Birmingham & Fazeley lock 7

We stayed on the boat yesterday evening and didn’t explore Star City to see what was open or closed. There weren’t a huge number of cars in the carpark.
We set off this morning a little after ten down to Salford Junction where we turned very sharply right and headed for Minworth’s 3 locks meeting 4 boats on the way, result, the three locks were with us. We stopped just below the lock to take on water, but we had to run the tap a long time before it ran cold. While we were there this chap on a motorbike flew down the locks (the photo is him coming back) trying to take off at the tail of the lock, there was a lad coming up on his bike. The lad saw the motorbike and took evasive by turning onto the grass, the motorbike saw the lad and also took evasive action, also turning onto the grass, luckily the motorbike went wider than the lad, snaked around a bit on the grass but recovered and continued on his way. On a more pleasant note we saw these as well.Down by the bottom Minworth lock there is the remains of an old building in the bridge wing wall. I guess it must have been for a lock keeper to shelter in.We stopped for lunch down by Minworth Green Bridge, needless to say a boat went by while we were stopped so that would be Curdworth flight against us, however the boat that passed only went as far as The Cuttlebridge Inn. We didn’t see any more boats as we went through Curdworth tunnel carefully avoiding the bulge in the offside brickwork. Between the tunnel and the top lock there is a fallen tree on the off side, its been cut off but the trunk sticks well out into the canal, some thoughtful soul has hung a bag on it, but today something else caught my eye.The Curdworth flight were all against us, it loos as if C&RT have great plans for this flight. We worked our way down as far as lock 3 when I spotted someone working lock 5 so Diana went down to open the bottom gates rather than turning the lock, I then spotted her walking down to 5. It seems the boat was still a long way off and the chap was letting down water, so we continued down first turning 4 and then turning 5 only to meet the boat still coming up in 6. Well I don’t know what problem they had had, but the boat following wasn’t impressed with the speed of travel, it wasn’t helped by a boat below the locks moored on the lock landing. The pound below 6 was down a bit, but I was able to traverse it at normal cruising speed with no problem. The boat waiting below the lock said the other one had been going up the edge of the canal. We dropped through lock 7 and moored up for the night.

Todays Journey 9 miles 10 locks in 4.75 hours. Map courtesy of Waterway Routes https://www.waterwayroutes.co.uk/

Star City

In yesterdays blog I said we visited Hockley Port down the Soho Branch. Tom A fellow blogger  Waiouru commented that he had spent some time there and found this site very informative and interesting Hockley Port .

This was the view from the front of the boat just before we went to bed last night. I must say this is my favourite town mooring anywhere.

This morning when we got up our neighbours were long gone. We backed out of the Oozells St Loop onto the main line and headed down to the Farmers Bridge locks. I have never seen Cambrian Wharf so empty, only two boats in the whole basin. The first lock was with us, but it was the only one. We were joined by a C&RT volunteer who was really helpful and we sped down the flight with Diana setting ahead, me driving and working the off side paddles and him working the near side and closing up. The flight is now well enclosed with different
types of accommodation, probably how it would have been enclosed 200 years ago with factories. The road has been supported down at Saturday Bridge. I suggested they should be painted red an yellow, then they could ask Lego to sponsor it.At Aston Junction we carried on round to the right, the building work carries on along here, lots of the buildings in this area are connected to The Birmingham University. Its good to see some of this old building is being preserved.Our next light of locks was the Ashted Flight, after dropping down through the first lock you are into Ashted Tunnel. I misjudged this and removed some red paint from the handrail.We carried on down the next 5 locks and through Curzon Tunnel which is not only very wide but also slightly curved. We went straight on a Digbeth Junction into Typhoo Basin, somewhere we have never ventured before, we thought it a good opportunity to stop for lunch, its a pity there are no mooring rings or bollards , so centre line to a railing made sure we didn’t drift about too much.By the time we had finished lunch it started to rain, so coats on, by the time we left the basin it had stopped. At Digbeth Junction this time we turned right. Its a shame that the old stop lock and adjoining building is not being more actively preserved. The lock gates and beams  look in very good condition but the covered toll dock and island could do with some love. On our way to Bordesley Junction we passed lots of graffiti but these little white birds that kept popping up caught my eye.At the junction we turned left to head down the 5 Garrison Locks, again they were all against us, as we dropped down through 4 I could see a boat moored ahead on lock 5 lock moorings, we were three quarters of the way there when they all appeared and set off, so even lock 6 was now against us. Some of the crew were somewhat elderly and they explained that “mother” had prepared lunch and they though they had time to eat it between 5 and 6. It was a Kate  boat from Warwick so they have a good weeks work to do. We followed them down and moored on the floating Star City moorings for the night.

Today’s journey 7 miles, 24 locks in 3.25 hours. Map courtesy of Waterway Routes https://www.waterwayroutes.co.uk/

Birmingham

Last nights Indian Takeaway was another successes. All three have been similar price and very tasty. Last night, The Bangla Cottage, was the quickest service at about 25 minuets from order to pick up. The slowest service was Eastern Spice  , they quoted 30 minutes and then I waited another 30 minutes when I arrived to pick it up. Balti King was also ready when they said it would be. I would eat at any of them again without a problem.
Last night as forecast it rained and as the forecast showed today as being fine we were in no hurry to set off until we were sure it had cleared. We headed to Factory Junction to wind and then back past last nights mooring passing a CCCer on the way.(Continuously Cruising Coot). I’m sure its nest was once attached to a bank somewhere.  We then followed the Old Main Line back to Birmingham. Some one has cleared the vegetation at the site of the old coal shoots. The shoots were removed a few years back as they were considered dangerous and a large interpretation board put up on the site.

I now know who empties the new C&RT waste bins around Birmingham, C&RT do, and one of their chaps explained that most are not very close to where he can take his truck so he has to carry the bags of rubbish. Maybe C&RT should buy him an electric quad and trailer. We only had three locks today to take us down to Birmingham, the Smethwick New Locks, new because they eventually replaced the original three that ran to the north of them.
Passing by one of the toll islands we spotted these caterpillars on one of the plants growing on the island, they must be at least 70mm long.At Winson Green Junction we turned left round the Soho arm past Winson Green prison. The reason for going this way was to visit the Soho Branch down to Hockley Port as it was somewhere we have never been. The entrance is via a bridge with no path under it, making the branch and port quite secure, it is mainly residential moorings but there are a couple of visitor moorings in there as well as a dry dock and service block.There are two further branches running off the main branch at right angles which formed the old port. While we were at the end one of the residents there turned their boat and left so we ended up following them round the loop and down the main line into Birmingham. When we got to Ladywood Junction they turned right round the Oozells Loop where as we carried on to Old Turn Junction and entered the Oozells Loop from the other direction. It soon became obvious that we both planned to moor on the visitor mooring, so we dropped onto the first bollard and they pulled in further along. At that point we exchanged pleasantries which ended up with a shuffle as we would have preferred to be where they stopped and they would rather have been where we were. A good result all round.

Todays Journey 8.6 miles, 3 locks in 4.5 hours.Map courtesy of Waterway Routes https://www.waterwayroutes.co.uk/

Tipton (again)

The day started well with a peaceful nights mooring, before leaving we had to check that Lesley’s cat wasn’t onboard, it decided to adopt us and the boat last night creeping in at any opportunity and check that everything was closed up early this morning.This was my view as I looked back to the moorings as we turned out onto the canal again.The first strike of the gremlins was at Moors Lane bridge, completely blocked by a floating island of reeds, I gently pushed this away before we continued on our way to the first lock, No. 8. In the entrance to the lock I picked up a quilted jacket on the prop, complete with zip, just to bind it on the shaft. This was removed in the lock in the jet black smelly water.
One for the historians, can you tell me why they would have installed this bollard under the railway bridge just below lock 8.Lock 6 looks as it could possibly be a contender for an ISSS listing with the amount of habitat growing on the walls.A normal trouble spot is Wellington Bridge where the kid throw the shopping trollies off, I have know a reef right across the canal so you couldn’t get a boat through, but today as we approached they had just finished grappling them out and taking them away. It must cost the store a fortune.
Above lock 6 the pound was very low, and I only just cleared the cill, a lock full of water from 5 helped as I really didn’t want to let anything down and rob the pounds above.  This was the only set of stairs that I spotted on the flight, I wonder if at one time there would have been a set at every lock.I don’t remember which lock this was but its the third one we have seen this trip that has been treated to first aid in this way, still its better than the lock being out of action. Overall I must say I found the locks and canal in much better shape than I did last time I cam this way. I think its because most of the old derelict yards have been repurposed and fenced off, its made the play ground less attractive to the kiddie winks. Just before we reached Pudding Green Junction we met a boat heading in the opposite direction, he would have found all the lock with him hopefully. At the junction we turned right on the new main line meeting yet another boat just before Albion Junction where we turned left up the Brades Hall Locks. I have never noticed how intricate this Temple “Venkateswara”  building is before. Its worth clicking the link and looking at their web page.
At the junction we join the old main line, turning right towards Tipton. By now it was raining hard (did I mention it started raining coming up Riders Green Locks), the tiller and rudder were juddering and progress was getting slower, so I stopped under Dudley Road bridge and removed a load of polly mixed with twigs and a length of gold braid for good measure, much easier working in the clear water where you can see what you are dealing with. With that off things progressed much better. At Tipton Junction it was left to the services just before Dudley Tunnel Trust building where we disposed of the polly and filled with water, winding in the arm leading to the Black Country Museum  before heading into Tipton to moor again at John the Locks moorings.

Today’s Journey 8 miles, 11 locks in 5 hours.Map courtesy of Waterway Routes https://www.waterwayroutes.co.uk/

Ocker Hill

We decided not to stay in the basin overnight with the number of youngster roaming about and a fisherman suggesting we were very brave to have our boat there overnight. So after dinner we moved down to the offside pontoon at the junction for an undisturbed nights sleep. You can see from the map where we started this morning.

This morning Diana wanted to visit the charity shop with some books and jigsaws as well as picking up some new ones, so I dropped back from the pontoon to the quay side so she could get off and returned t the pontoon to clear the polly from the prop. It was 1130 when she returned and I picked her up to set off to Ocker Hill.
I think the Walsall canal is the dirtiest one we have travelled on all year, but although there is rubbish everywhere we didn’t have any real problems or weed hatch visits. We did have a problem with depth at one point, just north of Moorcroft Junction for about 70Mts it was very hard going, not weed, just silt, but it was the only spot.
Last time we were this way I assume its the same boat was in this polly tunnel, I bet it was warm in there last week. The building in the background is quite interesting as well I thought with its hoist hatch over the canal. Old disused canal features interest me, this looks like some sort of lifting are where you would hang a set of chain blocks, but what would you lift with it being mounted on top of a concrete post. There has been a great deal of movement on this bridge, the brickwork must have gone back or forward over 50mm and there are steel plates up into the roof.Another strange thing was the water plant growth. All the canals have been full of water plants and weed until suddenly today there was nothing, just open water with a reed fringe, this was around Bulls Bridge. s I said the going was easy until just before Moorcroft Junction where it was badly silted, at the junction the Bradley canal restoration Society have erected a notice as they are actively trying to restore the Bradley Arm up to the C&RT Bradley workshop so that gives a link to Deepfield Junction on the BCN Mainline Wolverhampton Level. You can’t get to far at the moment but things are looking promising with lots of the structure still in place.
Its not far after this where the Tame Valley canal joins the Walsall canal and then the little arm to the Ocker Hill moorings where we are tonight. These are mainly residential moorings but there is room for a couple of visitor moorings. BW use to have their offices by the arm and keep their workboats here, but they have since moved on.

Todays Journey 6.5 miles in 3.25 hours with no locks. Map courtesy of Waterway Routes https://www.waterwayroutes.co.uk/

Walsall Basin

Well it was quite pleasant last night with most music from the 60s to 80s, we rather missed it when they stopped about 10pm and everything quietened down by 11 pm so not a bad night, the only down side is it seems to be the main route to the hospital or ambulance station and they sound their sirens when crossing the bridge.

Just before we set off there was a boat come by and we wondered if they wanted to moor, but they were going a bit further to wind before returning to Sneyd Junction where they moor. We carried on to Sneyd Junction and stopped for water when they returned and struggled to reverse back into their mooring due to silt and weed.By now we were pushing a good raft of floating Penny Wort which came off the bows when we stopped. We pushed on again to Birchills Junction were we had moored about 3 weeks ago. This is a very handy mooring for Sainsbury’s, you can even bring the trolley to the boat. While we were there we had lunch and I removed some more of the cable sheathing from the prop.
After lunch it was down to the Birchills Locks. By the top lock is the old Boatman’s Rest, one of only two in the Blackcountry. Its rather a fine building but I don’t know what it is used for today if anything.The Walsall flight of 8 locks are in very good condition and easy to work, even if they were all against us. The strange thing is they all have a single top and single bottom gate except on which has mitre gates at the bottom. It is ether original of it was changed a long time ago for some reason. At the bottom of the flight this chimney on the corner of the junction of the Walsall Arm made a fine sight
you can just imagine how it was 200 years ago belching out smoke. We turned left up the Walsall arm into Walsall basin, needless to say it was empty. There is a floating spring loaded barrier across the entrance to the basin to stop flotsam entering the basin. There was nothing there today and its easily pushed to one side as the boat passes through. We winded and dropped in alongside the long pontoon, I thought it best not to rest the bow fender against the window while I drove the stern round, I didn’t think it would be appreciated. Since we have been here I have already had a pair of young ladies stand on the front deck and then ask very nicely if they could take a photo on our bench seat, It will probably be somewhere on Facebook or Twitter  by now.

Todays Journey 5.6 miles, 8 locks in 3.5 hours.Map courtesy of Waterway Routes https://www.waterwayroutes.co.uk/