Best Mooring in the Sticks 2013

The Herbie Awards 2013 continues with a celebration of beautiful rural spots where we tied up for an afternoon and evening during our long summer cruise this year.  Should you be doing some of our route, then I can recommend them all for being peaceful and attractive. lets look at the map

Bear in mind this is not to scale or anything else, just a rough diagram really to give you an idea of our circuit.  Our five locations are the circled numbers.  Here we go.

 

1. Just North of bridge 35 on the North Oxford Canal

This is actually quite a popular spot, although not near anywhere in particular. It just has a nice feel about it.  Just round the next bend is some pretty woodland to walk in, otherwise it is just open fields.  I suppose it would benefit from more sitting out space.

2. Between Polesworth and Alvecote on the Coventry canal.

An extensive piece of open woodland adjoins the canal. Despite being much used by dog walkers and joggers, it is a lovely quiet spot and the vegetation is lush.  Should you want to, you could walk on to the Samuel Barlow pub at Alvecote in about ten minutes.  We didn’t.  It was too nice where we were.

 

3. Tixall Wide on the Staffs and Worcester – Everyone stops at Tixall Wide, it’s kind of obligatory.  Plenty of bank space and all that water to look at.

 

 

4. On the river Avon, a secluded mooring half a day upstream from Tewkesbury.  There aren’t enough stopping places on the Avon, so this is a good one to look out for.A very quiet spot, but ideal for a picnic. I think there is a village nearby, but we never saw it. No sound of a road. Lovely.  My  photos don’t do it justice.  With no one else to disturb, we played music on the bank and waved at the odd passing boat.

 

 

5. Last but not least, another one on the Avon, just half an hour downstream of Stratford are these tranquil moorings by Gordon Gray lock.

An ideal spot if Stratford is full. Plenty of room for a picnic or a barbecue and a lovely weir pool adjacent where some local lads came to swim and I saw this heron

 

Which did we enjoy most?  I’ll consult Kath and come up with an answer.  I’d be interested if anyone out here knows any of these spots and has an opinion.