Monday 14th November - Roseford Bridge to Penkridge
This week we have to decide which way we will be returning to Worcester. We can either return exactly the same way we came, heading south to the River Severn and down the river or turn left up the Wolverhampton 21 and head into Birmingham. It depends on the amount of rain in the next few days and the effect it will have on the river. This is the boatyard at Teddesley, there didn’t seem to be any new boats being worked on, but evidence of boats on dry standing having work done to them.
Passing under the M6, it really is a very noisy road! We continued into Penkridge, stopped at the services and filled up with water, then moored up opposite Tom’s Moorings. We took a walk into Penkridge but as it was Monday, everything was closed apart from the large Coop, which we didn’t want to visit.
4.5 miles, 5 locks, 2hrs 30 mins.
Tuesday 15th November - Penkridge
Today is a day of heavy rain and wind, so we have decided to remain in Penkridge for another day. We took another walk into Penkridge in the afternoon once the rain had abated, but generally it was a quiet day on the boat.
Wednesday 16th November - Penkridge to Autherley Junction
A much better day today, however the wind and rain have left their mark on the roof of the boat, we have a carpet of leaves scattered all over. I managed to clear the solar panels and some along the sides, but will need to wait until we moor up for the night before clearing the rest. Here we are approaching Otherton Lock.
On the approach to Gailey we passed our first Christmas decorated boat this year, Toby and I got off the boat at Bogg’s Lock and walked working the last two locks on the way to Gailey.
All the locks up to now had been in our favour, they were empty and ready for the boat to go straight in. However, the lock at Gailey was full and I had to empty it before Dave could bring the boat in. This photo is taken from the bridge hole directly in front of the lock. Quite a snug fit!
Passing through Pendeford Rockin’, the sun came out and Dave took this photo reflecting the sky, clouds and canal in the side of the boat. Quite clever really!
Just before we get to the junction with The Shropshire Union Canal, we have to go through a very narrow cutting known as Pendeford Rockin’. It is where the canal meets an outcrop of sandstone and the navvies were forced to dig a shallow cutting. It is about 600 yards long and about 10 feet deep but it is only wide enough for a single narrowboat. There are three passing places where you can pull in to let oncoming boats pass. Fortunately for us we didn’t meet any boats!
This is Autherley Junction where the Shropshire Union meets the Staffs and Worcester Canal. We have moored up just past the junction where we shall stay until Friday. We have made the decision to turn left and climb the Wolverhampton 21 locks, because the amount of rain just recently will make the river flow very fast and we don’t fancy doing it again!
10.5 miles, 7 locks, 4hrs 48mins
Thursday 17th November - Autherley Junction
Today it is forecast to rain most of the day, so we have decided to stay and go for walks during the dry spells. We walked along the Shropshire Union Canal and over the foot bridge and back along the other side of the canal. This is the view down the canal to the junction.
As we got closer to the junction we found this boat floating out into the cut, it seemed to be tied but rather loosely.
We continued our walk down to the junction with the Wolverhampton 21 and had a look to see if all was well. In the past three weeks, the flight of locks have been completely drained on 3 different occasions and Canal and River Trust have had to close the flight whilst they re-water it. Today it looked to be fine, let’s hope it’s like this tomorrow!
Friday 18th November - Autherley Junction to Black Country Museum
We made an early start this morning in order to get to the Black Country Museum in reasonable time. The sun was shining as we made a start on the 21 locks.
A heron standing quietly watching us go past, I think he had chosen a good spot as the water in this pound was very low and we could see the bottom of the canal quite clearly. We stayed in the middle of the canal and went very slowly but strangely all the other pounds were fine.
The sun shining on the trees behind us highlighting the gorgeous yellow and orange colours. The reflections again show how calm the weather was after yesterday!
We passed one other moving boat coming out of this lock, on one side of the canal it is rural and on the other side you can see the industrial side to Wolverhampton.
Top lock, 4 hours in total, a lovely trip and no problems what so ever! We then carried on through Wolverhampton and on to the Museum. There was one boat moored so we had a choice of spaces, we turned the boat and moored up ready to put water on tomorrow and head off in to Birmingham.
A view of the Black Country Museum, quite busy with school groups and guided tours. In the evening there was a themed Peaky Blinders Evening with the Museum open until 10.30 with a live band and lots of lights.
This is the mouth of Dudley Tunnel. Engines are not allowed in this very low tunnel – boats are legged through by manpower alone. The tunnel passes through a dramatic complex of limestone caverns, which you can explore on a boat trip with the Dudley Canal Trust.
8.5 miles, 21 locks, 6 hrs
Friday 19th November - Black Country Museum to Oozell’s Loop Birmingham
We made an early start this morning, beginning with pulling the boat back to the water tap and filling up with water. We then returned to the Birmingham New Line and turned right and straight into the Factory Locks. We are in the third and final lock which was closed last week because a car had been driven into the lock, it was craned out on Tuesday to the cost of several thousand pounds.
We then headed for Galton Tunnel, the tunnel would not be recognised by the old canal builders as it’s a modern addition. Arched concrete segments were placed over the canal before being covered by earth to form the base for a modern road scheme. Galton Bridge can be seen in front of the tunnel, it was built in 1829 with iron castings from the Horseley Ironworks based on designs used for the Mythe Bridge and Holt Fleet Bridge built across the River Severn a few years earlier. Telford’s bridge was the highest and longest single span at the time of construction. It was named after Samuel Galton, a Quaker, who was a member of the Birmingham Canal Navigations committee.
This was fascinating, and it’s a shame the photo isn’t clearer, but it was a powered boat towing a smaller boat and a butty, they were a jolly crew, especially the little lad in the butty who kept having to jump off and push the butty away from the side!
Heading into Birmingham under major roads, absolutely deafening, and quite daunting, when you compare us to the huge columns.
This is the New Smethwick Pumping Station, built in 1892 to pump water from new to old canal. Both canals took traffic into and out of the heart of the Black Country where mostly heavy metal bashing took place. Finished products were shipped across all four corners of the world. The restoration was completed in 2000 and it now houses the Galton Valley Canal Heritage Centre.
This is Smethwick Junction where the Old Mainline and New Mainline separate, we have come along the canal on the left, in the summer we went down the canal on the right.
Along the New Mainline there are several of these narrowings of the canal with an island in the middle. They were Gauging stations where the cargo carrying boats were measured and a toll paid according to the weight of their cargo. The Boat Gauging House in Tipton was used for calibrating new canal boats in order later to ascertain the weight of cargo carried.
We have made it to Birmingham and we are going to turn right under the bridge and go along Oozell’s Loop to hopefully find a mooring at the other end of the loop…
…and yes we fit in nicely at the end of the visitor moorings, phew! We are going to have a few days exploring Birmingham before returning to Worcester.
8.5 miles, 3 locks, 3hrs 24mins
Sunday 20th November - Oozell’s Loop Visitor Moorings
Today we decided to spend the morning having breakfast at JuJu’s and then go for a walk along the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal.
JuJu has been running this establishment for 15 years after a career in industry. She currently opens Friday to Sunday after having been closed for 2 years during the pandemic. She relies on recommendations passed by word of mouth and her daughter promotes the business on social media. Whilst we were there we saw many returning customers who were greeted warmly as genuine friends. We were impressed with the food, the service and the general ambience and will be adding this to the places we will visit next time we are in Birmingham.
We then headed out for our walk, this is the island in the middle of the canal. The island is situated at the centre of Old Turn Junction Link , where the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal joins the Birmingham Canal. Originally, this was the point where the Birmingham Canal split into its two eastern terminal branches, both just a few hundred metres away from the junction. These are the Birmingham and Fazeley and the Worcester and Birmingham.
The island is much younger than the canals themselves, having been installed during the Second World War to enable the installation of flood gates to protect the railway tunnel beneath the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal, the western approach to New Street Station.
We then walked down the Farmer’s Bridge Locks and under the railway line in this huge arched dome reminiscent of cathedral proportions.
After walking through a cavern under buildings we emerged to see the BT communications tower, towering overhead.
We continued walking down through the Ashted Locks and tunnel and then left the canals behind in order to walk back through the city returning to the boat just as the rain set in for the afternoon. A fascinating walk. Just love the painting on the wall as we head into the city centre.
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