2017 – Waterway Routes

River Nene DVDs

Posted on 29-12-2017 by Paul — No Comments ↓

I am pleased to say our River Nene DVDs have just been released.

The River Nene DVDs are available in our usual three formats:-

Popular – like a television programme showing the highlights of the canal
Bowcam – a forward facing camera, speeded up for a little fun, showing the whole canal
Combined – both Popular and Bowcam in one box for the best of both worlds, saving money and postage.

River Nene DVDs.Popular, Bowcam and Combined (left to right).

Joining the River Nene at Northampton we’ll cruise along the navigable length of the non tidal River Nene to Dog in a Doublet Lock at Peterborough.

Cruising down the picturesque Nene valley we’ll see the open countryside and glimpse the villages along the way.

We’ll see the locks with guillotine gates, and the unique Ditchford Lock with its vertical radial gate. We’ll squeeze through the attractive bridges, with their narrow arches making navigation difficult.

We’ll see the navigation challenges and show how to tackle them safely.

The Popular and Combined DVDs each include an information booklet and a fold-out map.

Contents of the River Nene Combined DVD. Includes both Popular and Bowcam discs, a fold-out map and an information booklet.

Enjoy these waterways from the comfort of your armchair. These River Nene DVDs, or any others from our range of waterway DVDs, are great for planning your cruise, or just for fun.

We also have the River Nene Maps which are available to download in both Acrobat (pdf) and Memory-Map (qct) formats.

The River Nene Maps are also available on CD in a presentation box which makes them ideal for giving as a present.

River Nene Map presentation box (thin DVD size)

You can save 10% by purchasing a River Nene DVD and Map in the same transaction.

Map Updates – Issue 70 – December 2017

Posted on 14-12-2017 by Paul — No Comments ↓

I’m pleased to announce the December 2017 updates to my cruising maps are now available.

As usual, many of the maps have minor changes this month – those with the most significant changes are:-

England & Wales Canal Map

You can update your map to the latest version – cost price for the next six issues after purchase, then a small charge after that. You can also upgrade to a larger map. Just email paul@waterwayroutes.co.uk with details of your existing maps for a no obligation quote.

Bradford Canal

Posted on 08-12-2017 by Paul — No Comments ↓

The Bradford Canal once ran from the Leeds & Liverpool Canal at Shipley to Bradford. It opened in 1774 and closed in 1922. There are proposals to re-open it.

I have added the Bradford Canal to the range of free canal maps that can be downloaded from my website. From the November 2017 issue onwards, it’s also included in these maps

Visit the Bradford Canal Map pages to download the free map on its own.

Wisbech Canal Maps

Posted on 20-11-2017 by Paul — No Comments ↓

The Wisbech Canal once ran between the tidal River Nene at Wisbech and Well Creek at Outwell on the Middle Level Navigations. It was closed in 1926.

I have added the Wisbech Canal to the range of free canal maps that can be downloaded from my website. From the November 2017 issue onwards, it’s also included in these maps

Visit the Wisbech Canal Map pages to download the free map on its own.

Not a Duplicate Post –
Map Updates – Issue 69 – November 2017

Posted on 11-11-2017 by Paul — No Comments ↓

If you remember reading a similar post yesterday then you are right.

Extract from Middle Level Navigations Map.

No sooner had I published the November 2017 map updates yesterday than I discovered that the Ordnance Survey (OS) had just published a new set of the maps that I use for the background on my maps.

I could have waited to include the new OS maps in my December updates but I thought I’d bring them to you straight away.

So this is the second issue of my maps this month, but the only change in the 24 hours between versions 68 and 69 is the inclusion of updated OS background maps.

Map Updates – Issue 68 – November 2017

Posted on 10-11-2017 by Paul — No Comments ↓

I’m pleased to announce the November 2017 updates to my cruising maps are now available.

As usual, many of the maps have minor changes this month – those with the most significant changes are:-

England & Wales Waterway Map

Latest Posting Dates for Christmas 2017

Posted on 31-10-2017 by Paul — No Comments ↓

Our Cruising Maps (available on CD as well as by download) and our Canal DVDs make great ideas for Christmas Presents, but please remember to order in time.

The Post Office publish latest recommended posting dates for Christmas and you need to order from us by these dates for 2017:

UK	Tuesday 19th December
USA/Canada	Wednesday 13th December
Western Europe	Tuesday 12th December
Eastern Europe	Tuesday 5th December
Rest of World	Friday 1st December

If you order from us after these dates we will still post the order promptly, but it is unlikely to arrive in time for Christmas. The earlier you order, the more certain you can be of arrival in time for Christmas.

Islip Footbridge

Posted on 28-10-2017 by Paul — 2 Comments ↓

The footbridge just below Islip Lock on the River Nene is one of the lowest on the river and its limited headroom presents difficulties for some boaters.

This is how the bridge looked heading downstream from our Waterway Routes Narrowboat in 2012, and we have an very low headroom, being able to fit through Froghall Tunnel, for example.

Looking upstream in 2012 the bridge forms the limiting headroom, although the pipe isn’t much higher.

The bridge was planned for replacement in 2017 and many boaters hoped the new bridge would have better headroom.

Here it isn’t. Looking upstream in August 2017, with the old bridge removed. Now the pipe is the limiting headroom.

The new bridge was craned in during September 2017.

Islip Footbridge.September 2017. © Stephen Dawson.

Here it is again, in September 2017. It looks like the pipe forms the limiting headroom near the edges, with the footbridge still limiting in the centre, with only a small increase in headroom. That will disappoint some boaters.

The headroom quoted by the Environment Agency (the Navigation Authority) for the old footbridge is 2.2m (7.2 feet) and they haven’t updated that figure for the new footbridge.

A big thank you to Stephen for taking the photos of the new footbridge for me.

Christmas

Posted on 25-10-2017 by Paul — No Comments ↓

As it’s 25th October, just two months until Christmas , I hope you don’t mind me mentioning that word.

DVDs make great presents and may be helpful for those planning next year’s holiday, remembering past holidays, or seeing places you’re never likely to cruise to. Armchair boating on sunny days is great when it’s cold outside.

Maps are great for planning too, with our England & Wales Maps covering your cruise wherever you travel on the connected waterways. All the maps are available on CD which can be wrapped as a present, as well as by download for those who like their maps quickly.

Map Updates – Issue 67 – October 2017

Posted on 13-10-2017 by Paul — No Comments ↓

I’m pleased to announce the October 2017 updates to my cruising maps are now available.

As usual, many of the maps have minor changes this month – those with the most significant changes are:-

England & Wales Waterway Map