Community Spirit is alive and well.

24 Locks, 3.08 Miles. Now moored at Cuckoo Wharf.

Derek looking to see how far Uccello was behind us

It was an early start this morning to take on the Farmers Bridge flight of locks (13) and the Aston flight (11). A relatively mild day had us discarding our winter warmers quite early in the day as we got into our stride. No problems were forthcoming but the locks were all set against us. We were the lead boat today so as we exited each lock we left it refilling for Uccello who were tagging along several locks behind.

A much different sight to what was here 100 years ago.

We were only on about the 5th lock when a BW worker arrived with about 10 ladies and gentlemen dressed in disposable boiler suits and Hi Vis jackets. He was briefing them on aspects of the canal as they made their way down the flight. I spoke to a young lady who appeared to be the team leader and she informed me that they were from the HSBC bank. As a gesture of goodwill in cooperation with BW they have volunteered to send a team down the Farmers Bridge flight every Wednesday to remove graffiti and help clean up the area. It transpired that their offices overlook the railway and canal and they decided that they would prefer to look at a clean and tidy environment rather than one smothered in graffiti. Well done the HSBC bank for putting something back into the community.

HSBC staff volunteers about to get to grips with the graffiti on Farmers Bridge flight.

By the time we had done 21 locks we were feeling in need of a break so we moored at the moorings below Rocky Lane bridge just short of lock 9.

Farmers Bridge flight Birmingham.

After an hours rest we carried on down the final 3 locks to Cuckoo Wharf where we were led to believe there were visitor moorings. “In your dreams” as the saying goes because there is only 1 visitor mooring which was occupied. Our only option was the water point mooring. We don’t make a practice of this but 2 BW workers arrived at the wharf and told us just to stay put which we have done. The next moorings are another 3 miles and 13 locks away but we have done our dash for today. Uccello is against the wharf to allow their dog easy access and we are breasted up on the outside. Had we known what the situation was we would have been better to have stayed where we moored for lunch because the site was covered by security camera’s and a security patrolman.

Not much room to operate this lock.

Warehouse wharves would have been on the left.

More modern buildings over the Farmers Bridge flight.

Snow Hill railway station bridge.

168 years old and still standing.

No, not a canal and lock, just a lifelike representation for decorative purposes.

G F Compressors have some civic pride at their site on Aston locks flight.

2140 locks, 4171.49 miles, 87 tunnels, 130 swing bridges and 58 lift bridges since Nov 2006

Sea Life Birmingham

Sea Life Aquarium Birmingham.

With day time temperatures starting to reach double figures weatherwise things are certainly improving. Only 2 things on today’s agenda, the first being a visit to Sea Life which is just around the corner.

Derek wishing for a fishing rod at Sea Life Aquarium.

This was quite entertaining  and well presented but they were in the process of upgrading and painting which took the edge off a wee bit. Mind you they did knock a quid off the price because of the inconvenience.

Amazing colourings in some of the sea creatures

In the 4D theatre we were joined by about 80 junior school kids which when the seats rumbled or the water sprayed they just squealed and yelled. The actual film about sea life had been made by the BBC from one of David Attenborough’s series. All in all well worth a visit.

Scorpion fish. Sea Life Aquarium Birmingham.

After lunch it was off to Tesco’s to stock up the pantry for the next week or so as we head off down the Farmers Bridge flight tomorrow morning. Over the next 2 weeks we will finish navigating the BCN before returning to Birmingham for the final time.

Just as I had finished writing this we received a  knock on the roof of the boat, and was not at all surprised to see Paul from Nb Waterways Routes who dropped in for a cuppa and a chat before retiring to his boat at Sherborne Wharf for the night.

Gosty Hill or Gorsty Tunnel?

Come on BW get it right! did someone spell it wrong?

Back to the big City.

3 Locks, 4.21 Miles. Now moored at Brindley Place.

After a wonderful Mothers Day roast beef dinner last night cooked by Carrie we followed it with Banoffee Pie made by Dot, we then spent a pleasant evening relaxing over a wine or two.

Winson Green prison.

Then this morning after a very pleasant week-end at the visitor moorings on the Engine Arm it was time to get moving again. Leaving the Engine Arm we dropped down through the 3 Smethwick locks back down onto the New Mainline where we only travelled about a mile before turning off at Winson Green junction.

Hockley Port Arm, all 500 yards of it.

This put us on the Soho loop leading to the Hockley Port Arm.The latter is only part of it’s former self with much of it being filled in, what remains is a site for permanent moorings. This loop is quite different in that instead of being surrounded by industrial buildings you start off with the railways EMU storage yards followed by the Winson Green prison. and on the opposite side there are hospitals, some I suspect from bridge names(Asylum Bridge) were/are mental institutions. There has also been quite a lot of housing redevelopment in the area. From here we again crossed the New Mainline onto the Icknield Port Loop.

Waiting for Uccello to catch up after a weed hatch visit.

This loop is only a very short one which has no towpaths. A canal contractor stores his work boats here and at the end of the loop is a BW yard complete with a wet dock. It was only a short time before we were back out on the New Mainline for about ½ mile before turning into the Oozells loop where we could get diesel at Sherbourne Wharf.

Icknield Port loop complete with contractors work barges. No towpaths here.

Here the staff were only too quick to tell us that with a fresh delivery of diesel they now had a new price of 74p per litre, up 11p on their last price. Whatever, we desperately needed diesel and including replenishing our emergency supply we took on 180 litre’s, luckily at the old price. With the temperatures over the last few days warming up considerably that diesel consumption will hopefully drop as the central heating is not working so hard now.

"Oh Dear"

2116 locks, 4168.41 miles, 87 tunnels, 130 swing bridges and 58 lift bridges since Nov 2006

Different as Chalk and Cheese.

3 Locks, 9.72 Miles, 3 Tunnels. Now moored at Handsworth Wharf.

Thank Goodness we're nearly out of Gosty Hill Tunnel

Despite our location we had a quiet trouble free night but as there was nothing to do in the area we opted to high tail it off the Dudley No 2 Canal back towards Birmingham. At the Bumble Hole Visitor Centre we stopped for water and a browse around the centre. It is run and managed by volunteers who have done a great job with a pictorial history of the canal and railway of the area.

Spon Lane Top lock under the M5 motorway

One diorama showed the extent of the waterways and railway lines in the area serving collieries,engineering works and factories. It was amazing to see how much was packed into an area approx 10-15sq miles, it must have been a very busy place in it’s heyday. Much of it has now disappeared and we are left with a mere skeleton.Two stories that caught my eye were of the Chain and Anchor Works that had made the anchor for the Titanic.When it came time to get the anchor down to the canal for shipment to Liverpool it took 24 horses and a special cart to shift it. The other was of the surrounding houses being affected by the constant thumping of the steam driven hammers making chains. Residents would come home after work and would find their furniture had moved or things fallen off shelves etc, I bet those houses didn’t last long before falling apart.

Summit Tunnel on the Old Mainline, Birmingham

The tunnels that we passed through couldn’t have been more different. Gosty Hill was narrow with one section of very low headroom and no towpath. Netherton tunnel was quite the opposite being wide enough for 2 boats to pass with ease, approximately 20ft of headroom and a towpath down both sides. The Galton bridge summit tunnel is a modern cast concrete structure again wide enough for 2 boats with just 1 towpath.

On Telford Aqueduct over the Birmingham new Mainline – fancy that another boat apart from us.

Turning off the New Mainline we headed up the Spon Lane locks which hadn’t seen a boat for a while judging by the rubbish in the lock entrances. Once through the locks we travelled below the M5 high above us. Just before the Smethwick locks we did a hard right turn through a very narrow bridge hole onto the Engine Arm branch. This took us across Telford’s Aqueduct high above the New Main line, all quite spectacular. The short run up the arm didn’t take long and we found the visitor moorings and BW facilities very inviting. The resident boats have a very nice set up with power, car parks, sheds and all the amenities, all in a secure area, I bet these moorings don’t come up for grabs very often.

Our secure overnight mooring on the visitor mooring at the end of the Engine Arm on the BCN

2113 locks, 4164.20 miles, 87 tunnels, 130 swing bridges and 58 lift bridges since Nov 2006

Happy Birthday Karen

We hope you have a great day, keep up the good work and we will see you soon.

Hawne Basin

0 Locks, 3.17 Miles, 1 Tunnel. Now moored at Coombeswood Bridge.

We had been given good reports about the Dudley No2 canal to Hawne Basin so we thought that we should pay it a visit. After watering up at the visitor centre opposite our overnight mooring we set off in showery conditions. Just after turning onto this stretch of canal we were confronted with the remains of a toll island in the centre of the channel which apparently was also a colliery loading basin.The view to our right was over acres and acres of commercial building roof’s which did not really improve much anywhere along the 3 miles of canal.

There were the obvious signs of some of the old industries that gave life to this canal in the late 1800’s,early 1900’s but a lot of it has given way to modern trading estates and housing. The only large scale show of the past was the huge site of the Steel Tube works at the Coombeswood end of the Gosty Hill Tunnel. Some of the old industrial sites have supposedly been tidied up and given a make over but it wasn’t that obvious.

Upon reaching the entrance to Gosty Hill Tunnel (557yds x 7ft wide x 6ft high in places)  we were confronted by a sea of rubbish which gave us a few problems trying to enter the tunnel. Alongside the tunnel entrance was what appeared to be a wet dock which at some stage had been covered over. This turned out to be the housing for a tug which used to ply the tunnel pulling the horse drawn boats through while assumedly the horse walked over the hill.

Once inside the tunnel our problems didn’t end with the rubbish because for the first 200 yards we kept hitting large floating objects some of which effectively jammed us against the walls. Derek on Uccello also had the same problem and he had entered the tunnel probably 30 minutes ahead of us. A report has now been filed with BW West Midlands regarding this situation. We await their reply.

All that remains of a huge steel tube works on the Dudley No2 canal. Gosty Hill tunnel is in the bottom left hand corner.

We had been told that the resident’s of Hawne Basin would make us feel welcome upon arrival but we were politely told that no visitor moorings were available (probably the time of year) so we are now moored alongside a trading estate adjacent to the towpath. This is not the most endearing of blogs and we don’t want to deter others from venturing along this waterway but we are just telling it as we see it. We are told there are many walkways which may give a different picture to the story but after all this is still the heartland of industrial Britain.

End of navigation at Hawne Basin. Beyond here is the collapsed Lapal tunnel closed in 1917.

2110 locks, 4154.48 miles, 84 tunnels, 130 swing bridges and 58 lift bridges since Nov 2006