john6767

Perhaps someone should use the courts, that would be a shock 😀

We were at Ellesmere Port over the weekend, and left on Monday morning, looks like we got our timing right this time. It is a bit ironic as there was lots of water all the way!

Just a comment on somewhere closer to London, it is are in central London and are going to be using public transport to get to the boat, then how that transport works out is as important as actual distance. As an example the afore mentioned option of Napton Narrowboats at Autherley junction is a direct train from Euston station to Wolverhampton at about an hour and a half, followed by a short Uber ride to the hire base.

I can’t comment on the Bath option. Considering the options around Birmingham, starting at Alvechurch and going into Birmingham is too short for the time that you have, it is only 5 hours each way, and as a journey is not the most interesting, you have a long tunnel but no locks, and much of it is urban. To extend the trip from Alvechurch there are two options really, continue through Birmingham and explore some of the BCN, but that is not really for everyone, unless you are really into industrial history. The other option to extend from Alvechurch, is as well as going into Birmingham you go down the North Stratford canal. Much of that is also urban but you will get out to some countryside, and if you want would just have time to do down the 19 locks at Lapworth, and time it so you can spend the night around the junction before going back up the locks. You could potentially skip out the last 6 of the locks by stopping near the Boot pub and turning round there. You mentioned Worcester, even with the route open it is 50 odd locks from there to Birmingham so doing the twice just does not make sense. If you had a full week you could do the Stourport Ring from either Worcester or Alvechurch. Another option near to Birmingham is hire from Napton Narrowboats at Autherley junction and you could go down the Staffs and Worcester canal which would be a more balanced option in terms of urban, rural, and a reasonable number of locks.

I suspect I have not kept up with all the restrictions, but are there any on the route back via the BCN? That is the way we came ie GU, N Stratford, W&B, BCN, Shroppie, so don’t really want to go back that way if there are other options. I was assuming the T&M summit would not be a good choice, so I was thinking of Shroppie, S&W, T&M, Cov, N Oxford. The only issues I have noticed on that route are opening hours restrictions on Atherstone and Hillmorton, which I can live with. We have time for it to get worse before we need to come back!

My experience is also that there is often a queue at New Marton. I put it down in part to the fact there are a lot of ABC hire bases that side of Grindley Brook, and New Marton locks are the only ones they do, and for many on the way out it is the first lock they have every seen, so understandably they take their time.

We will be at Chester later this week, what is the issue getting back to Calcutt, as that is what we will need to do as well at some point.

I see that the South Stratford is now closed as well

CanalPlanAC will let you set the length and width of the boat, if it is saying you can do the route you tried, then you did not set the width correctly in the preferences. From the Avon all you have access to is the Severn and the G&S (the Stroudwater is under restoration and is not connected to the network). The only way to go further is the go accross the Bristol Channel from Sharpness, then then on to the K&A, which would then give you access to the Thames, and other waterways linked to that including the GU which would let you go back to the midlands, including crossing over the Avon on a aqueduct in Warwick!

The reservoir at Napton is lower than the pound above Calcutt locks, so needs the pump the feed it directly, or alternatively it feeds into Calcutt marina via a channel through the marina grounds to one of the wet docks, and then to the pound between Calcutt and Stockton. It then uses the back pumping from the bottom of Calcutt locks to the top to feed the Napton pound. If the Napton pound is full the water then goes into the spillway to feed Napton reservoir and then goes round the loop again!

Yes Marston Doles is the top two locks and it is only those two, by name and lock numbers that are referenced in the stoppage notice. In the past they have had restrictions on just Marston Doles, to protect the summit level, and the actual Napton flight has been unrestricted.

The stoppage notice only says Marston Doles (locks 15 and 16) and only shows Marson Doles on the map, is it actually on Napton as well? If it is, it really should have a separate stoppage notice. I appreciate it is not so relevant if going down, but in the past you have been able to go up Napton in an evening and moor overnight below Marson Doles ready for opening in the morning.

More like phone autocorrect 😀 In my experience Tuesday and Wednesday are the peak nights, I would be interested in you experience if you go then

But Hillmorton does have restricted opening hours when they kick in.

It is on 8th to 13th, we are not planning on going near that end until after then, but would assume would be ok right now, abut really you generally want to avoid mid week as that is when the baulk of the hire boats get there