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Canal boat break - which route?


otherwayup
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We have booked a narrow boat for a week in first half of July from Calcutt Boats at Napton Junction.

I'm looking for advice on which route to take for a leisurely week with plenty of bank side pubs/restaurants.  Not worried about locks, but don't want to spend half the day queuing up.

Initial thoughts are head south towards Oxford.

Are there any really busy routes to avoid?

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The Oxford Canal is really lovely, you can't fault it, head south down to Oxford by all means. Yes it is narrower but in a week you are not going that far. Twenty to thirty miles a day tops so just chug along and enjoy the serene ambience. If its your first time its a perfect introduction. North to Braunston and you hit the Grand Union which will be busier.

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We rented from Calcutt 3yrs ago, took the family, 4 kids and a dog. Good clean boats. We headed down the south Oxford and managed to get to Banbury in a week. It’s a good route with a good mix of leisurely cruising and locks. Locks are fine now having had a good tidy up. Pubs are spaced apart, so if you’re cunning you can have lunch in one then move to another for the evening. Avoid Copredy when the festival is on, we got caught out on the way back, the place was rammed, with a heavy fog of illegal substances in the air. Top pub enroute, The Wharf Inn at Fenny Compton, it’s where I met my wife about 16yrs before! Also a good point to fill water and re stock from the small shop.

The most important thing is to relax and enjoy!

26FC548A-A7FE-422E-9115-86F18EA90313.jpeg

Edited by stevo_m
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13 hours ago, stevo_m said:

We rented from Calcutt 3yrs ago, took the family, 4 kids and a dog. Good clean boats. We headed down the south Oxford and managed to get to Banbury in a week. It’s a good route with a good mix of leisurely cruising and locks. Locks are fine now having had a good tidy up. Pubs are spaced apart, so if you’re cunning you can have lunch in one then move to another for the evening. Avoid Copredy when the festival is on, we got caught out on the way back, the place was rammed, with a heavy fog of illegal substances in the air. Top pub enroute, The Wharf Inn at Fenny Compton, it’s where I met my wife about 16yrs before! Also a good point to fill water and re stock from the small shop.

The most important thing is to relax and enjoy!

26FC548A-A7FE-422E-9115-86F18EA90313.jpeg

The Wharf Inn is local to me and does good grub and ale. It's dog friendly too. Can get very crowded at lunchtimes.

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  • 1 month later...

Hatton country world always something going on if you head towards Calverton locks nice country side and watch the missus getting into a lather opening the locks for you priceless Strafford is a nice place to stop for theater and eateries Coventry canals plenty of good pubs and eateries Sutton stop near Bedworth you can stop off and enjoy the air rifle shooting range if you need a day off  and plenty of shopping for the fair lady a short taxi ride away there is loads of shopping in Coventry  the greyhound pub excellent beer and food  highly recommended   enjoy holidays are not where you are but the people you are with 

Edited by Saltings
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I'm no expert but I do know stretches of the Oxford canal and it is VERY tight in places, and no chance of wide beam Narrow boats, single boat only in some locks and when you first look at them you would probably think they were not even wide enough for that. 

Certainly some nice pubs and eateries but a bit tatty in parts as well, I guess probably similar to many canals though!

Edit, sorry, just noticed this was a while back!

Edited by Dekers
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