Birmingham Oozells loop

Early start for us today for two reasons, one the scrap yard opposite starts work at 7-30am and two, we were moored outside Phoenix the BCNS work boat and they have a corporate volunteer day today and will want to use her.
Most of the locks were still reasonably full and all the pounds OK.
The bottom lock cottage although not looking much like the original still looks lived in and is actually two properties. The chimney pots look to be original, maybe.

Down at Oldbury Locks Junction we went left along the Old Main line towards Birmingham. It looks like an incinerator power station they are building by Spon Lane.

Back under the gloom of the M5 and all its scaffolding passing under this disused foot bridge, I don’t know if there are plans to restore it and its held together with scaffolding.

Next on the agenda was the Steward Aqueduct where it crosses the New Main Line  right beside where the motorway support columns are set into the canal bed. I wonder how much that disrupted the traffic.

It wasn’t long before we were into another tunnel, this one much more modern than any of the others we passed through with a cavernous concrete lining.

As it was still early, well in our book anyway, we decided to take a trip up the engine arm, so once more we crossed the New Maine Line,  this time on the Engine Arm Aqueduct. The Engine Arm is a dead end but it has a secure 48hr mooring at the end, a service block and a good winding hole, the last couple of hundred yard are all long term moorings let by CRT.

We retraced our steps back to the Old Main Line and turned right down the 3 Smethwick Locks to take us back to the Main Line into Birmingham, but we weren’t finished yet, rather than straight on it was round the Soho Loop, we have not been round in this direction for some time and the new flats look really big this way as you see the 15 story block first. They are also installing a brand new foot bridge, its almost as wide as the existing road bridge beside it.

At the end of the loop we went straight across the Main line and onto the Icknield Loop, again we don’t normally do it this way round. I wonder how long it will be before the whole island is a brand new housing estate, there are more new shells up and lots of foundations laid. There are still old buildings opposite the CRT yard where the feeder comes in, but how long before they are cleared, the moored boats were all gone .Back to the Main Line and again right into Birmingham and then right at Ladywood Junction and round the Oozells Loop hoping we didn’t meet the trip boat coming the other way. Once round by the Gym we slotted into one of the vacant moorings for the night, there were already two boats here.

Todays Journey

9 locks, 8¼ miles in 4 hours

Titford Pumphouse

First job this morning was fill the water tank while having breakfast and then when the shop opened we took on 185 lts of diesel @ 84p/lt and emptied the toilet tank for £10.It was then a case of getting offthe leeward bank. in the end I went out through the bridge backwards. It was then back to Gosty Tunnel, hopefully this photo gives an idea how tight it is.

Strangely the centre section is quite high, I think this was rebuilt following a roof collapse but then you come to another low section with yet another picture, not sure why it says Hawne basin 1 Mile as we have just left there . 

The road bridge over the disused entrance is finally back in use, only single file with traffic lights at the moment but well used. There is still quite a bit of work to do.

We saw our first boat on the move since Sunday at Windmill end Junction where we turned right to go through Netherton Tunnel for the forth time this trip. as you can see a bit more room than Gosty Tunnel.

Again the fishermen were sat by the cottages just through the aqueduct. Down to the main line at Dudley Port junction and turn right to Bromford Junction where we went up the three Spon Lane Locks. Coming into the bottom lock the junction is very silted and slipping out of gear saw the boat stop dead, it needed a bit of power to reach the gates. As we were going up the flight there was a large crane ahead working just before Spon Lane junction, I have no idea what they are building.

At the junction we turned through about 300°back on  ourselves, thankfully the turn went well as I had quite an audience from the scaffolding under the motorway. I thought this work was all finished.

From here the canal is a bit wiggly crossing the New Main Line  on Steward Aqueduct where I spotted the second boat of the day in the distance below us. At Oldbury junction it was another left on to the Titford Branch and up the 6 Oldbury Locks or Crow as it was known. Here we had a very nice surprise, Phil had been down and set the full flight for us, so every bottom gate was open.

At the top we reversed down behind the old pumphouse on the Tat Bank branch and moored against the BCNS workboat Phoenix for the night ready for the BCNS meeting tonight.

Todays Journey

9¼ miles, 9 locks in 4¼ hours

Hawne Basin

Well after yesterdays glorious weather today was cool, overcast and slightly misty.We set off through Tipton to Tipton Junction and turned left along the Old Main Line to Brades Hall Junction with the view to go down the Brades Hall locks and Gower branch to the New Main line. When we arrive there was a group of “Community Payback” people clearing the area and their leader warned us that below the stair case was bone dry and he wasn’t wrong. We did not attempt to rewater it but turned round and retraced our steps to Tipton and took an alternative route down Factory Locks again passing this BCN cottage for the second time.

I couldn’t see any sign of the sunken boat but the water is no where near so clear now, or maybe its drifted to one side?
At Dudley Port Junction we turned right to Netherton Tunnel for the third time this trip. The junction is quite close to the Railway station of the same name.

Netherton tunnel was, to put it mildly, wet. Once at the other end it was left at Windmill End Junction and down the Dudley No.2 canal to Hawne basin, this meant passing through Gosty Tunnel, the opposite of Netherton Tunnel, low and narrow and less than half the length. Clear of the far end the canal is wide and deep until you reach the end of navigating at Hawne Basin, The bridge over the entrance is even lower than the tunnel. Our reason for come her was to fill with diesel, but due to our rerouting by the time we arrived they were  closed, so we are now moored at the service Quay ready for 10am in the morning. The journey was probably a third longer than it should have been.

Todays |Journey

12 miles, 3 locks in 4½ hours

Tipton, John the lock moorings

Last night I planned to walk down and see if the LED/solar light that was thrown in the canal was working, but as I had my slippers on and it was chucking it down with rain that plan changed greatly.
This morning we were woken buy the builders across the other side of the canal, not sure what time they started, they also had tree surgeons working over there kicking up a din, but it was a lovely sunny morning and Diana did a bit of shopping before we set off.
A bit of advice to anyone planning on mooring in the Bentley Arm, ether go in forward or pull the boat out on ropes. I had no problem yesterday but today it was an instant ball of weed round the prop. I few thrashes back and forth and we were making reasonable progress, of course we took the obligatory photo under the mirror arch.Its now in need of a bit of a clean but access will be a problem unless it can be done from a boat with a window cleaners pole and brush.
Back at Horseley Fields Junction we turned left and I didn’t do much better than when we came a couple of days back, you can see where the wall is falling into the cut, its taken part of the signpost with it.

I pulled in at the CRT base and cleared the prop of the weed and short length of strimmer cord that was holding it all together. One of the bridges along here on a bend if fitted with rollers to protect the corners of the bridge from the towing lines and also make it easier for the horse to pull the line round the bend, these are a smaller diameter than I have come across on other canals and look as if they are made of iron. I don’t think they rotated that well.

There is lot of new housing along the towpath side with quite large estates, If I owned this house I don’t think I would be to happy, the end of the property is supposed to be white rendering, but its covered with brown streaks that look like they have leaked through it, its not the only property like it.

At Deepfield junction we turned left and made our way up the Bradley Arm, A thoughtful local pointed out it was a dead end. It shows how well used it is(n’t). We didn’t have any real problems, it was a bit weedy for a short section that kept fouling the prop but a bit of backwards soon cleared it and we made good time to the end. Thankfully there was room to wind, last time we were this way there were lots of CRT boats moored here, today just an old wooden

sunken boat and some hoppers all beyond the winding hole, I use to be able to get round in the entrance to the basin, but a few years back they piled it and narrowed the canal by about 2 foot. There was plenty of activity in the workshops by the sound of things.

On our way back we passed this weed cutter moored just by the winding hole at Highfields. I don’t know why it was there or who owns it.

Back at the Wolverhampton level we again turned left and headed through Coseley Tunnel, it was just as wet as last time and back to moor at John the Locks moorings in Tipton, where the geese are being extra h=noisy this afternoon, it must be the lovely warm weather, up to 14°C this afternoon.

Todays Journey

10 miles, no locks in 3¾ hours.

Bentley Arm

Well we are still moored in the same spot as last night but we have done ten miles today.
This was our mooring last night, we are the other way round now and no we didn’t eat in the pub.

Another sunny calm morning, not so warm as yesterday but by no means cold and it started without a breath of wind, this afternoon it has clouded over and there quite a breeze making it chilly.
We slid backwards out of the arm at about ten o’clock and headed along the Wyrley & Essington with a target of Sneyd Junction. Last time we were here they had just cleared the site opposite the branch, now there is a large building there.

Spring must be here as we passed at least 3 Coots nests and this one was sitting on a clutch of eggs.

There are several shopping trolleys in the cut just along from the shopping complex and also one of the post mounted solar powered outside lights, I was going to retrieve it but I suspect it is attached to the concrete base and would be rather heavy. We didn’t have any great problems navigating, the odd touch of reverse to through the odd bit of rubbish off the prop. I was rather taken with these signs. Its surprising the difference you see in back gardens, some make a welcoming feature, others look like builders yards or scrap yards, some are still gardened like a traditional back garden and some hidden behind  high hedges or fences.
I winded at Sneyd Junction although there is a winding hole marked by the services about 100M. past the junction through the bridge, looking through I could see a boom across  the arm by the end of the service and thought there may not be room, so after winding we reversed back through the bridge to fill up with water, it went OK once I goy out of the silt.
While the tank was filling I had a grovel down the weed hatch and removed a small amount of polly and some weed with fishing line in it from round the prop shaft. I think I had thrown the worst off reversing in the silt and giving it so back and forth welly, I do know we made better speed coming back.

Todays Journey

10 Miles, no locks in 4¼ hours

Bentley Arm

Well they say what a difference a day makes, last night the pressure started rising, the temperature overnight dropped to
–3.5°C we woke up to frost everywhere and bright sunshine, today its been well up in double figures but turned chilly this afternoon when the clouds blocked the sun out.
We said our farewells and headed off a bit later than normal past Windmill end and through Netherton Tunnel, her are the hanging brambles I trimmed back the other day, they still look low but are well above head height. 

After leaving the tunnel you come to the Tividale Aqueduct, this has two arches with a toll island in the middle, looking through I could see a fishing match the far side and the first fisherman was by the cottages, decision, which arch to go through, I picked the left and gently headed for the centre of the canal once through. They were a merry bunch enjoying a morning in the sunshine, only one a bit grumpy like they often are.

Down at Dudley Port Junction we turned left along the Main New Line, passing Caggy’s yard I spotted a weed cutter moored up, lets hope its put to work this year.

When we came down a couple of days ago the water was crystal clear, today it was cloudy so I wasn’t able to spot the sunken boat, unless its already been removed. Factory locks were with us and dry walled, we were probably the last to use them when we came down, in the middle lock we shared with a Coot, I didn’t see it as we entered the lock, it wasn’t until Diana started filling that I spotted it by the bows, I finally swam along the side of the boat and had the rest of the trip behind our stern.

We carried on along the Wolverhampton Level through Coseley Tunnel which was quite wet at the

far end, again I trimmed the brambles that were hanging low enough to catch peoples faces. A steady run to Horseley Field Junction where I made a right cock of swinging in, A chap standing by the bridge kindle pushed my bows round as my stern and prop were in sunken branches. The wall opposite the junction is collapsing and of course the bricks are falling into the cut. I managed to negotiate the narrow gauging lock at the end of the Wyrley and Essington canal without fouling the prop, that’s unusual for me, its normally full of crap. We carried on to our mooring for the night, the Bentley Arm by the Nickelodeon pub, but I don’t think we will be visiting there tonight.

Todays Journey

10¼ miles, 3 locks in 3¾ hours

Withymoor Island

I forgot to mention why we are all gathering here, its the Birmingham Canal Navigation Society for the Icicle Cruise. Icicle Cruise 2024 – Waterfront to Parkhead | Birmingham Canal Navigations Society (bcnsociety.com)
Last night we planned to eat with the others who were moored here at Weatherspoons but the place was heaving so we looked at the Brierley Hop House but their kitchen was about to close so we went to the Indian Tavern and it was one of the best Indian Meals I have had, so good we had to have a doggy bag.
This morning I took a couple of photos or the rest of the groups boats before setting off at ten past ten,

there was no sign of life on the other boats. We slowly chugger to Blowers Green lock and then up the three Park Head locks to the mouth of the Dudley Tunnel, we are far to tall to get through and power boats are not allowed anyway.

Reversing back to the head of the top lock to wind, trying to avoid the weed which seams rampant outside the channel close to the tow path, to where it was wide enough to wind, we then went down the side arm into Pensnett basin where we moored to await the arrive of the rest of the boats. We spent the rest of the morning through to about 2pm assisting all the others up the locks.
After lunch we set off back down the flight passing under the dis used railway viaduct that is now being repurposed for the Birmingham Light Railway

Well we may have been the first to arrive at Park Head but we were the last to leave and with all the boat movements through the lock the level was down several inches above the top lock, but luckily we didn’t have a problem just sliding backwards out of the arm and the forward into the lock, This time we were the ones to receive assistance with the locking.
Once down the locks it was turn left and head for Withymoor Island an ex railway trans shipment yard. Here the residents of the island had laid on a meal for us and provided us with an overnight mooring.

Todays Journey

4¼ miles, 7 locks in 2½

Merry Hill

Got up for my normal wee in the middle of the night and it was bright moonlight but by early morning it was raining and blowing, the rain finally stopped about 10am so we were late getting away, but it didn’t matter as we didn’t have far to go.
We pushed off and made our way to Parkhead lock and junction. it looks as if the company on the junction have had a recent fire. It seems to happen a lot around Birmingham.

We dropped down Blowers Green Lock and were greeted by something I didn’t expect to see this time of the year, the canal covered, bank to bank with a green carpet of weed.

Its very early in the year for this to be around, its very thin, but is it a sign of things to come with problems like they had last year.

A short way before Merry Hill beside the Tata building there is this structure on the side of the canal, there is a similar one towpath side so I take it there was a cable across the canal at some point, but what was it for?

Once at Merry Hill we winded and reversed back under the bridge to see if any other boats were on the moorings along the towpath, but couldn’t see any one so moored opposite Weatherspoons, there are now 4 more boats here and one a long way upthe towpath, I was expecting to see about ten, but its still early.

Todays Journey

4 miles, 1lock in 1½ hours