Birmingham Tuesday 5 September 2017

As expected we woke to the trains this morning, not only that but it was chucking it down with rain so we made a very leisurely start to the day even for us. It was ten to eleven when we set off and the rain had stopped. We had gone quite some way before we saw a boat on the move and then met another three before Birmingham. Moored at the University grounds is a boat called Ross Barlow, better known as H2 or the hydrogen boat. This is a boat that the university converted to run on hydrogen some years back, but I don't know if they are still working on it, it was very experimental.

Only 2 tunnels today, the first was the 105 yard long Edgbaston Tunnel which not only has lighting in it ,it also has a towpath. There were plans to widen the towpath reducing the width of the navigation channel but hopefully these have been dropped. We stopped for water at the services almost opposite the Mail Box and then continued round to the left, through Worcester Bar, which once separated the Birmingham canals from the Worcester and Birmingham canal meaning goods had to be unloaded one side and loaded onto another boat the other side, eventually they cut a lock through the bar so they could collect payment as boats passed from one waterway to the other., now it's a channel just as wide as a lock but with no gates. This leads to the second tunnel of the day, Broad Street Tunnel at only 83 Yards its more like a bridge than a tunnel, but as well as Broad Street running over it, it has a row of shops on it.

When we arrived in town it looked more like it does in the winter with hardly any boats or people to be seen. At Old Turn Junction we went left again and along The BCN New Line but only as far as Icknield Square Junction where we turned left again to go round the Icknield Port Loop. Its quite overgrown and looks a bit inhospitable but the Trip boat comes round here several times a day.

At the end of the loop is a CRT workshop with a wet dock, there are also several ex working boats moored round here.

At the far corner the Rotton Park Reservoir feeds into the canal down a long slope to keep the Birmingham Level up.

We continued round the look joining the BCN New Main Line again at Rotton Park Junction here we turned right and head back towards the town centre but turned right into the Oozells Street loop at Ladywood Junction. We went almost round to the other end of the loop before mooring on the 48 hr moorings. Both the Oozells Street Loop and the Icknield Port Loop are part of the BCN Old Main Line which were isolated when the New Main Line was cut, we will be doing some more of the old loops tomorrow.

I have included a snipping from Waterways Routes maps to give a better idea where we have been, I have marked the route in yellow.

Today's Journey 6½ Miles in 3 hours with no locks.