West Mids Meander: Day 16

We did exactly today’s trip six years ago.  This morning we left at about 8.15 and about 45 minutes later moored up outside Tesco in Brownhills for some shopping for the next few days.  Once that was done we turned left at Catshill Junction, which is actually staying on the mainline of the W&E Canal.  It’s not until Ogley Junction where we joined the Anglesey Branch.  The mainline used to have 30 locks down to join the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal.  There is a restoration group aiming to make it possible again, but I’m not convinced it’ll be done in time for us.

Last time we were able to moor right at the end of the canal by the feeder, but there’s now a barrier across so we turned in the wide pool and moored a little way back down the canal.  This was the most northerly point of the BCN, and of our trip this time.

We walked up to the Chasewater reservoir where people were learning paddle board and water ski, and continued round to the railway, where they were having a steam day.  There were little traction engines and a steam model railway.

We waited for the proper steam train to come back from its trip, and then watched while it was uncoupled to be taken round to the front of the train.  Unfortunately we didn’t have enough time to go on the next trip.

We walked back to the boat and set off back down the arm.  There are great views across the valley towards Lichfield.

At Catshill Junction we turned left onto the Daw End Branch (pronounced Doe End).  Almost immediately I had to go down the weedhatch, to remove a thick plastic sack from the prop.  We’d hardly got going again when there was more clunking below; a burst of reverse produced more noise, and eventually lots of bits of plastic bucket.  All along the canal was a green blanket weed, but at least it disintegrates easily, not like the black stuff which clogs the prop.  Progress was pretty slow, and there’s not a huge amount to see, beyond the rooftops of houses and factories at Walsall Wood, and industry along most of the length.  We moored for the night at Longwood Junction.  This evening, we’re being taken to Andy and Helen’s house nearby for dinner.

13 miles, 0 locks.  (183 miles, 197 locks)

Going West: Day 17

The moorings at Pelsall Common are some of the most peaceful we've used this trip, so we slept well. What's more, this morning dawned very sunny. We started the washing machine before setting off; we left at around 8.30.

It took only a little over half an hour to get to Brownhills, where we stopped at the convenient Tesco to top up the cupboards for the next few days. Setting off again, we were quickly at the first of today's junctions, Catshill Junction, where we turned left, staying on the main line of the W&E Canal. The next junction is only around a mile away, and isn't really a junction any more. Ogley Junction is where the W&E used to continue down many locks to Huddlesford. Nowadays there's just a short stub, but the Lichfield and Hatherton Canal Trust would like to restore the link.

Turning left, as we did, took us on to the Anglesea Branch, which leads to Anglesea basin. There the canal widens to look like a lake; behind is the huge dam of the Chasewater Reservoir. We turned and moored up in the feeder arm, where you can see the water trickling into the canal, and the valve house on the top of the dam.

We had a walk around the reservoir, watched someone learning how to wakeboard while being pulled by a wire, saw some kids learning paddle boarding, and walked up to the footbridge over the M6 Toll, which runs very close by.

We had lunch on board, then set off back down the arm. You see different things going the other way, and on this occasion I spotted the briefest glimpse off to the left of the three spires of Lichfield Cathedral. Back at Catshill Junction, we turned left onto the Daw End Branch (pronounced Doe End). The turn was hard work: there's a narrow where tolls would have been taken just before the junction, which means you can't start the turn very soon; then it's tight to get round; then there's another narrow right after the junction, only it's offset.

The Daw End twists and turns, and many of the bridges are on tight S-bends, making them hard work. One I completely failed to get round -- the tiller was hard over, but the bow was still going straight on. In lots of places depth also seems to be severely lacking. In spite of going through areas of housing and light industry, I still spotted two kingfishers.

We reached the final junction of the day, Longwood Junction, a little before 4 pm. The Daw End originally went a bit further off to the left, but that's now the Longwood Boat Club. The right hand fork is the Rushall Canal. We stopped on the water point and filled the tank to the brim, and then pulled back onto the visitor moorings.

13 miles, 0 locks. (229 miles, 177 locks)