This morning we saw a CRT “chugger” setting up just to the front of our boat, and sure enough I hadn’t been standing on deck 2 minutes and she was on to me to become a friend of CRT. When I pointed out I wasn’t interested she said most boaters say that. We then had a quick visit to the Bumble Hole visitor centre and I got an update on yesterdays found dog who turned out to be chipped. The were doing quite a good trade in the morning sun shine serving tea and coffee outside.
We were away just after 10 am and into the tunnel, at first I thought there was a boat coming towards us but it was an electric bicycle with 3 LED headlights, the smaller dot is the end of the tunnel.
This tunnel is over twice as wide and high as Gosty Hill tunnel and has towpaths ether side although the left hand one is now closed off. We didn’t meet any boats in the tunnel and only a couple on the way into Birmingham. At Dudley Port Junction we turned right to follow the New Main Line all the way to Birmingham, so no locks for us today going straight on at both Albion Junction and Bromford Junction.
Then on under the motorway and the Old Main Line, it looks tight but I am guessing there is actually room to get a boat past on the right hand side of the bridge supports from when the canal was a working waterway.
Having passed under the Old Main line it wasn’t long before we were going under the Engine Arm, this aqueduct always reminds me of Iron Bridge.
The mass of green you can see under the aqueduct is one of the old Toll Islands that is well overgrown but no problem to pass it, the BCNS have cleared some of the others but at the moment their boat is in need of some repairs and they are trying to raise the cash. It seems CRT didn’t get round to preventing regrowth.
Just after this we came across a Narrowboat at 45° with its bum sticking out, at first I thought it was adrift but then saw someone on the towpath, as we got closer the boat straightened up a bit, turned out it was Robbie Commins videoing. I wonder if he got past the toll islands with those fenders dangling down like that?
Like lots of other places we have passed this week the towpath is being upgraded and like most of the other locations someone has seen fit to smash the barriers put up at the end of the worksite.
One thing I notice is that the Birmingham skyline is always changing, they are always knocking something down and building something else. We carried on into Birmingham and turned right at Ladywood Junction going round the Oozells Street loop hoping there would be a mooring behind the Sea Life Centre and we were in luck, only one boat moored there. We had been moored up for about an hour, even got some wood preserver on the boat hook before it started to rain.
Today’s Journey 9 miles, no locks in 3 hours
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