Wending to Wales: Day 27

We had an undisturbed night opposite the Titford Pump House, and all the locals seemed pleased to see a boat.  This morning dawned sunny and still.

We were ready to go just before 8, but as I knew most of the pounds between the locks were low yesterday, I thought it would be a good idea to walk down to see what the levels were like.  The pound a couple of locks down was about two feet low, so I ran some water down.  Then the pound between locks 4 and 5 was to all intents and purposes empty.

I ran water down all the way to that pound, but because they’re quite small it didn’t take long to get them reasonably full.  We got into the top lock, and while I was down opened the gates of the next couple of locks one of the residential boaters came to speak to Adrian, to ask if we wanted a brass plaque to mark navigating the Titford Pools.  The BCNS now charges £7.50 for them rather than giving them out for nothing, but we were happy to pay and topped it up with a donation.  I also had a look in the meeting room in the Pump House.

Once we were under way, things went smoothly down the locks.  Strangely, though, all the chambers are right up against the towpath, which seems unusual.

We were both a bit worried about Lock 5, which is where we got stuck on something as we tried to get in yesterday.  We thought it might be worse today, as going downhill the stern would also have to get over the obstruction.  Sure enough, when the lock was empty, the boat came to a halt halfway out the lock.  I had to open both top paddles to provide enough water to flush us out.

We turned right out of Oldbury Junction onto the Old Main Line.  The next major landmark is the Steward Aqueduct, which takes it over the New Main Line, which itself has the columns of the motorway down the middle.

Lots of the M5 still has huge amounts of scaffolding underneath it, but some of it is being removed.  We went under a chap on a platform who was unbolting things.  He waved.

There’s a riot of bridges before the Summit Tunnel, then we passed the Smethwick Pump House.

At Smethwick Locks, the little octagonal building has been rebuilt again.  The top and bottom locks were full, but the middle one was empty.

As we came out of Smethwick Junction, and boat was just turning in from the Birmingham direction.  They said the city centre was pretty empty if boats.  The new housing on the island formed by the Icknield Port Loop is gradually getting closer to the main line.  It’s distinctly modern, and we rather like it.

We turned down the Oozells Loop, meeting a trip boat almost immediately, in the hope our favourite mooring would be free.  However there were already three boats there and no room for us  so we came out and reversed up the main line to a space.

We went into Brindley Place for lunch and to do some shopping, then later in the afternoon we walked into town and went to see Ozzy the Bull at Grand Central.  We just missed him last time we were here.

Helen and Andy coming to dinner, so we are guaranteed a good evening.

6 miles, 9 locks.  (315 miles, 218 locks)

Wending to Wales: Day 26

A day of two distinct halves today — but first a mention of how great Mad O’Rourke’s was last night.  We both thought it had the potential to be a big disappointment, but the food was excellent, and very reasonably priced.  We’ll definitely be back next time we’re in Tipton.

This morning we set off at 9.30, and did all of a mile to the Black Country Living Museum moorings.  We were pleased to find a space (in fact there were several).  We’d booked entry to the museum for 10.30, and had used some expiring Tesco vouchers to pay.  We walked up the road to the new main entrance, visiting the motor museum on the way, and went down into the site.  There’s a lot more here than when we last visited more than a decade ago.  New streets from the 1930s and 40s are being opened, including a new pub, above the bit that already existed.  Lots of photos follow.

We watched a chain-making demonstration down by the canal, and went to the fish and chip shop for chips for lunch.  This has moved to bigger premises, and the chips were excellent.  While we were there, there was a brief shower of rain.  Last time we were here we went down the mine, leaving Adrian’s mum outside at the top.  By the time we came out, she seemed to have made several new friends!  We didn’t think we could top this with another visit, so we decided to do something we’d originally had in mind for today — explore the Titford Canal.  (There’s also a Peaky Blinders event at the museum this evening, and they were setting up a stage down by the canal, so we thought our mooring just the other side of the fence could be really noisy tonight).  So we returned to the boat and set off, turning back onto the Old Main Line.  A lot of the line is covered in really horrible weed on the surface.  The boat makes a passage through it, then it just closes up again.

There was a spell of rain, then the sun came out again.  Before long we arrived at Oldbury Junction, a very sharp turn to the right, and underneath a motorway.

There are six locks up to the highest point of the BCN.  We almost gave up at the second lock, because we got stuck on something leaving us half in the lock and half out.  Adrian ran some water down and eventually there was enough to float over whatever it was.  It meant the pounds further up were all very low, though.  The locks are close together, and have single bottom gates, which means no need to step across a gap, but they are heavy.  The top lock has the Titford Pump House alongside, which is now the HQ of the BCNS.

At the top, we continued along the canal, having looked up the BCNS notes on what you can and can’t do if you want to explore the pools and stay afloat.  On the way you pass the old malting  now sadly derelict and fire damaged.

Then we reached the arms down to the pools.  We turned left first, then right into the main pool which has the M5 running through it.

We turned around in the middle, retraced our steps, and turned left at the junction to go under the motorway.  That takes you to the small pool, where we again turned in the middle.  Everyone on the towpath took our photo — a boat is a real novelty.

Having done the pools, we must apply to the BCNS for a plaque.  We followed the canal back to just above the locks, and moored within sight of the pump house.

8 miles, 6 locks.  (309 miles, 209 locks)

Wending to Wales: Day 25

A few years ago we would never have stopped overnight at Autherley Junction, but now it’s a popular spot.  The moorings were full, with no git gaps to be seen.  And we had a very quiet night.  Possibly because we knew we had lots of locks to do today, we were awake early and decided to get up and get going.  So we were ready to pull away from our mooring at 7.15.  As we left, the sun was rising and there was mist swirling above the water.

It’s an only about 10 minutes down to Aldersley Junction.  The bottom lock was empty, and it was 7.30 when we started our ascent.

We worked our way steadily up the flight, with every lock in our favour — the advantage of being first up.  With the sun shining, the flight also looked pretty good.

Three volunteer litter pickers opened one set of bottom gates for us, and at Lock 3 a couple of CRT guys put down their strimmers and helped.  I said to them that the locks seemed in much better condition that the last couple of times we’ve been up them, which they were very pleased about.  One of them also discovered grease on the pawl handle — and decreed that whoever had put it there should be up for gross misconduct!

When we did the flight in 2019 we completed all 21 locks in 2 hours 40 mins, and in 2017 it was 2 hours 50.  Today we were on course for 2:50 again, except that when we got to the top lock there was a boat about to come down.  When I arrived, the ladies on board were debating whose lock it was, and whether they should fill it for themselves or empty it for us.  As it was about three-quarters full, it was decided it should be filled. When we came to open the top gate, it got stuck after a few inches, I I discovered it was because a coconut was jamming it.  Once that was removed, the process could continue.  All of this meant we took 3 hours for the locks today.  At least the cottages at the top are back to looking good, they had scaffolding all over them last time.

Another boat arrived as we left the top lock, so we left it for them.  They will soon have realised there was a boat going down in front.  We pulled in to Broad Street Basin to fill the water tank and get the washing machine going.  Another boat passed, heading for the locks  as we prepared to reverse out, and we passed a couple more along the way.  Not far from Wolverhampton Tunnel is a development of flats we don’t remember being there before.

After a while, the threatening clouds brought some rain.  At first, there was also blue sky further ahead.

But then the rain really set in.  There was thunder, rain coming down in stair rods, and even hail stones.  Once again, I was absolutely soaked, as were people on the towpath who’d been caught out.  By the time we got to Coseley Tunnel, it had almost stopped.

We turned right at Factory Junction where some people were messing about in boats, made of two canoes tied together.  One guy even jumped from one boat to another, and we were amazed he didn’t fall in.  We moored up at the John the Lock moorings in Tipton, I had a change of clothes, and we had lunch.

This afternoon the sun has come out.  We had a surprisingly productive walk to the Tipton Shopping Centre, where Poundland and the Nisa Local turned out to have quite a few of the things we were after.  Then I had a go at re-hanging our bow button.  It’s been lopsided for ages, but over the past couple of days has become ridiculously so.  I eventually managed to get the shackle off so I could shorten the chain by one link on one side.  Hopefully the button will reshape itself to the boat over time.

This evening, we plan to try out the famous Mad O’Rourke’s Pie Factory.

8 miles, 21 locks.  (301 miles, 203 locks)