Hi Debbi (Nice to see you in the rising Sun on Sat night, apologise for hardly being able to stay awake but I had just done a thirteen hour run up from Uxbridge On Fulbourne and as I was lock wheeling I don't think I actually got on the boat all day!)
My two pennyworth: New Inn at Buckby - not my favourite pub - look forward to being feeling welcome in there one day! Make sure you see the lock keeper at Watford before entering the locks or he could get upset Lovely food at Edwards of Crick but f*****g expensive. Pub at Yelvetoft friendly Worth the detour to do the Welford Arm - friendly pub with good beer. See my earlier post about Foxton pubs, I think you would like the Bridge 61 best. Detour to Market Harborough OKish, lots of pubs in MH but a bit on the posy side - Food shopping at Sainsburys & M & S Foxton to Leicester is a bit of a beer desert, The pub at Kilby bridge did nice food when we went there a while ago. Leicester is worth seeing for its bridges and derelict factories which you know will be idetikit housing next time you go there. The space centre and adjacent pumping museum are worth visiting but you need to give them a good bit of time. Good moorings in Leicester for shopping etc, never stayed there overnight, we have always moored at the good moorings at Birstall, the waterside pub there has had an upmarket refurbishment but is friendly. The River Soar is a delight especially around Normanton, we have had a couple of good pub crawls around Barrow & Kegworth (Slowest Indian restaurant in th eworld on the square in Kegworth) I particuarly liked the upmarket Plough at Normanton but it has linited moorings. There is traffic signal at Redcliff which tells you wether or not it is safe to go out onto the Trent - ignore it at your peril! You mentioned that you may make the detour to Nottingham, a good idea, there are safe moorings by Nottingham Castle Marina with a useful adjacent Sainsburys, it is also only a stroll to the pubs of Central Nottingham - you must try the Fellows Morton & Clayton - the only pub I know with moorings INSIDE the bar (Not for public use though) The Trip To Jerusalem is also a compulsory visit if only to say that you have been there. There are moorings at Beeston Lock but the area is a bit bleak (Dont forget to leave paddle open at both ends of the lock as you leave!) The steamboat inn is a friendly pub but you ned to go through Trent lock for the moorings or walk back from Sawley Others have made comments on the remaining Canal side pubs but here are my thoughts: Shrdlow - an excellent pub crawl V. nice pub on River Trent at Swarkestone - only a short walk from the Canal Always found burton a bit bleak - worth doing the Marstons Brewery tour if you can organise it. Arlewas is pretty and a good pub crawl. I find the Swan at Fradley to be overrated - never felt comfortable in there. The plough at Huddlesford does upmarket food but the area was a bit of a building site for the West Coast main line upgrade last time I was there. Nice pub in the centre of Whittington but can't remember the name! Canalside pubs in Hopwas looks nice The Market Tavern on the Square in Atherstone is an excellent pub selling good local beer. Have had good food in the Red Lion (A hotel) Always found the Northern Oxford to be a bit boring - not enough locks for me! - also found the pubs at Newbold to be overrated. Braunston is Braunston, I like the Old Plough but prefer to be Canalside at the Admiral Nelson. Thats all folks. Tim In [email protected], "tiamiboat" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Hi all, > > We're off on our hols at the end of this week and would like some > advice please. We're attempting the Leicester ring for the first time. > Where are good places to stop and where should we avoid? Also any > advice on the Soar and Trent. I gather these have been closed to > navigation recently due to high water levels. Have they gone down yet? > > We're leaving our home mooring on in Berkhamsted on Thursday night and > stopping at Tring station so I can go to work on Friday. Simon's then > going to pick me up from Wolverton on Friday evening and we hope to hit > the bottom of Stoke Bruern flight by Friday night. Guess that means > Watford flight on Saturday and through Foxton on the way towards > Leicester by Sunday night. The rest of the schedule is flexible but we > must be back in Berkhamsted by 7th July. > > Looking forward to your suggestions. > Debbi > nb TIAMI >
