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Friars Mill pontoon mooring, Leicester

dogless

By dogless
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dogless Rising Star

dogless

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As I'm doing the Soar for the first time, I ran a search on here for moorings in Leicester, and discovered there was a new site at Friars Mill, in addition to the Castle Garden moorings.

 

I was also very fortunate to run into Richard T of the forum who was a great source of information about the river.

 

Just to report back that the new mooring pontoon is excellent. The water points work, and access into town is easy with a C&RT key. There is room for four or five boats.

 

There are electrickery points on the pontoon, so at some time in the future it would appear electricity hook ups may be available.

 

Sods law, but as it happens when we arrived today there was space available at Castle Gardens too.

 

Hope this will update the information on here, should someone else seek to do a search.

 

Rog

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dogless Rising Star

dogless

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As we are considering doing the Leicester Ring, where abouts is the Friars Mill moorings...?

Between bridge 4 Soar Lane Bridge and bridge 3 West Bridge.

 

Friars Mill is marked in my Nicholsons. Quite close to the Castle Gardens moorings.

 

Rog

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dogless Rising Star

dogless

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It's our first time as we've not been inclined to do the Trent section.

 

However in the fine dry weather we've enjoyed, it's been terrific.

 

I still prefer canals (in a canal boat) but it is a lovely trip we'll do again. Loughborough was a pleasant surprise, Birstall is jolly nice, and Leicester is fabulous.

 

Hope you enjoy your trip.

 

Rog

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Richard T Experienced

Richard TDonate to Canal World

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I was also very fortunate to run into Richard T of the forum who was a great source of information about the river.

 

 

Glad to have been some help. The Soar is our home river and we have got to know it over the years. There are others on the forum - such as Ally, Matty40s, silebyman, Trackman and others who also have knowledge of it.

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Silebyman Contributor

Silebyman

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I came through Leicester last Saturday, barely seeing a boat all day.

 

Castle Gardens was completely empty, and the new mooring at Friars Mill only had one boat on it.

 

I like going through Leicester, though there's a lot of lock to go through I find the old industrial stuff really interesting...

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kingswood Collaborator

kingswood

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hope theres more water in between locks after kilby bridge when we went two weeks ago had to fill up each section as I kept running aground another boat in front hand to pull my boat into the lock later on after we had passed I think cart had to come and assist other boaters,is it always like this


we did Leicester ring plus welford and Coventry and up the ashby loved every minute even when it rained all day , said to the wife I would rather stand in the rain all day than go to work

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dogless Rising Star

dogless

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Now at Foxton.

 

The only very shallow stretch we encountered was the pound between locks 26 (Bottom Half Mile lock) and 25 (Top Half Mile lock).

 

Coincidentally, this pound has the eco type bank work, using a membrane and fencing type posts. I assume this is connected to the area being designated SSSI.

 

We were advised whilst on our journey, that C&RT staff had been in the area adjusting levels, obviously reacting to earlier reports of problems.

 

Rog

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keith. Engager

keith.

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Yes, you can open the main gates with crt key 24/7.

 

I wasn't sure how to do this as the big double gates by the car park have combination padlocks. A call to the local CRT chap and I was rather curtly informed that the moorings aren't officially open yet.

 

The real question to Peter Soulsby (Leicester Mayor) is why bother? There is ample mooring with rings and bollards all down the mile straight and beyond yet not one boat. Of course the pile of cans, bottles and rubbish by every bench might shed some light on the usual activities there. Both guide books state that between Birstall and Kilby Bridge the only secure mooring is at Castle Gardens. What a state of affairs for a city that wanted to be City of Culture 2017. So why not clean it up and open up what could be a delightful asset? Obviously, those with alcohol problems would need looking after but I am sure it would be the right thing to do.

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haggis Veteran

haggisDonate to Canal World

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I wasn't sure how to do this as the big double gates by the car park have combination padlocks. A call to the local CRT chap and I was rather curtly informed that the moorings aren't officially open yet.

 

 

That's interesting that you were told that then new Leicester pontoons are not open yet. We came that way in mid July and although we moored at Castle Gardens, there were boats on the new pontoons and I am sure it was on here I read that the official opening was taking place in late July. I am sure a date was given. So, have they had the official opening but the moorings aren't to be used?

Interestingly, when we were approaching Leicester we met a C&RT guy and when we asked about the new pontoons, he said he had checked with his boss that morning and they were not to be used. He was quite surprised when I told him that a boater we had met that morning said that 3 boats had moored on them overnight :-)

 

haggis

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PaddingtonBear Rising Star

PaddingtonBear

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I wasn't sure how to do this as the big double gates by the car park have combination padlocks. A call to the local CRT chap and I was rather curtly informed that the moorings aren't officially open yet.

 

The real question to Peter Soulsby (Leicester Mayor) is why bother? There is ample mooring with rings and bollards all down the mile straight and beyond yet not one boat. Of course the pile of cans, bottles and rubbish by every bench might shed some light on the usual activities there. Both guide books state that between Birstall and Kilby Bridge the only secure mooring is at Castle Gardens. What a state of affairs for a city that wanted to be City of Culture 2017. So why not clean it up and open up what could be a delightful asset? Obviously, those with alcohol problems would need looking after but I am sure it would be the right thing to do.

 

You beat me to it, fantastic moorings all along the straight. We got there about 1700hrs, no boats about and there were lots of people about all pissed and this went on until we were well out into the country where even quite respectable types in suits had plastic bags full of wife beater. As you say what is it all about? Had to front up a gang of piss heads at the lock by the football ground to escape. This was a couple of years ago so it might all have changed
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adam1uk Experienced

adam1uk

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That's interesting that you were told that then new Leicester pontoons are not open yet. We came that way in mid July and although we moored at Castle Gardens, there were boats on the new pontoons and I am sure it was on here I read that the official opening was taking place in late July. I am sure a date was given. So, have they had the official opening but the moorings aren't to be used?

Interestingly, when we were approaching Leicester we met a C&RT guy and when we asked about the new pontoons, he said he had checked with his boss that morning and they were not to be used. He was quite surprised when I told him that a boater we had met that morning said that 3 boats had moored on them overnight :-)

 

haggis

We're moored on the new pontoons right now! Castle Gardens was full, so rather than breast up we though we'd see if there was any room at Friar's Mill. It was empty, so we tied up, have been into the city and come back, been to Tesco and come back. There are signs on the first gate about a number to phone if you're there out of ours, and about parking being for tenants, not people visiting boaters. There is nothing to say the moorings aren't open yet.

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keith. Engager

keith.

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We're moored on the new pontoons right now! Castle Gardens was full, so rather than breast up we though we'd see if there was any room at Friar's Mill. It was empty, so we tied up, have been into the city and come back, been to Tesco and come back. There are signs on the first gate about a number to phone if you're there out of ours, and about parking being for tenants, not people visiting boaters. There is nothing to say the moorings aren't open yet.

 

You are correct. There is nothing to indicate that they are not open nor indeed that they are CRT moorings at all. How did you get out once the main gates are locked at 5.00 pm or so?

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adam1uk Experienced

adam1uk

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There's a sign that says access out of hours is by a boater's key. There's definitely the right sort of padlock on the main gate, but there are also combination locks. Earlier this gate was open; haven't looked since everyone went home. The sign also says the area is covered by CCTV, and if you're there out of hours to phone a number -- presumably so they don't get the security guards round.

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dogless Rising Star

dogless

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The padlocks were interlocked, so that you could either use the C&RT key on that padlock, or use the combination on that one. We had no problem.

 

Interestingly I was talking to a boater at Braunston today who said he used the showers in the block adjacent to the moorings when he moored there last week. We never spotted them!

 

Rog

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