Oozells Street Loop

A bit drizzly last night but that had dried up by this morning. We were away our normal time but the weather although not raining was very overcast and felt damp. Looking down the Aston flight as we rounded Aston Junction I could see the first lock was empty, with a bit of luck Farmers bridge would be the same and this turned out to be the case. We met a boat coming down under the office block with a Volockie, he was worried we wouldn’t be able to pass above the lock, he then told me that there was another hire boat following. We met them with their Volockie a couple of locks later. Although the locks were effectively empty I had to draw the paddles on most of them to open the bottom gate. This was until we reached lock 5 and the next 4 all had the bottom gate wide open, I think this may have been due to a dog walker who had closed a gate foe me earlier . We were going to pull in for water at the top of the locks but another boat, that’s the third today pulled in there before we left the lock. 
As well as water this is the only rubbish disposal in Birmingham and in there wisdom CRT have made it a winter mooring, so if you need water, elsan disposal or rubbish over the winter expect to find a boat moored there . There is only room for about three boats so why they didn’t put them in Cambrian Wharf I don’t know

We carried on across Old Turn and into the Oozells Street Loop to moor for the night. Since we have been here we have been joined by another boat.

Today’s Journey

1¾ miles, 13 locks in 2 hours

Aston University

Well the day started very well, the forecast was rain over night and this morning which was correct. Needless to say we were the only boat here last night. It looks as if the moorings were reserved for some event last weekend, when they have finished why cant the organisers take their crap with them? Yes I did bin the one by our boat.

It was quite pleasant by the time we left a little after 11 am. One of the first bridges we passed under was a new one carrying high voltage cables, I don’t know if the design is painted or etched but it improves the look in my opinion.

The traffic lights have gone from the HS2 work, well it was a silly idea in the first place and the offside piling completed.

I guess the American couple must have come down this way yesterday as all the locks were with us and up until lock 4 we made excellent time, but between 3 and 4 Diana picked up what I think was a pushchair cover on the prop, with clear plastic bits, elastic and zips. I spent an hour in lock 4 removing it in small bits, the fact I dropped my Stanley Knife into the bottom of the lock didn’t help matters. Someone around here obviously likes the pigeons as there was a thick layer of corn on the lock side. I bet the local rats are plump.

From here it was a clear run up to Bordesley Junction and sharp right along to Digbeth Junction. They are still working on the old Banana warehouse at Warwick Bar, with a new roof and lots of new timbers.

Again another right turn onto the Digbeth Branch, through Curzon St.Tunnel and into the 6 Ashted locks, these were all against us with several top gates open. Work is progressing on the HS2 bridge and there is now a nice sweeping ramp to one side, the bridge supports for the canal crossing look much like last time we were this way but are now wrapped.

An uneventful passage through Ashted Tunnel, you have to watch the cabin top on the curve of the roof depending on the amount of tumblehome on the cabin to the last lock, Once clear of that we moored for the night outside the University buildings.

Todays Journey

3½ miles, 11 locks in 3½ hours

Star City

We were a little late getting away this morning and a boat had gone by before we were up. We passed through a couple of groups of fishing men, one a match, but I think they all must have been the most cheerful fishermen I have met.
CRT are in the process of cutting back the off side vegetation and have got as far as the Boat Inn. I hope they also work back towards Birmingham from above Minworth Locks.

Beside Minworth lock 2 on the towpath side there is this brickwork in the grass, any idea what or why anyone?

About half way between the top lock, which still has the near side culvert blocked and Salford Junction we met a boat, the second this trip, again a hire boat and again crewed by two Americans. She asked me how far to the Coventry canal, I said a day and a half, but she thought I set a hour and a half so I had to correct her, I wonder when they have to be back at Rose Narrowboats by?
We did a brief stop outside The Tyburn so that Diana could nip to Aldi, pity there are no rings here to tie to, so I just had to holder the centre line until Diana returned, then off under the works by Trout Bridge and on to Salford Junction. The very sharp left hand turn and up through the Nechells disused lock to moor at Start City for the night.

Today’s Journey

5¼ miles, 3 locks in 2½ hours

Wiggins Hill Bridge

A little late getting away this morning with on other boats on the move, we stopped outside Fazeley Mill Marina to top up with water. No chance in walking in now from the towpath, its by boat or the main entrance on the road.
 

They are doing a lot of work inside the marina, I hope the moorers feel the benefit and their mooring fees don’t go up too much. BTW their diesel is still £1 Lt. domestic.

Passing through the swing bridge and under the footbridge at Drayton the cruiser left tied up on the offside has sunk again.

As we made our way to Curdworth bottom lock we passed this electricity post carrying HV cables, I wonder how long it will be before the power tracts to earth through the wet Ivy? It’s getting close.

Curdworth bottom lock was against us, would this be the way they will all be to the top. Then lock 10 was with us. Which one had leaked? As we approached lock 9 a hire boat had just come down, an American couple who told me they had turned all the locks ready for us. Even so some were half full and lock one right full.
The HS2 work is on going but not on Saturdays, I wonder what it costs having a couple of cranes sitting there on hire doing nothing?

  It will still be some time before they reach the canal by the look of it. A couple of locks further up the canal and the field on the offside is covered with shallow trenches, these are normally for an archeological study prior to a development. 
Once clear of the locks it wasn't far to Curdworth tunnel, I have never seen so many spider webs as there are in there, not even in Halloween decorations. Then passed the Cuttle Bridge Inn to moor for the night.
Much to our surprise the weather was quite good but the wind has picked up now and its quite chilly out there.

Today’s Journey

6¾ miles, 11 locks in 4½ hours.

Fazeley Junction

Well we said goodbye to our mooring at Alvecote for the last time, we have been there for 5 years so thought we had best have a change. This was our old slot. Out of the marina and turned left on a bright warm sunny afternoon, we didn’t meet another boat all afternoon and of course Glascote locks were against us. The no mooring signs against the towpath are still there. a very official notice, the small black type  may be polite but the red bold  is fare from that.

Moored at the entrance to Glascote basin is the old butty Cedar that is undergoing restoration. You can see the old bolts where the wooden cants were attached

By the time we reached the junction it had turned much cooler. It was a toss up, wind take water and drop back behind the moored narrowboat of turn up the B&F and fill with water in the morning at Fazeley Mill Marina. Indecision completely cocked up the turn and we ended up with the bows against one bank and the stern the other, I also spotted they there was a cruiser where I thought was a space, so now we are moored on the B&F.

Today’s journey3¾ miles, 2 locks in 1¾ hours

Home Moorings

As we were in Fazeley and supplies were running low ready to go home we had a Chinese takeaway. Another sunny morning and away a little after ten. Met a boat right in the bridge turning into the Coventry canal, luckily I was traveling dead slow.
As we passed the Tamworth Cruising Club they were just getting prepared to lift boats for the winter months.

At Grendon Lock we caught up with a single hander, he had already set the top lock for when he left the bottom so didn’t hold us up. After the locks we met quite a few boats. Just past the Coop stores that use to be a pub the residents who back onto the towpath have decided they don’t like boats mooring there.

They also have notices on there 6 foot high fence. As we swung into the marina the wind picked up, thankfully it died down again as I reversed back down the basin and turned into our slot.

Today’s Journey

2 locks 3¾ miles in 2 hours

 

All our trips for this year please click the map the latest one is in black.

Fazeley Junction

What a day to wakeup to, after a clear starry skied night it was bright sunshine. Leaving at ten the canal was very quiet for the first hour or so. The narrow beam Dutch Barge styled boat has returned to its moorings by the  A38 bridge. While Diana was steering I tackled some of the may rust spots on the roof with Kurust. I know it wont fix it but hopefully slow things down over the winter months. Needless to say as soon as I finished the black clouds appeared, thankfully it didn’t rain on what I had just done.
Passing the Litchfield Cruising Club the parapet wall on the ramp leading to their access bridge has collapsed onto the ramp, maybe a falling tree was responsible I don’t know.

Looking back the transmitter tower at Hopwas, if I had have taken the photo five minutes later you would have seen a plane passing it, its all in the timing, just like my photos of bushes where a Kingfisher had been sitting. You can however see the clouds gathering.
The sunken cruiser is still there as you come into Fazeley, its just the bollards on the towpath have gone now. At Fazeley junction we turned right up the B&F to visit Fazeley Mill marina for diesel. This has recently been bought by the Rothen Group but the phone number is the same.

There is lots of work going on there  with the ground works and the pontoons. It should be noted that the road gates are now kept closed and you need to contact reception to get in.I didn’t check access from the towpath. Once topped up with diesel we headed back to the junction to moor for the night.

Today’s Journey

11½ miles, no locks in 4½ hours

Fradley Junction

A fine morning but very overcast, I was surprised by the number of owl calls I heard yesterday evening.
It was about half ten when we set off just after a boat had passed. Rugeley was absolutely packed with boats unlike last week when we came the other way. We did have a slight amount of drizzle but not enough to put a coat on.  We had a clear run through Armitage tunnel but after that we started catching up with the boat ahead, the one that had gone by just as we were about to push off which was strange as they had been well ahead until now. As we got closer we could see that it was a change of steerer, but not going terribly slow. At Kings Bromley Marina we started meeting more boats and the boat ahead had changed steerer again and had speeded up. JF Boat Building at Kings Bromley Wharf had their crane in use, there are not many places around here where you can get a boat lifted in or out. Also it give you the ability to put a boat on stands so you can get underneath for survey or blacking.

At Woodend Lock the boat we were following had only just entered the lock due to the bottom paddles being drawn as he came against the lock mooing. There were another couple of boats below waiting to come up, so it was just one for one. Down at Fradley Junction the Volockies were on the locks, as we approached Shade house a boat was just coming up, but at Middle lock the Volockie turned it ready for us with no more traffic about. The fungi are doing well on the off side with a fine collection of different specimens.

At the junction we turned into the Coventry Canal, Diana hopping off at the bows to open and close the swing bridge, we were lucky in that there was room to moor after about 4 boats, other than that it looked quite full.

Today’s Journey

8½ miles, 3 locks in 3½ hours

Rugeley

As expected this morning it was raining so we set off at our normal time in full wet weather gear. The boat moored in front of us had already gone We didn’t have the same luck with the locks having to turn all three and the only one we got to leave open was Gt Haywood.
If you have a trad sterned narrowboat but fancy a cruiser stern this could be the answer, extend the rear deck backwards, I assume the rudder is left in its original location.

We stopped for water at Gt Haywood as one of  the taps was free, the pressure jumped up when the other tap was turned off.
Colwich lock cottage was nicely framed through the railway bridge and it even stopped raining for a few minutes.

The boat ahead had just exited Colwich lock so that needed turning, its very slow to fill with the ground paddle still out of use. I don’t know what’s the matter within but the workings are in a pile chained to the base.

I think I posted a photo of the ex working boat Cormorant last week on our way up, well today she looks much different.

With her old top sides laying separately in a heap on the ground. I have no idea how much is original, I do know she had been chopped about a lot.
By the time we reached Rugeley aqueduct it was hammering it down and we did consider mooring there, but its rather close to the road so we crossed the aqueduct found the sharp bend and moored at a bit with no overhanging trees.

Today’s Journey

3 locks, 6¼ miles in 3 hours.

Hixon

Last night we ate at Pasta Da Piazza, being Sunday it was quite quiet and thankfully we were moored close to the town as it was raining both going and coming home. Overnight the wind and rain was relentless but when we got up this morning it had stopped, so a 9am we made ready to set off, by the time we dropped the liens it was raining again. Even though the bywash at Star Lock has been running all the time there has been no improvement in the levelin this pound. It looks to be running through the top and bottom gates of Aston lock as quick as its coming in.
With the rain we considered stopping at Weston, but then it brightened up and the rain stop so we pushed on. It only did it to fool us and started raining again. I wonder how the efficiency of solar panels is effected by dirt, it could be an opening for someone cleaning them. Some we have see on roofs with much less pitch have been dirty all over.
When the tree reaches the high voltage cables will it wither away or cause a good short to earth and a fire, green conifer burns really well.

We were lucky at the locks meeting a boat coming up at each one and made very good progress, mooring on the 48 hour moorings at Hixon by the nature reserve. There were plans to build a marina opposite but nothing seams to have happened and the planning consent expired .

Today’s journey

3 locks 7¾ miles in 3 hours

Stone

Well the geese all departed yesterday evening and we didn’t hear them again until gone 9am today.
Boats were on the move before we were about and definitely before we set off at 10am. to  very overcast morning. We met a continuous stream of boats all the way to Aston Lock where there were a queue of 3 waiting to come down, but no one waiting to go up. The bottom gates of Aston lock are leaking very badly and even with both paddles fully drawn its hard to make level at the top, consequently the pound between Aston and Star Lock is down by at least a foot. Of course all the boats that come up Aston lock to visit Stone for the weekend and then go down again the next day doesn’t help matter. It was a slow run from here to Stone, I always like looking at this garden as we pass, a small garden absolutely packed to the edge.

As expected there were several vacant mooring spots below Stone so we carried on to the water point to fill with water, then dropped back to the winding hole, turned and reversed back to the two vacant 48 hr moorings spots between the lock and the winding hole, mooring at the first one we came to ready to retrace our steps tomorrow.

Today’s journey

3½ miles, 1 lock in 2 hours

Burston

A peaceful night and we were away at about ten. I expected the land between us and Shugborough Hall to be flooded, but it was all like normal with people walking etc.
A few boats had been by in both directions but Gt Haywood lock was against us and once clear of the trees below the lock it was a spring like day.

There was a fishing match going on between bridge 74 and the entrance to Gt Haywood Marina. I think they may have been getting a disturbed morning as most of the boats coming down were coming out of the marina. As we approached Hoo Mill Lock on of the long term moorers informed me we were number 4 in the queue, but by the time we had pulled in it was number 3. There were a couple of boats coming down including an Finesse electric one. By the time Diana brought the boat in there were four behind us and it seems that one of them and the fishermen had words.
The guess were out in force with a lone heron standing guard at the back, I expect we will get an early call in the morning as they were on most vacant pieces of grass land.

Surprise surprise there was no queue at Western lock but it was against us. we were almost ready to leave the lock when fellow blogger Nb. Bonjour came round the bend, perfect timing, we could leave the gates and they could sail straight in.
Then the sky’s started to darken and the clouds gathered as this Swan came low overhead.

The first boat we saw at Hoo Mill had now winded and moored on the Sandon Park, or is it Salt long term moorings. The end mooring use to have a collection of larger than life stuffed toys, last time we passed the boat had gone and now the mooring is being redeveloped.

I just love taking photos of this bridge, it’s such a bold structure to carry a road across a canal. I am sure it wasn’t actually needed.

Up at Sandon lock we caught up with the boat ahead and went up to lend a hand, there was a boat waiting above to come down so the lock was well manned and they were both soon on their way. We only went about another half mile before mooring for the night out in the wilds wit just a hundred geese for company . We had a very  light shower just as we came in to moor but other than that the day has been fine .

Today’s journey

4 locks, 6¾ miles in 3½ hours