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A canal holiday in May - suggestions please for a fairly experienced boater (but a while ago!)


Henry Crun

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Hi all,

 

I am planning for 6 of us to go away for a week's holiday at the end of May, and was hoping for some suggestions / help. I have spent some 8-9 weeks on the canals at different times since 1985, so am fairly experienced.

 

I am fit and 45. My crew include my wife (similar); my children (boy 12, very fit; girl 9, fit too); my mum-in-law (70) and my dad-in-law (75), who are both walking fit, but not used to holidays quite this active - walking birdwatching holidays, but that's the limit. They are up for the challenge though.

 

What I'd like to do is the Stour Valley Ring, which I've done before (though I'm up for alternative suggestions), as ...

  • it's a ring (so we don't repeat what we do);
  • it includes a river
  • it includes a flight (but which isn't a Caen Hill start-but-you-can't-stop type!)
  • it is a good mix of town and country
  • it includes a few good tunnels.

But is it do-able in a week with my crew? I am happy to spend 7 hours a day cruising, but if the weather is inclement, or the crew need a 1/2 day off ...

 

Alternative suggestions very welcome. However, whilst I love the Llangollen, but only 6 locks will bore the kids - and me if I'm honest! It doesn't need to be a ring.

 

Next question: who to go with? In the good old days (my view only :-)), there were small companies some with good boats, a number not; medium companies (Black Prince, Alvechurch) with good boats, but fairly dear (the most reliable I found, and we used them a lot); and Hoseasons, etc. which then seemed to eat up the small companies. But since I last boated in 2001, all seems to have changed.

 

So, any recommendations? I'd like good, reliable, and not too expensive, i.e. £1,500 might be OK, but £1,800+?? I think not.

 

Oh, and Iam I too late to book at all?!!!

 

Thanks for any help. And, yes, do disagree with me, I expect it! BTW, I'm based in the Thames Valley, so would prefer not to go too far north.

 

Henry

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According to CanalPlanAC with my speed settings to will take 7 days at 7 hours per day. As you have probably 6.5 days then it is possible if you put in a couple of long days. Just checking that you are aware that it is over 100 locks, and you have the Tardebigge flight to do, it will be hard work!

 

On your Llangollen comment, if depends on what part of the Llangollen you do. If you want from say Bunbury to Llangollen and back that is 40 odd locks, and doable in a hire week as we did it.

 

You should have no problem with £1500 for a weeks hire, and I would not have thought you would have a problem with availability, but I guess it will be school holidays.

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For your mix of crew and possibly interests, I'd suggest something a bit less taxing. With so many locks (although you can / must whistle through tardebigge in a day) boating is quite unrelenting.

Methinks you need to have some variety - places to see, other things to do.

The youngsters might enjoy the Black Country museum

Birmingham has the Science Place and SeaWorld as well as the pen museum - kids get to make an old fashioned pen-nib and the Jewellery museum - a guided tour through a Dikensian workshop, or even the NT's back to back houses in central Brum

 

So I'd suggest the Warwickshire ring or a variant thereof - whoops that's even more time than the Stour.

 

Umm - a home made ring -

Alvechurch to Gas Street to BCM

Return to NIA and do Brum.

Down Farmers' Bridge flight turn right towards Camp hill locks,

GU to North Stratford then back to Alvechurch

(sorry not all the right names - 'cos you'll probably reject it, 'cos a lot of that is fairly urban

 

Black Country ring

A better mix of town and country but you'd need to push on a bit

 

A sort of ring doing the Birmingham old main line, BCM

Wolverhampton,

Stourbridge,

Netherton,

New mainline

Brum centre again

Back to alvechurch

 

You could use Alvechurch or the other people

 

OR

4 counties ring's not too much in the week but there's little worth stopping for.

 

Lets see how other people demolish those suggestions....

 

 

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Napton to Market Harborough and back: a bit under 40 hours round trip, 12 broad locks, 34 narrow ones, 6 tunnels. Lovely countryside, quite isolated.

 

Plus a little bit if you go to Welford (good birdwatching around the reservoirs there, I think...).

 

Edited by Scholar Gypsy
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There is a very useful and not very well known about service run by Paul at Canal Junction. Put in your requirements and it pings an email to lots of hire companies.

 

http://www.hireboats2go.co.uk/boatseeker/index.html

 

Be careful on hidden extras as some will quote a price and then add in things such as damage waiver, dogs, car parking etc.

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Nothing wrong with the time of year that you have chosen but the route would be very challenging.

I would suggest that you have as many alternatives available as you can.

The Nantwich, Chester, Middlewich and onto the Llangollen if you want to has it all in my humble opinion.

Your budget at £1500.00 is more than enough. I would not be happy to pay anymore than £1000.00 all in including fuel.

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Avon ring ticks all the boxes, and is quite an active week. Four counties ring is a bit easier, and a bit further north but there's interesting stuff on it so may appeal anyway. Stourport ring also includes a river (The Severn) and for a variation, you could 'cut' the corner and do the Droitwich canals too (although cutting the corner logically on the ring, in fact it is slightly longer in time.

 

As far as choosing the hire firm, I'd recommend going to see the boats - make sure you actually physically see the boat you'd be on, so you're happy with it. And once you're happy with, say, 3 options, compare the prices (don't forget to include 'extras' like CDW, fuel surcharge, etc to make it comparable) and see if they'll offer a discount if you suggest you might go elsewhere.

Edited by Paul C
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Your budget at £1500.00 is more than enough. I would not be happy to pay anymore than £1000.00 all in including fuel.

 

For most of May I would agree but the spring bank holiday week pushes prices up. £1500 would be achievable and lets be honest for 6 people it is a bargain.

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On your Llangollen comment, if depends on what part of the Llangollen you do. If you want from say Bunbury to Llangollen and back that is 40 odd locks, and doable in a hire week as we did it.

 

 

 

 

I concur. Whilst a very popular canal, it has a bit of everything. Not to many locks and fantastic vistas. One canal I mind not the return trip. Good watering holes along the way as well. From Bunbury, a leisurely week there and back. Bootiful.

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Loads and loads of hire boats do the Stourport ring in a week, and I reckon with your crew you'd be ok. There are lots of hire companies on the ring: Alvechurch at Alvechurch, Viking Afloat at Worcester, Black Prince at Stoke Prior, Napton Noarrowboats at Autherley Junction, Brookline at Dunhamstead, Starline at Stourport.

 

However, if you wanted a shorter ring that also has a lot of variety, then consider the Black Country Ring. You've got Birmingham with all its attractions, Fazeley Junction (where the kids might like a stop at Drayton Manor park), Fradley Junction, and Great Haywood. The Black Country Museum is also on the route. Hire companies to consider would be Anglo Welsh at Gt Haywood, Viking Afloat at Gailey, Napton Narrowboats at Autherley Junction, Drayton Narrowboats near Fazeley Junction.

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I dont understand the need to hire a boat, then dash through beautiful countryside for 7 hours a day for 6 or 7 days. It seems to recur amongst those asking questions about canal boat holidays.

 

I might be at the opposite end of the scale, but I would tend to allow 3 - 5 hours a day of cruising, (if you do more, that,s fine). This allows for a leisurely start, a leisurely lunch, and a leisurely pace. If you do more than planned in one day, it allows you to spend more time at another place - perhaps a day in a nice place, with no cruising?

 

This might mean an out and back trip, but things always look different on the way back, and you often see things you missed.

 

Narrowboating is not a race.... or is it?

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I dont understand the need to hire a boat, then dash through beautiful countryside for 7 hours a day for 6 or 7 days. It seems to recur amongst those asking questions about canal boat holidays.

 

I might be at the opposite end of the scale, but I would tend to allow 3 - 5 hours a day of cruising, (if you do more, that,s fine). This allows for a leisurely start, a leisurely lunch, and a leisurely pace. If you do more than planned in one day, it allows you to spend more time at another place - perhaps a day in a nice place, with no cruising?

 

This might mean an out and back trip, but things always look different on the way back, and you often see things you missed.

 

Narrowboating is not a race.... or is it?

When we "did" the Llangollen on a hire boat, we didn't stop in the town, but visited in the car after giving the boat back. Why waste a good days boating when you can spend a day in town afterwards.

Edit

Fully agree with the there and back bit. Lot of pressure on rings and timing

Edited by ditchcrawler
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I concur. Whilst a very popular canal, it has a bit of everything. Not to many locks and fantastic vistas. One canal I mind not the return trip. Good watering holes along the way as well. From Bunbury, a leisurely week there and back. Bootiful.

We did exactly the same- from Bunbury- thoroughly enjoyed it, I was pleased with the boat we hired from Anglo Welsh as well

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Each to his own. When we hired we somwtimes did 15 hour days. We wanted to boat. Even now in our 8th year on board we quite often do 10 hour days when we can actually move.

Editted to add-I'm not recommending op does long hours, just pointing out that at end of may there are long hours of daylight. When we hired we wanted to boat not see the surrounding area.

Edited by Mrs Trackman
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For most of May I would agree but the spring bank holiday week pushes prices up. £1500 would be achievable and lets be honest for 6 people it is a bargain.

 

 

I have booked a boat from Easter Monday until the Friday for £440.00. It's a four birth and on the Lancaster with a recognized hire company.

I appreciate that the Lancaster may not be for everybody and does not conform to what the op described as his preferences.

It does show though that competitively priced rentals are available.

I know that I will at some time want to cruise the Lancaster. I am currently far from being confident enough to negotiate the Ribble Link so see this as a "taster" for a future trip.

We cruised the Llangollen last August and the amount of hire boats lined up unoccupied and apparently "available" for rental were many.

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Each to his own. When we hired we somwtimes did 15 hour days. We wanted to boat. Even now in our 8th year on board we quite often do 10 hour days when we can actually move.

Editted to add-I'm not recommending op does long hours, just pointing out that at end of may there are long hours of daylight. When we hired we wanted to boat not see the surrounding area.

Same here

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If by the Stour Valley Ring you mean what I call the Stourport Ring, then we did it (with 2 sons 8 & 11) nearly 30 years ago, taking a week. Then again last summer, just the two of us in our late 60s, again in a week, but cutting out Worcester by doing the Droitwich canals. Your son & daughter seem of an age (as our sons were) to help you speed down Tardebigge. I'd give it a go.

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The thing with canal boats is, they don't go that fast anyway. So you can see a lot of stuff yet still keep going in it. So long as there's reasonable daylight, there's no reason not to keep going all through the day. Early morning and evenings are 2 of the best times to cruise, partly because of the light and partly because most others have stopped so its quieter, no queues, etc.

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If by the Stour Valley Ring you mean what I call the Stourport Ring, then we did it (with 2 sons 8 & 11) nearly 30 years ago, taking a week. Then again last summer, just the two of us in our late 60s, again in a week, but cutting out Worcester by doing the Droitwich canals. Your son & daughter seem of an age (as our sons were) to help you speed down Tardebigge. I'd give it a go.

I must admit that the name "Stour Valley Ring" did not ring bells with me initially, but a check showed that it is basically the Stourport Ring, but using Stourbridge rather then Wolverhampton to go between the BCN and the Staffs & Worcester, so it is a bit shorter and a few less locks.

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Nothing wrong with the time of year that you have chosen but the route would be very challenging.

I would suggest that you have as many alternatives available as you can.

The Nantwich, Chester, Middlewich and onto the Llangollen if you want to has it all in my humble opinion.

Your budget at £1500.00 is more than enough. I would not be happy to pay anymore than £1000.00 all in including fuel.

 

This has really made me want to go back to the Llangollen - had the most delightful week on it - really very very pleasant.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Have you considered a hotel narrow boat? Some of the "pairs" can sleep larger numbers and that way you can work or rest (as can everyone else) dependent upon what takes your fancy. My late husband and I did this on Duke & Duchess and also Snipe & Taurus and we had a great time. I like to do locks and drive the boat or steer the butty but my late hubby liked to relax and watch it all happen, so it suited us both.... plus no cooking for me which was a bonus!

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  • 2 weeks later...

My personnel best for a week is up and down the staffs and worcester, the perfect mix of country pubs, small bit of town, and little villages.

 

And in honesty you get a different experiance there and back, viking afloat worcester, starline or brookline could all do this comfortable (tho with viking and brookline it depends on river level)

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