Going West: Day 18

We had a delivery of chutney last night, courtesy of Andy from Wildside. He came in and we chatted for an hour or so about our travels round the northern BCN. This morning we were up early, and set off at 7.20 straight into the top lock of the Rushall flight. It was very misty to start -- the first properly autumnal morning we've had -- but the sun soon came through.

The Rushall locks are rather nice, but the pound between locks 7 and 8 was very short of water. We were amazed to get over the cills and across the pound.

We completed the nine locks in two hours, dropping down 65 ft, then carried on to Rushall Junction where the canal meets the Tame Valley Canal. The direct route home, which was in our original plan, would be to turn left and go down the Perry Barr locks -- but we have time in hand so had decided to go into central Birmingham instead (especially as we did Perry Barr in 2011). So we turned right. Shortly afterwards, a raised section of the M6 is alongside the canal, while an aqueduct takes you over the link between the M5 and the M6.

The next section of the Tame Valley is straight and rather boring. We did the whole three and a half miles in an hour. At Tame Valley Junction we turned left onto the Walsall Canal, and headed for the Ryders Green Locks. We knew a Birmingham Canal Navigation Society explorer cruise would also be going up the locks today, and sure enough we found ourselves in the middle of the twenty or so boats. Although this meant we had to turn every lock, it was also a plus as there were various helpers up the flight, including Charley from the Braidbar boat, Felonius Mongoose. It was also good to see so many boats in the flight. There are eight locks here, taking us up 45 ft to the Birmingham Level.

Towards the top there's a firm called the Pallet Company. Goodness knows what they do.

At the top of the locks the route becomes the Wednesbury Old Canal for half a mile or so, and then we turned onto the New Main Line, the quick route into central Birmingham. This goes under the M5 is fairly spectacular fashion.

There's always plenty to see on the way along the main line, including old arms, bridges, aqueducts, and factories. Things have changed quite a bit since we were last here, not least the restoration of the Roundhouse, and the opening of the Fiddle and Bone pub just along from where we are.

We've moored up on the main line where there was plenty of space, but a few boats have arrived since we got here.

14 miles, 17 locks. (243 miles, 194 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)

 

Going West: Day 16

The moorings at the Black Country Museum are nice, but very noisy, thanks to a major road right alongside. Maybe that's why people were on the move early. The first boat left at 6.30, with another one going about twenty minutes later. Or maybe it was because the weather forecast had been for heavy rain pretty much all day (although that later became a prediction for rain at 3pm, then 5pm, and then none at all). Either way, we were on the move early ourselves too, slipping away at 7.30, just as a Viking hire boat headed our way from the moorings the other side of the bridge. We retraced our steps through Tipton, where lots of boats are already gathered for the festival this weekend. Then we paused while the fuel boat, Roach, reversed to Factory Junction to wind.

Coseley Tunnel comes next, which is wide but not very long. They've done some work to strengthen the banks of the cutting leading up to the entrance.

The canal was very weedy between Tipton and Wolverhampton, and we needed regular blasts of reverse to clear the prop. In just under two hours we reached Horseley Fields Junction, where we turned right onto the Wyrley and Essington Canal.

Shortly afterwards there's a mirrored arch over the canal (I'm not sure why), which means you can take a photo of yourself taking a photo.

The canal continues lockless for miles, passing back gardens and light industry. We last came this way on Debdale in 2008. Then we coasted through bridge holes and kept a look out at the bow for big items of rubbish; this time, things seemed much better -- although the canal still isn't what you'd call deep, and progress isn't what you'd call quick. But at least the amount of rubbish in the canal seemed much, much less than before. In 2008 we turned right at Birchills Junction to go down to Walsall, but today we carried on -- moving onto more new waters.

There's lots of new housing along the canal, and at least it all seems to face the cut, rather than show us the back gardens. One new estate, though, is behind a substantial security fence. At least it'll keep out the rat I spotted running along the towpath.

There was more new housing further on. The show house was built, but the site just seemed to go on and on. A bit of research indicates there'll be 400 new houses.

After Little Bloxwich, the canal changes completely. Rather than factories and housing, there's suddenly open fields, with combine harvesters and cows. At this point we passed our third moving boat of the day, Collingwood, whose bow looked rather impressive coming round the corner.

We moored up shortly afterwards at Pelsall Common, just before the junction of the Cannock Extension Canal. It's a really lovely spot, especially as the sun had come out.

Once we'd moored up I checked the weed hatch and pulled a variety of plastic bags and weed off the prop -- a reasonable haul, but not enough to have hindered our progress too much. It had taken six and a half hours, which seems like a long time on the tiller, so I'd opted out of a trip up the Cannock Extension which is a mile and a half, and dead straight.

Instead, we walked the towpath to the end, where Norton Canes Boat Builders, and Canal Transport Services are based. The canal ends rather abruptly at the A5, and the M6 Toll is just a little further on. But there were two up-sides: a farm shop on the A5 where we bought ice creams to eat on the way back, and we picked blackberries which have been made into an apple and blackberry crumble.

When we got back from the walk, the engine was cool enough for me to do an oil and filter change, which was due. I've now done enough of these that I know what I'm doing, so it didn't take half as long as it used to!

19 miles, 0 locks. (216 miles, 177 locks)

 

Going West: Day 15

The day started with an early morning visit to Sainsbury's just down the embankment from our mooring, as Adrian needed milk for his cereal. I was on the doorstep waiting for it to open. We set off in drizzle at around 8.45, through the Waterfront development.

We soon came to Blowers Green Lock, which is a deep one at 12ft. Above is Park Head Junction -- where the Dudley No1 and the Dudley No2 canals meet. Straight ahead, three more locks take you up to the entrance to the Dudley Tunnel, which only unpowered craft can use. We turned sharp right -- very sharp, it's really doubling back on yourself, onto the Dudley No2.

I was surprised by the number of boats we passed, particularly hire boats. We'd crossed with one at the lock, and saw a few more before reaching Windmill End. The canal takes a long arc round Netherton Hill to get there. At windmill end, the final remnants remained of the weekend's Black Country Boating festival. We passed AreAndAre, but there was no sign of Barry and Sandra; by the time we came back, they'd gone. Windmill End has some great names, like the Bumble Hole Arm and the Boshboil Arm, and there's the Cobb's Engine House up on the hill, with its tall chimney. At the junction, we turned right, which is actually remaining on the Dudley No2 canal.

All along this canal are rather attractive metal information boards, some just giving miles (shaped like the Cobb's engine house at Windmill End), others fascinating facts, like the one about elephants from a circus frolicking in the canal in the 1900s. I particularly liked the toll man writing graffiti on his own office at the narrows at Rowley Stop.

The highlight of the route we were on is undoubtedly the Gosty Hill Tunnel. It's wide enough for just one boat; apparently the old boat men used to disappear into their cabins and let the boat take itself through.

The headroom starts reasonably enough, but the roof then drops dramatically. Then it lowers again, before opening up again. The far end is another low bit. Whenever we go through tunnels I think of Grace and Matthew (my second cousins once removed), who've come through Blisworth and Braunston tunnels with us; I've a feeling they'd had enjoyed this one!

At the far end, it was chucking it down with rain. The canal opens out, but with big brick walls, which were the site of the Stewarts and Lloyds tube works.

Our destination was the current terminus of the line, Hawne Basin. There's a right turn under a tiny bridge to get in, but the basin itself is home to a lot of boats. They also sell diesel at excellent prices -- at the moment it's 49p per litre, domestic.

Having filled up with diesel and water, and bought an 'I survived the Gosty Hill Tunnel' brass plaque we set off back again, having lunch along the way. We really enjoyed the trip down to Hawne Basin, and it seems a very friendly boating community there. Turning right at the junction, we were immediately into the Netherton Tunnel, which could hardly be more different. At more than 3000 yards, it's six times longer than Gosty Hill, and not only is it wide enough for two boats, there's even a towpath down both sides -- at one point we were overtaken by a cyclist.

We took about 40 minutes to get through, and would have been quicker had we not caught up with boat and had to go a long section on tick over. Once out of the tunnel we passed under the Tividale Aqueduct, which carries the Old Main Line from Birmingham to Wolverhampton. At the end of the Netherton Branch we turned left onto the New Main Line, and then went up the three Factory Locks. At the top we turned left to Tipton, and then continued to the Black Country Museum arm. We winded and moored up on the far side, in the on,y space long enough; even this is really only half a space, as part of it is designated for Operational Mooring, whatever that is.

The Stourbridge and Dudley Canals have been new waters for us (apart from a diversion up the Stourbridge Town Arm on a hire boat more than fifteen years ago), and we've really enjoyed them. The Stourbridge and Delph flights we did yesterday are a delight, and the whole area is a lot greener than you might expect. As I say, it's also been gratifying to see so many hire boats using these canals.

15 miles, 4 locks. (197 miles, 177 locks)

Going West: Day 14

Plans for today changed somewhat over dinner last night, when Adrian announced that he'd broken a tooth. A chunk had come off one of his molars, so we thought it probably needed looking at. So this morning, we set off at 8, heading for Stourbridge. Once the local dentists opened, Adrian started ringing round to try to get an appointment. The most convenient one said they'd be able to see him on Friday, but one a bit further away could do 9.45. We moored up between the Stour Aqueduct and Wordsley Junction, and Adrian went off to get a taxi to the dentist at Quarry Bank.

While he was gone, I ran a load of washing, washed the side of the boat, swept the chimney, and started a fire -- to try to harden off the stove blacking, which come sometimes produce a bit of smoke. After Adrian's initial assessment, the dentist said he'd have to wait if he wanted a filling done today -- but the wait turned out to be only twenty minutes. When it was all done, they called him a cab to bring him back to Stourbridge. Adrian was very impressed with the dental practice; maybe we should come to the West Midlands for treatment in future.

Consequently it was rather later than planned when we set off up the Stourbridge locks. There was a hire boat just coming down the bottom lock, and we met a few other boats returning from the Black Country Boating Festival, so they were all in our favour. The best part of the flight is about a third of the way up, where there's the huge Red House Cone, now a glassmaking visitor centre, and Dadford's shed, with a boat yard attached (where we spotted the butty, Kildare, out of the water having work done; it's usually paired with the steam powered motor boat, President). Then there's The Dock, a very pretty general store and off licence, although I'm not sure whether it still opens.

There are great views back down the flight at this point, too.

Lock's 9 and 10 are just a few feet apart, like a mini Bratch, with a huge side pond behind the adjoining cottage.

We completed all sixteen locks in a little over two hours, which seemed like pretty good going, and we had risen 145 ft. At the top is a junction, and we turned right to stay on the main line. It's very twisty, and at one bridge our chimney came to a bit of grief as it wouldn't fit. I'd realised the problem some way back, but still couldn't stop quite in time to prevent a small crunching of the chimney, until Adrian could go and take it down do we could proceed. To my surprise we passed a couple of hire boats along this stretch. We had lunch on the move during this interlude between locks.

Then we got to the Delph Locks. There are eight of them, although there used to be nine -- which explains why the bridge at the top is called Nine Locks Bridge, and the pub at the bottom is the Tenth Lock. In 1856, six new locks were built to replace seven old ones in the central section of the flight. They rise steeply up the hill, and there are dramatic overflow weirs alongside. Water levels weren't that high today, so the bottom couple were dry -- it was only further up that they began to flow.

Again, all the locks were in our favour. We met a boat at the second lock, and a Viking hire boat towards the top of the flight. From the top, the views must be really good on a clear day.

Just below the top lock, the course of the old locks can be seen. There's a typical Horsley Iron Works bridge over the old arm.

It was at the top lock that the rain started. As it had been forecast to be pretty bad all day, we'd done quite well so far with only having the odd bit of drizzle. The flight had taken us only around an hour, thanks to being able to set ahead easily. We carried on just a little further, and moored on the embankment overlooking the Merry Hill shopping centre. Remarkably, given the late start, we were all secure by around 3.30.

7 miles, 24 locks. (182 miles, 173 locks)

 

 

Going West: Day 13

We'd thought the mooring just below the garden of the Black Star pub might be a bit noisy, but it was fine. And this morning dawned very bright and sunny. We set off around 8.30, making our way out of Stourport, and the first couple of locks were in our favour. On the approach to Kidderminster there are massive earthworks, which look as though a big new road is being built, which will cross the canal. A little way on, a steam engine from the Severn Valley Railway went over the viaduct; a couple of minutes later, we went underneath the impressive structure.

Kidderminster lock is approached under a major road, but when you rise up the lock you have the church in front of you. This morning, they were ringing the bells (although we suspect not in our honour).

At Wolverley Court Lock we swapped with other boats; the lady on the boat waiting to come down said she was a blog reader! Adrian was working these locks, so had a good chat. There were boats coming down at the next few locks, including Debdale, with the cave alongside. Several places along the canal have rock faces on one side.

We moored up at around 1.30 just before Kinver Lock, and walked along the High Street and up the hill to the Rock Houses. These are owned by the National Trust, and consist of little houses built into the Rock high above the town. We had lunch in the tea room first -- or at least, we had what they had left, which was a couple of sausage rolls. The cafe itself was a bit shambolic, as the permanent member of staff was off, meaning it was staffed by three volunteers who kept getting a bit confused. Still, the slices of cake were excellent. There were far reaching views right over to Wolverhampton, and the rock houses themselves are very quaint.

It was gone 3.15 by the time we'd walked back down the hill and set off again, and there seemed to be plenty of boats about. The cottage at Hyde Lock has garden gates shaped like lock gates.

Once up Stewponey Lock, we came to Stourton Junction and turned right onto the Stourbridge Canal. There are immediately four locks up. At the top, we continued for a little while, until we found a nice spot to pull in to moor for the night.

12 miles, 14 locks. (175 miles, 149 locks)