via Birmingham then return via Great Haywood with an extended tour of the BCN, or a detour down the Coventry and Oxford canals. Going north you could head to Middlewich then do the Cheshire Ring, or even go to Wigan and then head down towards Liverpool (going on the link and into Salthouse dock would depend on availability). The other obvious option is the Four Counties and in 3 weeks you could include a couple of detours with a choice of the Caldon, Bugsworth Basin via Macclesfield/Upper Peak Forest, Chester, Llangollen, Preston Brook and Manchester via Bridgewater Canal, or the River Weaver via Anderton lift.

 

All very worthwhile routes, though I do have a soft spot for the Stourport Ring; it's very pretty and has a good mixture of nearly everything, plus it feels to me like 'proper' canal country, but that's just my opinion. Never done the Stratford but it sounds like a fascinating additional canal to explore, and Stratford itself has plenty to see.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You could go down the Shroppie on to the Staffs and Worcs as far as Stourton Junction then up the Stourbridge, taking in the arm, continue up to the Black Country museum, then on in to Birmingham via the Old Main Line. You then have a choice of leaving Birmingham via Farmers Bridge, Fazeley, Fradley Junction and Great Haywood or across to the Wolverhampton 21 and back to Norbury.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Philip said:

Would imagine you could do the Stourport Ring with a return trip to Stratford included in that time. Alternatively to Shardlow via Birmingham then return via Great Haywood with an extended tour of the BCN, or a detour down the Coventry and Oxford canals. Going north you could head to Middlewich then do the Cheshire Ring, or even go to Wigan and then head down towards Liverpool (going on the link and into Salthouse dock would depend on availability). The other obvious option is the Four Counties and in 3 weeks you could include a couple of detours with a choice of the Caldon, Bugsworth Basin via Macclesfield/Upper Peak Forest, Chester, Llangollen, Preston Brook and Manchester via Bridgewater Canal, or the River Weaver via Anderton lift.

 

All very worthwhile routes, though I do have a soft spot for the Stourport Ring; it's very pretty and has a good mixture of nearly everything, plus it feels to me like 'proper' canal country, but that's just my opinion. Never done the Stratford but it sounds like a fascinating additional canal to explore, and Stratford itself has plenty to see.

 

1 hour ago, Rob-M said:

You could go down the Shroppie on to the Staffs and Worcs as far as Stourton Junction then up the Stourbridge, taking in the arm, continue up to the Black Country museum, then on in to Birmingham via the Old Main Line. You then have a choice of leaving Birmingham via Farmers Bridge, Fazeley, Fradley Junction and Great Haywood or across to the Wolverhampton 21 and back to Norbury.

 

Do either of you seriously describe the trips described as "leisurely travel" for a 73 and 76 year old couple?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

42 minutes ago, frahkn said:

 

 

Do either of you seriously describe the trips described as "leisurely travel" for a 73 and 76 year old couple?

For three weeks I think I gave a good variety with non boating days in the mix. I would do the trip I put in a week but then I'm not in my 70s..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, frahkn said:

 

 

Do either of you seriously describe the trips described as "leisurely travel" for a 73 and 76 year old couple?

 

16 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

For three weeks I think I gave a good variety with non boating days in the mix. I would do the trip I put in a week but then I'm not in my 70s..

From what I infer, they're not entirely sedentary folk - so not afraid of walking (that can be more tiring that working the locks !) I would avoid Knowle and Hatton plus the rest down to Napton as the "poo-works" paddle gear is unpleasant to wind up or down.

If the OP is looking at maps may I make a plug for Canalplan and its virtual cruise feature. Lots of photos of the route(s)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you're looking for a leisurely time and lovely scenery then I'd be avoiding Birmingham, the Black Country and Stoke.  Which rules out some of these suggestions and also rules out the 4 counties rings.  

 

Rings are overrated anyway.  Too much pressure to complete them.  

 

Head north through lovely Shropshire and Cheshire Countryside as far as Chester.  Turn and head south again.  When you are approaching the Middlewich Branch junction, take a stock of your time left.  If you have a couple of weeks left, go down the Middlewich Branch  and then down the Anderton Boat lift and have a couple of days on the River Weaver, before heading back to Norbury.  You might even have time to venture onto the Bridgewater Canal too.  If you have about 10 days left, go up the Llangollen and back, then return to Norbury.  If you have a week left, go all the way down the Shroppie to the end, then turn and go back to Norbury.

 

There's nothing at all wrong with doing the same canal in two directions.  Everything looks different when the other way round and you can plan to stop at different places.

  • Greenie 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, frahkn said:

 

 

Do either of you seriously describe the trips described as "leisurely travel" for a 73 and 76 year old couple?

Depends on how "leisurely travel" is defined. I would say 8-9 hour cruising days in June is fairly leisurely given the amount of daylight at that time of year. I know the Stourport Ring from Norbury could comfortably be completed over two weeks with those timescales, with an extra week there to explore the Stratford or the Droitwich. Also the locks aren't exactly hard to work in that part of the system.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

With a three week hire it would be possible to do the Four Counties Ring with Llangollen and Caldon Canals with 6 hours average daily cruising time.

 

There is a risk of fatigue over three weeks if the route is too lock heavy or the days too long even if there is 18 hours of daylight. It's a long way up from the Cheshire plain to Birmingham and I'm not sure combining the Four Counties and Stourport Rings is a good suggestion for this particular query.

 

The trip down the Llangollen will also break up the lock heavy days of the Four Counties Ring.

 

If you arrive at Autherley Junction with a bit of time in hand head down the Staffs & Worcs maybe as far as the Bratch before returning to Norbury.

 

You could swap either branch for others listed above such as Chester or Anderton.

 

if you are the sort of people who like a plan I would recommend setting out to complete at least the Four Counties Ring. If you potter about the northern end of the Shropshire Union and Trent & Mersey for three weeks it might seem a bit listless, but that may suit you.

 

JP

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Philip said:

Depends on how "leisurely travel" is defined. I would say 8-9 hour cruising days in June is fairly leisurely given the amount of daylight at that time of year. I know the Stourport Ring from Norbury could comfortably be completed over two weeks with those timescales, with an extra week there to explore the Stratford or the Droitwich. Also the locks aren't exactly hard to work in that part of the system.

 

You are quite right about it depending on the definition but I think that if you come from the Caribbean to the UK then you will probably want to see more of it than 9 hours a day boating would allow.

 

I don't know the U. S. V. I but my other experience of the Caribbean leads me to believe that they take their "leisure" seriously!

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, frahkn said:

I don't know the U. S. V. I but my other experience of the Caribbean leads me to believe that they take their "leisure" seriously!

That's a very good point - Island time makes boatyard time look rushed and frenetic.

 

Maybe we should get @Laurie.Booth to suggest a two lock, one mile route for a 3 week trip ... :giggles: 

  • Happy 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for all your replies. I spent yesterday afternoon with the maps and CanalPlan. I've convinced my husband to forget his Four Counties Ring idea because of the industrialized area around Stoke and the pressure to complete it. I wasn't too keen on the Hurlston tunnel either. We still have lots of time yet to change our mind, but we're going to go north from Norbury Wharf. Go on the Llangollen unless we find it's too crowded, head up to Chester and on to the Waterways Museum, go south again and if we have time keep going south past Norbury Junction as far as time allows. My husband said the Anderton Boat Lift didn't seem that exciting though the reason we went to Scotland was the Falkirk Wheel.

 

In response to some of your comments, we really are pretty leisurely. There is no chance we'll be traveling into the evening even if it's light. Four, maybe five hours, will be our limit. We like to stop by mid-afternoon and spend the afternoon reading. I like to walk - my husband not so much. So I'll have time for a stroll on the towpath.

 

We are pretty fit for folks our age, and my husband still works some as a Mr. Fix It person so he's staying fit that way. That said, we know the clock is ticking so that's why we decided to do a boat trip while we still can. We like messing around in boats but aren't keen anymore for the camping out that a long canoe trip would involve. We enjoy driving around in our camper but have done that for the past five or six years, including the year-long trip. I am tired of trying to figure out where we're going to spend each night so that issue will be much less of a problem on a canal. The reason we decided on England was that we've been streaming British TV nearly every night. It started with Downton Abbey on our big camper trip, but we've gone through lots more since then. It seemed fitting then to go to England. We'll spend the first three days in Manchester but we aren't up for traipsing about from castle to castle etc. That's why this trip is perfect for us.

 

As for island time, ha! It's true there are lots of inefficiencies here but we didn't fall into that trap. We've both lived here for many, many decades and just kept moving along. In fact, I worked until I was 70.

 

So, if anyone has anymore thoughts, keep them coming. Thanks again.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good choice of route in my book, and quite pragmatic. Your travelling times seem similar to ours - I tend to plan for about 4 hours cruising per day, which allows us to have the morning or afternoon at the places we stop or put in a 6 hour day here and there when we need to catch up or get some time in hand.  It also sounds to me like your age and the perceptions of others are misaligned! 

 

My tip for the Llangollen would be to plan to get to Trevor or Llangollen at the weekend if possible as the bulk of the hire boat traffic does that route on a one week weekend to weekend vacation so you'll be travelling in the opposite direction to the lock queues. June is still outside of the school summer holidays which is a good thing. Don't write off the Anderton Boat Lift too quickly: whether it floats your husband's boat or not, it gets you down onto the lovely, peaceful, gently flowing River Weaver.

 

I hope you have a fabulous 3 weeks!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

45 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

Good choice of route in my book, and quite pragmatic. Your travelling times seem similar to ours - I tend to plan for about 4 hours cruising per day, which allows us to have the morning or afternoon at the places we stop or put in a 6 hour day here and there when we need to catch up or get some time in hand.  It also sounds to me like your age and the perceptions of others are misaligned! 

 

My tip for the Llangollen would be to plan to get to Trevor or Llangollen at the weekend if possible as the bulk of the hire boat traffic does that route on a one week weekend to weekend vacation so you'll be travelling in the opposite direction to the lock queues. June is still outside of the school summer holidays which is a good thing. Don't write off the Anderton Boat Lift too quickly: whether it floats your husband's boat or not, it gets you down onto the lovely, peaceful, gently flowing River Weaver.

 

I hope you have a fabulous 3 weeks!

Maybe those other folk did some homework and realised that Norbury to Llangollen and return is 20 more miles and 2 more locks - and therefore at least one days cruising - longer than a trip around the Four Counties Ring. And that's before you add any other trips on.

 

Let's face it, with three weeks there is loads of time for the OP to do what what they want and I do concur that their proposal is a good match to their requirements and circumstances.

 

I am not aiming this in direct response to you but I do wish we could lay to rest the idea that rings are more risky and stressful than an out and back. It's the distance from base that matters not the shape of the cruise. Obviously no point on the Four Counties Ring is further from Norbury than the top end of the Llangollen. So why is it more stressful or risky to take on? A ring has the added contingency of having two routes back home if needed. I always took on challenging itineraries of both types of cruise when hiring - sometimes as a result of having to change plans - and have had breakdowns, but never failed to get back on time. It's all part of the adventure. Given the choice I would still do a ring over an out and back.

 

JP

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would go down the Shroppie and onto the Staffs and Worcester as far as Stourport and return. There will be time for a trip on the steam hauled Severn Valley railway from Kidderminster. If you like interesting old houses Wightwick Manor is delightful and well worth stopping to visit, there are also the cave dwellings at Kinver. And there should be time for a trip down the Severn to Worcester which is a city well worth visiting. The important thing is to enjoy your holiday regardless of the weather.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, Richard T said:

I would go down the Shroppie and onto the Staffs and Worcester as far as Stourport and return. There will be time for a trip on the steam hauled Severn Valley railway from Kidderminster. If you like interesting old houses Wightwick Manor is delightful and well worth stopping to visit, there are also the cave dwellings at Kinver. And there should be time for a trip down the Severn to Worcester which is a city well worth visiting. The important thing is to enjoy your holiday regardless of the weather.

 

That is very similar advice to mine in post 2. Needless to say, I fully endorse your suggestion.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 hours ago, Captain Pegg said:

I am not aiming this in direct response to you but I do wish we could lay to rest the idea that rings are more risky and stressful than an out and back. It's the distance from base that matters not the shape of the cruise.

 

A perfectly reasonable stance, with which I don't disagree. My comments were more to do with my thoughts that the OP's abilities were being underestimated. Their desire for a relaxed regime appears to chime with my own, rather than to stem from any physical limitations preventing them exploring at will is how I see it.  I think their route allows them to achieve the relaxed cruise they seek with the potential to add the lovely Weaver if they progress faster than expected as the plan unfolds.  No reason why they couldn't just as easily do a nominal 2 week ring in a leisurely fashion and add a bit if time allows though. Rings certainly have their merits and I enjoy them as much as anyone, though there are some which need a more demanding schedule to complete if your timings aren't open ended. It is easy for some perhaps less experienced hirers not to factor this in, which probably explains some of the more cautious responses.

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.