We quite like the moorings outside the health centre in Tipton: they’re much quieter than the ones at the Black Country Museum, because you’re protected from the roads. We left this morning at 8, heading back to Factory Junction, then turning left towards Wolverhampton. A huge site is being cleared on the offside just past the junction, where there used to be a foundry. Coseley Tunnel was uneventful, then we got to Deepfields Junction, where the Bradley Arm goes off. Here the mainline was covered in weed, which slowed us to a crawl.
Fortunately, the weedy section didn’t last too long, and we made it to Horseley Fields Junction, where we turned onto the Wyrley & Essington Canal, known as the Curly Wyrley. There was another weedy patch right there, and getting through the narrows was a struggle. We pulled up almost immediately at the Urban Moorings on the offside, a group of boaters who are gradually regenerating their site. The reason for the stop was that they have compost bins, where we could deposit the dry contents of our loo, which we emptied yesterday. It’s a really nice place, and Alison who met us was very friendly.
In Wednesfield, there’s a stainless steel arch across the canal which gives an opportunity to take a photo of yourself taking a photo of yourself.
The canal through Wednesfield was reasonable clear of weed, but there’s still plenty of rubbish and progress was a bit slow. All the locals were friendly, though, and seemed excited to see a boat. One man said it was years since he’d last seen one. A little while later we past a boat going the other way. He said we were the first boat he’d seen in three days, and to avoid the Walsall Canal because of the weed.
A brief green respite is provided by Rough Wood Chase, although the M6 runs alongside and eventually over the canal on a very ugly bridge. The traffic was going almost as slowly as us.
There are two right angle turns to make at Sneyd Wharf, then you’re heading towards Walsall. At Birchills Junction the Walsall Canal goes off, and as we approached a CRT flat was just going under the bridge. It was with a weed cutter, which was bobbing about trying to clear a path. Beyond Birchills, the canal was completely green, but it turned out to be a duck weed type of growth which parts to let the boat through, then closed up again behind you. It looks awful, and smells quite bad too.
This came and went in sections, but progress was still pretty slow. At Little Bloxwich it rained for a while, although there was still blue sky all around. Just after that, it’s back out into the countryside.
We continued to Pelsall Common, where we eventually found a mooring deep enough for us to get to the edge.
We think it’s almost the same spot we used six years ago. Then, the journey from the Black Country Musem had taken six and a half hours; today it took eight. Just after we moored, there was a very heavy shower, but then the sun came out again.
18 miles, 0 locks. (170 miles, 197 locks)
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