We find the moorings in Tipton much quieter than the ones at the Black Country Museum and we have never had any problems here. At the moment the water is crystal clear, I took this just before we set off and that piece of white plastic is about 3 feet below the surface, what we didn't see was many fish unlike the bottom of the Wolverhampton 21.
As we didn't have far to go we didn't leave until almost 11 am. We had to carry on the way we were facing to Factory Junction, this is where the New Main Line joins the Old Main Line We turned here and retraced out route passed the old Tipton Malthouse Stable block, this use to be a favourite mooring with people a few years ago but then suddenly became a strictly no mooring area, the notice even says "Narrowboats no stopping" which is a shame as its a nice bit of wharf to moor to.
Although it was dry the weather didn't feel that good with some dark clouds around. This factory always fascinates my with a door about 10 feet in the air, I often wonder what it says on the other side.
We pulled over for lunch against some offside pontoons, there use to be an aquatic centre here and a cafe, but they have been closed a few years now.
As we were tying up two police officers cycled by on the towpath opposite. Even the bikes have police painted on them, maybe it makes them easier to spot when they get nicked.
After a bite to eat we pushed on under the M5 with all its scaffolding to turn right at Oldbury Junction to climb the 6 Oldbury Locks locally known as Crow. Here if you stir the mud on the bottom up you get oil coming to the surface of the canal and it stinks. I hate to think what's been laid down there over the past 200 years. The locks were all empty which helped, between locks 3 and 4 there is an arm running off under the towpath, this use to run up parallel to the Titford canal at one time.
When we cleared the top lock I just drove the bows round a bit and then sat and waited as the wind brought them round by about 16° so we could go down the feeder arm behind the Titford Pump House.
The reason for our visit is that there is a meeting of the Birmingham Canal Navigations Society tonight and the pump house is there headquarters.
The Tipton Canal I believe is the highest of all the BCN canals and the feeder arm, which we are moored on at the back of the pump house runs all the way to Rotton Park Reservoir that we passed a couple of days ago, on the Icknield loop
Today’s Journey 
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