Autumn Cruise: Day 7

The water level went up by several inches over night, so we were no longer so far from the bank this morning.  It also rained during the night, and was trying again when we set off at 8am.  The bottom of the three Minworth locks needed emptying, but the other two were ready for us.  At the top lock, there was a rainbow over the A38.

The next section doesn’t have a huge amount going for it, and we also caught up with a boat travelling on tickover.  He eventually pulled over and let us pass, while at the same time surveying the damage a bridge had done to his pram cover.  We got to Salford Junction, and turned second-left to stay on the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal.  The M6 is above, and spaghetti junction is a little further along.

We entered the bottom lock of the Aston flight at 10.20.

After a few of locks we met a boat coming down, at which point there was a torrential downpour.  No photos, it was just too heavy.  There was another boat coming down at the next lock too.  The locks towards the top of the flight are closer together, so things pick up pace.  We left the top lock at 11.45, so the eleven locks had taken an hour and 25 minutes.

There’s then the briefest of breathers before the Farmer’s Bridge locks.  We entered the bottom chamber at a couple of minutes to 12.

There’s always plenty of interest on these locks, with one being under the railway line, and a couple under the BT Tower.

At lock 7 we had a brief pause while a boat came down the lock above.  The pounds are really short, so we pulled into the side to let him pass.

We seemed to be a source of fascination for the locals, with one man videoing the whole of one lock operation, and a woman being flabbergasted by the water entering the lock.  I’d have thought these were reasonably busy locks, so it’s surprising people haven’t seen lots of boats before.  We got to the top of the 13 locks in an hour and 25 minutes.

The centre of Birmingham is pretty quiet, so we reversed into the Oozells Street Loop, where our favourite mooring was free.

We decided to go out for lunch, and then walked into town to see what’s changed since we were last here.  Lots of the building work has been completed, although there’s always more.  We were hoping to see the Commonwealth Games bull, but he was apparently moved on Thursday — Centenary Square is being filled with marquees for the Tory Party Conference next weekend.  The PoliNations garden in Victoria Square was being dismantled, but we were glad that the Floozie is back in a jacuzzi rather than a flower bed, and that Anthony Gormley’s Iron Man is back.

Looking at the stoppage emails, we noticed that the Curdworth flight was closed again today (it had been shut on Friday as well) because of water leaking through broken paddles.  It’s just as well we got up the flight yesterday, but does explain the lack of water.

8 miles, 27 locks.  (97 miles, 77 locks)