Wednesday 23 May 2018

A little bit of sadness

You may of read about changes afoot around Fradley.

There is a new marina being built below common lock  - the next lock down from our mooring
There is housing getting ever closer - some of the farmers have sold up - the pig farm has gone and it is understood the and behind our moorings has a house builders option on it.

The caravan park has a new entrance and there is a rumour of touring caravans being put onto the site
The biggest impact however is the approved local plan extract gravel on the fields directly opposite Hunts moorings.

I was on the boat last night and it is a beautiful peaceful place. I like it as it has two faces, during the brighter months during the day there is a lot of activity and being aboard you feel a little like the stars of the show and also there is a lot of boat activity and I feel like the canal is my moat !

Then as the day gets longer the place empties and we get the beautiful and peaceful Fradley Junction back. The gravel extraction will alter this visually as well as dust and noise it will loose a lot of appeal.

Sadly this pending change has seen my good neighbour Mandy of NB Don't Panic jump mooring and is off to pastures new on the Shroppie. A good move as the mooring there allows cars to the mooring and has water on tap, plus we all know how beautiful the Shroppie is. So there will be a 50 foot mooring available soon - lets see who we get !

This post was sponsored by C&RT who sent me my mooring reminder note today.... gone up 3.4% As I type this UK inflation is 2.7% .... The cost to moor my 60 foot boat is £1885, reduced this year by a prompt payment discount of 10% to £1696. In future years they are removing the discount !

Its a lot of money for no water on site, no hook up no internet no grass cutting  - just a place to put your boat behind a gate, but it is cheaper than a marina and is a nice place  - at the moment. I have my name down for the same moorings as Mandy, not sure of the cost. They are closer to the cottage, but have a limited cruising options especially now with the breach on the Middlewich branch.

I still may opt for a marina mooring when the time comes, with the thought being when we will be on the boat we will be cruising. It'll be either KingsBromley, Great Haywood or Aston. The latter two being closer to home and on on of my favourite stretches of canal between Great Haywood and Stone. Problem is they are pushing another £800 more a year - that is a lot of cash for a poor retired bloke ! Kings Bromley is a nicer marina less commercial but the wrong side of Rugely but the right side of Fradley (and they offer a first year 20% relocation discount.

Still while the fields are fields opposite we will stay put plus with plans changing the location may be the best....more on that later.

2 comments:

Mrs. Jaqueline Biggs said...

Hi Nev,

Great Haywood marina has a lot of rules and one of them is that boats can having nothing on the roof. We were going to have to move all of our wood into the bow (which meant we couldn't use the bow doors) and cover it with tarp in order to put the boat in there for a week. also HS2 is set to run right over the top of the marina, cutting it in half essentially. You might wish to consider a boat club instead. My understanding is that Stafford Boat club just near Penkridge is a great place to moor a boat. Being a member may cost you less than an annual CRT mooring. As for the Middlewhich breach, it is certainly quiet up her in Cheshire and I love it!! Boat traffic is not manic but leisurely and manageable. I also here tell from Steve and Angela on NB Tumbleweed that Overwater marina at the bottom of Audlem locks is a terrific marina. The breach will be fixed eventually but until then cruising to Chester and Ellesmere is grand. Come up--the water is fine!!

Love Jaq xxx

Nev Wells said...

Hi Jaq,

I have heard similar about Great Haywood. Marinas are just sooo expensive plus the idea of living closer than in terraced houses is not attractive. I have heard good things about Overwater. For now we will stick with Fradley as Rachel has a new job, ironically at the University I worked for for thirty years ! I did a few winters on board commuting to Derby from Fradley so it can be done, it is about the same as from our cottage so it gives us options of being on the boat more.

I do like the four counties and have said in the past I could spend all my cruising days just going round and round as there is so much variation plus some lovely towns and isolated mooring spots. Just need the breach sorted !! Take care I hope you are enjoying the warmer sunnier weather and getting some cruising done as I know you are at your happiest when there is water moving under your boat.