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Tardebigge to Gas Street then Stratford (if possible)


Eternal422

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I wouldn't stop at Tysley myself but would push on to Camp Hill and moor by the services. Not a great deal of space but I've never seen it busy there.

If you're feeling adventureous you can tie up under the loading canopy (rings) but you won't be able to leave the bankside.

 

As for your first day, if you get away early or are doing well I'd go beyond Lyons and moor just short of the lift bridge at Shirley. There are some nice quiet spots beyond there too.

 

When you get to Lapworth there isn't really anywhere to moor above or below Lock 19 apart from on a waterpoint, lock landing or in the basin (private moorings) There is no mooring in the pound by the services block either but if you go down Lock 20 or 21 and turn left (it will make sense when you get there!) you can moor in the link. In the morning you can go to the other end of the link, wind on the GU and go back again onto the Stratford.

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Some more...........

 

Looking at them I think your timings are a little conservative, but then I may be a speed merchant (thank you John tongue.png )

 

If you find you have time in hand you could turn right onto the GU at Kingswood Jn and take a trip to Hatton winding 'ole. There are moorings and a pub at Rowington and some very nice places to tie up on the embankment a bit beyond.

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I would agree, on the first day if you have time push on to Shirley lift bridge or beyond, you can stop anywhere past that point.

 

On the return to Birmingham on the GU personally I would stop at Catherine de Barnes and go from there to central Birmingham, but Camp Hill services at the top of Camp Hill locks gives you a stopping point if you need it.

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I've been re-thinking the route, especially after Dave-P's suggestion and now coming round to this :

 

Day 1 : Pick up boat at Tardebigge :), to Lyons Boatyard : 4h13

Day 2 : to Lapworth lock 19 : 7h16 / 17 locks

Day 3 : to Wilmcote : 7h16 / 20 locks

Day 4 : to Kingswood Junction : 6h57 / 18 locks

Day 5 : to Catherine de Barnes : 2h56 / 5 locks

Day 6 : to Gas Street : 7h12 / 25 locks

Day 7 : to Alvechurch or near Tardebigge : 4h

Day 8 : to Tardebigge by 9am to return boat :(

 

I put in an overnight at Catherine de Barnes as I thought this may be a better place to stop rather than going further into Birmingham? I know that Tyseley Wharf or Camp Hill might be better places distance wise to even out the time between the days a bit but not sure they would be OK for mooring?

Looks good. If you want to space things out better, stop at Lowsonford on the way back. The Fleur-de-Lys is a nice pub.

I wouldn't stop at Tysley myself but would push on to Camp Hill and moor by the services. Not a great deal of space but I've never seen it busy there.

If you're feeling adventureous you can tie up under the loading canopy (rings) but you won't be able to leave the bankside.

 

As for your first day, if you get away early or are doing well I'd go beyond Lyons and moor just short of the lift bridge at Shirley. There are some nice quiet spots beyond there too.

 

When you get to Lapworth there isn't really anywhere to moor above or below Lock 19 apart from on a waterpoint, lock landing or in the basin (private moorings) There is no mooring in the pound by the services block either but if you go down Lock 20 or 21 and turn left (it will make sense when you get there!) you can moor in the link. In the morning you can go to the other end of the link, wind on the GU and go back again onto the Stratford.

I usually moor in the next pound just past the link junction on the Stratford.

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Haven't looked at this section for a while but,as ever, impressed by the great deal of detailed advice the op has had from many who know the area well.

Also very impressed by the preparation made by the op. It will greatly enhance your enjoyment of the holiday. you might need to bear in mind that many hirers and private boaters will have had no formal training, though some will have lots.

There's so many things I'd like to add or agree with but the op must be feeling overwhelmed already. keep chatting, keep asking, as you have found , there's so much knowledge out there. And be flexible (well as much as you can be when you have to get the boat back.)

main thing is to enjoy. but be warned, it's amazingly addictive.

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Haven't looked at this section for a while but,as ever, impressed by the great deal of detailed advice the op has had from many who know the area well.

Also very impressed by the preparation made by the op. It will greatly enhance your enjoyment of the holiday. you might need to bear in mind that many hirers and private boaters will have had no formal training, though some will have lots.

There's so many things I'd like to add or agree with but the op must be feeling overwhelmed already. keep chatting, keep asking, as you have found , there's so much knowledge out there. And be flexible (well as much as you can be when you have to get the boat back.)

main thing is to enjoy. but be warned, it's amazingly addictive.

I'm still reeling from the news that someone's taken up one of my suggestions! I don't think that's ever happened before.

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I'm still reeling from the news that someone's taken up one of my suggestions! I don't think that's ever happened befDidn'

I, for one, value your advice and find your comments useful. We love spending time around and in Birmingham and you moor and travel around the area.

As a result of your comments about mooring in the vale, we have found it a useful stopping place. We find it quite noisy there, the tow path is always busy and there are students on the other side for much of the year, plus the trains do run a lot of the night, there are goods trains as well as late night and early morning passenger trains. However, it's a beautiful spot and a good additional mooring for Birmingham. Certainly, if I was coming from Tardebigge after picking up a hire boat, I wouldn't want to arrive in the centre of Birmingham late to start searching for a mooring with a boat I was still getting used to. I know you reckon there's usually spaces but I often see it very full in the centre.

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I've been re-thinking the route, especially after Dave-P's suggestion and now coming round to this :

 

Day 1 : Pick up boat at Tardebigge smile.png, to Lyons Boatyard : 4h13

Day 2 : to Lapworth lock 19 : 7h16 / 17 locks

Day 3 : to Wilmcote : 7h16 / 20 locks

Day 4 : to Kingswood Junction : 6h57 / 18 locks

Day 5 : to Catherine de Barnes : 2h56 / 5 locks

Day 6 : to Gas Street : 7h12 / 25 locks

Day 7 : to Alvechurch or near Tardebigge : 4h

Day 8 : to Tardebigge by 9am to return boat sad.png

 

I put in an overnight at Catherine de Barnes as I thought this may be a better place to stop rather than going further into Birmingham? I know that Tyseley Wharf or Camp Hill might be better places distance wise to even out the time between the days a bit but not sure they would be OK for mooring?

We done these canalsmany times with just the wife and myself.

 

Nowadays we usually limit ourselves to 21 locks a day or so. We have done 24 but ended up completely knackered.

 

It really depends how young and fit you are.

 

A seven-plus hour day with 25 locks does not look much like a holiday to me, especially if it is cold and wet. The same plan on a sunny day in the summer might be a totally different proposition.

 

As others have said, Canalplan can be too optimistic about lock timings, especially when dealing with flights of locks like the Lapworth one. When we can down Lapworth last year, the Volockies were helping, but they were having to sort out problems like having two boats coming up getting into the same short pound and we were delayed by almost half an hour while they sorted out the chaos. Meanwhile, the boat we were following was now several locks ahead of us, and they'd obviously decided it was now OK to leave the exit gate open, which slowed us down even more until 'er indoors stomped off down the flight and informed them of our annoyance. By now it was p*ssing down with rain and we were both soaked and miserable, and about and hour behind where we had expected to be.

 

To be realistic I think you need to have some "slack" in your cruise plan to allow for the almost inevitable unexpected delays. Then, if everthing is going smoothly, you can do some extra stuff.

 

Like battle plans, cruise plans rarely survive the first contact with the enemy!

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We done these canalsmany times with just the wife and myself.

 

Nowadays we usually limit ourselves to 21 locks a day or so. We have done 24 but ended up completely knackered.

 

It really depends how young and fit you are.

 

A seven-plus hour day with 25 locks does not look much like a holiday to me, especially if it is cold and wet. The same plan on a sunny day in the summer might be a totally different proposition.

 

As others have said, Canalplan can be too optimistic about lock timings, especially when dealing with flights of locks like the Lapworth one. When we can down Lapworth last year, the Volockies were helping, but they were having to sort out problems like having two boats coming up getting into the same short pound and we were delayed by almost half an hour while they sorted out the chaos. Meanwhile, the boat we were following was now several locks ahead of us, and they'd obviously decided it was now OK to leave the exit gate open, which slowed us down even more until 'er indoors stomped off down the flight and informed them of our annoyance. By now it was p*ssing down with rain and we were both soaked and miserable, and about and hour behind where we had expected to be.

 

To be realistic I think you need to have some "slack" in your cruise plan to allow for the almost inevitable unexpected delays. Then, if everthing is going smoothly, you can do some extra stuff.

 

Like battle plans, cruise plans rarely survive the first contact with the enemy!

it's each to his own. when we hired we boated non stop in daylight loving it. several 15 hour days.

even now after many years, 10 as livaboards we always do the 38 locks out of Birmingham in a day-farmers bridge, Aston and curdworth. They are all easy locks.

Knowle on the grand union out of Birmingham and some of the south Stratford locks are harder work though and i agree on the Stratford could easily be held up by others.

We went up and down Lapworth several times last summer but timed it early or late so we could do the very easy locks at our own pace.

Edited by Mrs Trackman
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Yes it does seem that we have an additional group to those who cruise along in the middle of the canal at 2mph announcing regularly that "you can't hurry on the canals" whilst a huge queue builds up behind - the ones who say "oh canalling should be un-strenuous, nobody should want to do more than a few locks / hours in a day!".

 

Each to their own, as you say.

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  • 1 month later...

Just back from this trip - and what a fantastic time!! Anglo Welsh called us to say we could pick up the boat early on Friday at 11:30, but due to illness we had to delay until the Saturday anyway but were able to get under way by about 9:30am. Didn't have to alter the trip much and ended up with the following :

 

Saturday : Tardebigge - The Wharf, Hockley Heath ( longish day due to getting some wire heating duct wrapped around the prop! (Luckily Anglo Welsh came out to us with cutters and managed to free us up fairly quickly!)

 

Sunday : The Wharf, Hockley Heath - Fleur de Lys, Lowsonford

 

Monday : Fleur de Lys, Lowsonford - Wilmcote, winded here and headed back to moor just south of Preston Bagot between bridge 50 and 49.

 

Tuesday : Preston Bagot - Catherine de Barnes

 

Wednesday : Catherine de Barnes - Gas Street

 

Thursday : Gas Street to Winson Green Junction (to add a bit more to the day!), turned in junction and back to Alvechurch for the night.

 

Friday : Alvechurch to Tardebigge for 9am

 

Had some fun at Preston Bagot bottom lock - the silt and debris prevented the exit gate from opening, just as we were wondering what to do a couple of CRT men turned up to clear the weir / race (?) next to the lock and sorted it the gate for us!

 

Thanks to everyone for the help and suggestions back in February when I was planning this trip!

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I'd go round the Icknield loop, if only to go round again in a few years to say beep me that's changed! The plans online for the development include what looks like a navigable Cape arm as part of the hospital, it will change the feel forever.

Edited by Tecka
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I was surprised the number of boats moored at the junction just down the Stratford on the last two times I have been that way. I have also seen hire boats between the junction and the tunnel, both places I have always considered unsuitable but only on hear say.

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We only went around Oozells Loop, which was where we had moored for the night, but didn't do any of the other loops - just stayed on the Main Line then up to Winson Green Junction. I must admit, by this part of the holiday we were feeling a little flat in that it was the last day - and no more locks on the way back to Tardebigge! Amazing that we enjoyed the locks so much, but I guess they add a bit of variety (and sometimes excitement!).

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We only went around Oozells Loop, which was where we had moored for the night, but didn't do any of the other loops - just stayed on the Main Line then up to Winson Green Junction. I must admit, by this part of the holiday we were feeling a little flat in that it was the last day - and no more locks on the way back to Tardebigge! Amazing that we enjoyed the locks so much, but I guess they add a bit of variety (and sometimes excitement!).

Exactly how I used to feel at the end of hire holidays. Locks and tunnels and other canal architecture are a key thing for me. Equally happy in fascinating urban areas as I am in pleasant countryside. Each to their own but locks are a massive part of canal boating. When we were young a trip up the Ashby from Napton was easily the least enjoyable of our holidays.

 

How did you find Wast Hill Tunnel?

 

JP

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Huh? You cruise down the canal, and there it is - stuck through a big hill

 

I remember that flat feeling too

 

Richard

Very good Richard.

 

On a similar thread it was suggested tunnels put newbies off canals when I said all good canal holidays should include one. Must admit though I didn't find Wast Hill so good when my headlight failed a few weeks ago.

 

JP

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I was surprised the number of boats moored at the junction just down the Stratford on the last two times I have been that way. I have also seen hire boats between the junction and the tunnel, both places I have always considered unsuitable but only on hear say.

 

yes I've noticed boats there several times and can only think it's a good thing in an area that has had a bad press

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Wast Hills tunnel wasn't too bad. Before this trip we had only gone through Shortwood, so this was our first really long tunnel! First time through we didn't meet anyone else and managed to keep in the centre and didn't scrape against any of the walls. Coming back we met one other boat coming the other way, but by then we were well used to handling the boat and after slowing a bit passed each other with inches to spare on our port side with them and about the same clearance on the starboard against the tunnel wall. No scrapes at all!

 

We were taught to use the boat's tunnel light on the tunnel ceiling as a guide rather than getting sucked into the optical illusion of looking straight ahead, however I found that keeping an eye on the port side of the boat (where you'd stand at the tiller next to the throttle) against the tunnel wall and ensure a constant distant from the side worked better for me. My wife looked along the starboard side and warned if I drifted over too much. I'm sure there are some kinks in the tunnel, but that could just be imagination!

 

A tunnel certainly wouldn't put me off, nor locks. All part of the fun of a canal boating holiday!

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There are kinks in the tunnel. Tunnels were dug by hand in multiple parts from the air shafts. You set out a line across the hill, marked the air shafts then dug down. When you reached the right level you then dug outwards along a line determined from your initial surveying. This wasn't always totally accurate

 

Richard

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There are kinks in the tunnel. Tunnels were dug by hand in multiple parts from the air shafts. You set out a line across the hill, marked the air shafts then dug down. When you reached the right level you then dug outwards along a line determined from your initial surveying. This wasn't always totally accurate

 

Richard

Often those vertical shafts were filled in once the tunnel was complete. You can tell where they were by the places where water comes pouring through the roof.

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