Titford Pump House

It started raining early this morning, but had stopped when we left at 10 o’clock. We went as fad as Factory Junction before turning down Factory locks along the New main line. The going was quite good and we only met a couple of boats. The toll island was well overgrown but thankfully the channel was clear.At Bromford Junction we went left up the Spon lane Branch and locks. Here I made the mistake of trying to use the lock landing and got well in the treacle, thankfully I didn’t pick up any rubbish in it, but it did take a bit of back and forth to break free.  
I have never seen rubbish bags left hanging on locks like this before, I wonder who they expect to come and collect them. I had lots of problems getting up the first pound due to low water levels but finally made it to the middle lock, the next pound looked even lower but must have been dredged deeper as we crossed that with no problem. Once up the top lock we turned 360° back on our selves but now on the old mainline, Some bright spark has rotated the signpost so that Birmingham and Wolverhampton are opposite directions.We moored up for lunch under the M5 on the off side tied to two of the support columns. After lunch it was only yards to Oldbury Lock Junction where we turned up the Titford Canal, as I pulled into the bottom lock it was as if I had struck oil, the smell is still lingering in my nostrils. Diana went to set the lock and came back with the news that the rest of the flight was as good as dry, so while she went ahead letting down water George and I worked our way up the flight, trouble is he is not really big enough to close the bottom, single gate. Once at the top of the fight we dropped backwards behind the pumphouse, I was going to moor alongside the rubbish boat but one of the moorers said it would be OK to moor overnight in Charlie’s place at the end because he was away for a bit.

Today’s Journey 6.5 miles, 12 locks in 3.25 hours

Map courtesy of Waterway Routes https://www.waterwayroutes.co.uk/