FAQ12

12.  Question:

What circular cruises can you recommend for either a one week or a two week
holiday?

Answer:

Whilst the idea of doing a ring cruise is attractive, you shouldn't discount
an out and back cruise. You will find the route looks very different when
you are travelling in the opposite direction!! In addition, there are a few
hire companies who can arrange for you to collect a boat in one place and
leave it in another.

Of the ring cruises, probably the best known are the Four Counties Ring and
the Cheshire Ring. Each of these cruises are possible in one week (about 60
hours cruising) but would give a very leisurely two weeks holiday.

Another energetic one week cruise is the Avon Ring taking in the Worcester
and Birmingham and Stratford canals and the rivers Avon and Severn. The
route comes complete with lots of locks and tunnels. There are a number of
exceptionally interesting towns, particularly Stratford, Evesham, Tewkesbury
and Worcester. Good countryside too. Better still, make it two weeks and you
could include a side trip to Warwick or add Gloucester (waterways museum)and
Sharpness - splendid views across the Severn estuary from the Gloucester and
Sharpness canal.

There are numerous rings available in the Birmingham area. An example is
Aldersley Junction  - Wolverhampton - Anglesey Basin - Salford Junction -
Farmers Bridge - Old Main Line - Factory Junction - Netherton Tunnel -
Stourbridge - Bratch - Aldersley Junction. This is mainly an industrial area
and so is fascinating for anyone interested in industrial archaeology. You
can be moored in the Black Country Museum - yes inside it! - or out in the
countryside.

Or how about the London Ring  -  passing right round the centre of London
via the Southern end of the Grand Junction (a.k.a. Grand Union Main
Line),the Paddington Arm, the Regent's Canal and the Thames Tideway?  It can
be done comfortably in two days, so you've got time to stop in Central
London to do the tourist things and/or start and finish your cruise
somewhere off
the Ring. There are two hire-fleet bases on the Ring itself  -  Adelaide
Marine on the GU and Willow Tree Marina on the Paddington Branch. It
involves the Thames tideway, so you'll want the right advice about using
that (see elsewhere in the faq) and preferably another boat in company
(ideally with somebody who knows the tideway).  A good stopping-place for a
few days' Central London tourism is the BW visitor moorings at Islington.
Further information is on Mike
Stevens web site at  http://homepages.which.net/~michael.stevens

Or there's the Leicester ring. Again it's energetic for one week but in two
weeks you could take things more leisurely and also add the Welford Arm and
a trip to Market Harborough.

Have fun.