Birmingham Explorer Cruise - Week 4

 Monday 18th May - CRT Bradley Workshops to Wednesfield Visitor Mooring

A successful mooring up of all the boats in the Bradley Workshop Moorings.  Today we start off with a walk along the site of the Bradley Locks with Gavin Hawkins, Treasurer and Trustee of Bradley Canal Restoration Society.  

Here, we are standing at the top of the 9 locks looking down the flight.  Each lock was filled in but there is still some evidence of stone work to be seen.  The restoration would dig out the locks, repair and rewater.

Further down the canal, some work has already been carried out and there is water running along the bed of the canal.

The last two locks are clearly visible with much of the chambers easily seen.  The total restoration is somewhere in the region of 12 - 15 Million Pounds, a sum that would need to be raised through sponsorship, gifts, donations etc from local businesses and authorities.  The restoration would connect the Bradley Arm to the Walsall Canal.

On our return we just had time for a quick cup of tea before meeting up again for a tour of the Bradley Workshop.  This is one of two workshops which make all the lock gates for the canal network.  Here, they make the smaller lock gates as the size of the building doesn’t allow for the larger gates.  

Harry gave us the tour, he is one of the 4 joiners that work here, each joiner working on a gate from the start to the finish.  A small gate would take somewhere in the region of 10 days to complete.

The head of a lock gate, with cuts in the wood ready to be chiselled out, some of the machinery was 50-60 years old and vast sizes, to cope with size of the gates, but Harry was saying that some of the machinery still isn’t large enough.

This is one of the chisels, we weren’t allowed to handle it because of the sharpness and weight of the blade.  It was longer than my arm!

This is the fabrication shop where all the metal work for the gates is made.  Every attempt is made to keep all production of materials in house to maintain the authenticity of the gates - they are our canals and we make all parts of the gates.  Each gate will last 25 years, so work is guaranteed for many, many years to come!

After the tour of the workshop we returned to the boats and began the slow process of exiting the basin, returning back down the Bradley Arm and then heading on towards Wolverhampton and then turning right onto The Wyrley and Essington Canal.  

Only one visit down the weedhatch before arriving at Wednesfield Visitor Mooring where we spent the night.  We shared a meal in the Nickelodeon Pub and had a talk from Councillor Phil Bateman who has promoted the canal over the past 15 years.

6.25 miles, 0 locks, 2hrs 54mins

Tuesday 19th May - Wednesfield Visitor Moorings to Pelsall Fingerpost Pub

We set out from our mooring and almost instantly became stuck after coming under a bridge and trying to avoid a coots nest in the canal with eggs in it.  I came too close to the side and it was very shallow.  After much pushing with the barge pole we freed ourselves and managed to steer clear of the nest!

One of our convoy boats had to make a stop to clear the weed hatch, they had managed to collect the metal from around a suitcase around their propeller and needed to use wire cutters to free it.  

The Wyrley and Essington (known affectionately as The Curly Wyrley) is a contour canal following the lay of the land with no locks.  However in many places it is very shallow but in others it is very deep.  This is because since it was built it has been affected by the subsidence of the mines which it was built to serve. Some of the views were wonderful!

One of the options for the day was to travel along The Cannock Extension.  The Cannock Extension Canal is a rural 1.8 mile branch of the Birmingham Canal Navigation. It is highly regarded for its rich aquatic flora and is a designated Special Area of Conservation (SAC).  It was originally used to transport coal from the numerous collieries along the line.  We decided not to go along it as we were tired, cold and very wet!

We met at the Fingerpost at Pelsall for our overnight stop and had a very good supper there.  This area of heathland used to be Pelsall Ironworks, little of which remains.

11.5 miles, 0 locks, 5hrs 36mins

Wednesday 20th May - Pelsall Fingerpost to Longwood Boat Club

Today we are carrying on and plan to do the extra to Chasewater.  

Soon after we started there was a tree down half way across the canal, but we managed to miss it by inches!

We made a stop at Brownhills for water and rubbish disposal then continued on.  Parts of the canal were reasonably deep and we made good progress.  

This is the junction with the Anglesey Arm and we are going to take this detour to visit Chasewater.

The views across the countryside were stunning, but unfortunately the mooring at the end of the canal was very difficult and we decided to turn the boat and continue back the way  we had come.  Originally created in 1797 as Norton Pool, Chasewater is a man-made reservoir in Staffordshire built to supply water to the Wyrley and Essington Canal. It was vital for sustaining the industrial growth of the Black Country by maintaining canal water levels.

Back at the junction is this rather attractive sculpture.  Commissioned by British Waterways, it was made by local artists Ron Thompson and Julie Edwards. Local people had some say in it's design. It has past historic scenes of the canal and when reflected in the water shows a complete circle. Unfortunately it does get quite overgrown.

The journey from the junction to Longwood Boat Club took a long time as the water levels were very low and it was very silty.  Once we arrived we had to wind the boat and back her into our mooring for the night. 

In the evening we had a talk from Phil Clayton and he played us his recording of the musical ‘Birmingham Lads’ telling the story of the Birmingham Canals in words, music and images.  A very entertaining evening finished off with a bring and share supper.  

13 miles, 0 locks, 6hrs

Thursday 21st May - Longwood Boat Club to Walsall Basin

Today we thought we would have to return the way we had come as the locks were closed, but the team working on the locks decided we could go through so long as we did it very slowly!

So once the work boat had been down with supplies and returned up again we were allowed to use the locks ourselves.  As all the boats were facing the wrong way this meant that all boats needed to turn round again and return to their original positions to wait for clearance.  This was good news as it meant we got to work the Rushall Locks.  Fortunately there were a team of lockwheelers available to help, these are people who help to support the BCNS and turn out on occasions to work the locks.

As we made our way towards Walsall, we passed the other end of the Bradley Canal we walked along on Monday.  This is in water for a short distance but not recommended to try and cruise it!

In the canal, sitting on a wooden fence in the sunshine is a terrapin.  There is also another one swimming as well.  Terrapins were typically released by owners after outgrowing their tanks. While they struggle to breed in the damp British climate, they survive for decades and devastate local ecosystems by eating native fish, frogs, and birds' eggs.  They are former pets and the unwanted releases peaked after the 1980s and 1990s "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" pop-culture craze.

Majorfax unveiled a stunning mural alongside Walsall Canal. Situated in the shadow of the 130ft tall chimney, the mural depicts an image of a Grey’s Char with integrated mechanised features. This is to celebrate the Walsall-born botanist, John Edward Gray The mechanical elements are a nod to the industrial heritage of the town. 

Moored for the night in Walsall Town Basin, 5 boats breasted up ready to set off tomorrow on the final day of our cruise.

Stephen and Barbara sitting on their boat in the evening sunshine, they are the leaders of our Explorer Cruise and have worked very hard to make this an enjoyable experience for everyone.

9.75 miles, 9 locks, 6hrs 6mins

Friday 22nd May - Walsall Basin to Titford Pump House

An early start this morning, to get to Titford Pump House and go round Titford Pools before meeting up for Chinese Takeaway followed by a quiz evening.  We left Walsall Town Basin and retraced our steps as far as Ocker Hill Junction where we continued straight on to the first set of locks.

At all three sets of locks we were assisted by the lockwheelers which was absolutely fantastic!

It was a very heavy locking day, 17 locks altogether in 3 sets, Ryders Green locking up to The New Main Line, Brades Locks including the only staircase lock on the BCNS and finally Oldbury Locks.

At Oldbury Locks there was a whole team of people helping out with the locks and we ascended very quickly.  Once through we kept going past the moorings and winded in the 70ft winding hole further on and then slotted onto the end of the moored boats.

A very pleasant Chinese and a fun quiz evening rounded off our BCNS Explorer Cruise.  

A total of 29 locks, 37.25 cruising hours and 62.5 miles, a fantastic way to spend a week.  At the end we were tired but also very pleased that we had done it.  The weather seemed to throw everything at us, wind, rain, hail, cloud and finally searing temperatures.  Would we do it again, probably, in a few years time - The Cannock Extension and The Titford Pools are now on the ‘to do’ list!

10 miles, 17 locks, 8hrs 12mins

Saturday 23rd May - Titford Pump House to The Vale, Edgbaston

This morning we made an early start on our return journey to Ventnor Marina.  We need to be back in Worcester by next Sunday and with the weather warming up we need to cruise at the coolest times.   

Barbara and Stephen helped us back down the Oldbury locks, many thanks to them for a great cruise and hopefully our paths may cross sometime in the future.  At the bottom of the locks we turned right onto the Old Main Line.

Passing back under the motorway bridges, a very pleasing line of motorway columns, as we wove our way underneath.

Finally reaching Smethwick Locks and descending to join the New Main Line.  No problem this time with getting stuck in the silt!  We continued on into Birmingham and stopped at the services below the Mailbox before heading out towards Edgbaston.

At Edgbaston we found a shaded mooring in the Vale area, enough sun for the solar panels with the rest of the boat in the shade.  We were entertained every so often by the party boats which use the winding hole behind us but apart from that a quiet peaceful mooring.

8 miles, 9 locks, 1 tunnel, 4hrs

Sunday 24th May - The Vale, Edgbaston to Warings Green Wharf

Another hot day forecasted so an early start to travel during the cooler hours.  We are now on the Worcester and Birmingham Canal as far as King’s Norton Junction where we turn left onto North Stratford canal.

At the turning, a sharp left hand turn opposite the junction house and then back under the guillotine lock.

Brandwood Tunnel, dead straight so you can see the light at the end of the tunnel!  Then out the other end and cruising as far as Warings Green Wharf where we managed to moor under the shade of a tree so Toby can lie out on the towpath.

11.25 miles, 0 locks, 1 tunnel, 1 lift bridge, 4hrs 54mins

Birmingham Explorer Cruise - Week 3

Monday 11th May - Warings Green Wharf

We are spending one more day here so that we can wash the side of the boat and make sure she is ready for our adventure around the Birmingham Canals.

Tuesday 12th May - Warings Green Wharf to Oozell’s Loop Visitor Moorings

This morning we set off on the last leg of our journey into Birmingham.  Toby is sitting in his favourite position watching the world passing as we cruise along.

These flats front onto the canal at Dickens Green and it is good to see that the water feature is running beautifully down the centre.

As we approached Shirley Drawbridge, the ranger who had been walking along the towpath cutting back overhanging branches, stopped to operate the drawbridge for us.  It isn’t a favourite of ours as you have to hold up the traffic whilst the boat passes through and it is a very busy little road.  So we were very pleased that he did it for us!

This is the portal to Brandwood Tunnel, you can see the other end as the tunnel isn’t very long. The stone work is quite elaborate with carvings of heads at both ends.  They are believed to be of a Mr Hancock who was associated with the promotion of the canal. There was another boat ahead of us and I think they were cooking bacon as there was a lingering smell of bacon as we followed them through!

Just before we reached Norton Junction, we came across this handsome heron, quite unperturbed by the boat and the dog that was being walked along the canal.

The final lock on this canal is the guillotine stop lock which has been tidied up and looks good.  The lock is no longer used, but it used to keep the Worcester and Birmingham Canal  higher than the Stratford Canal.  There was no need for paddle gear to fill or empty the lock. With such a small difference in water level a guillotine gate could easily be lifted to let water flow in and out.  It is the only guillotine gated stop lock on the canal system.

The toll house has been beautifully restored after being badly damaged by fire in 2019.  It is now available to rent as a canalside dwelling.  

Gas Street basin as we are coming into Birmingham.  This is the historic meeting of the Worcester and Birmingham canal and the Birmingham Canal navigation.  The area was initially packed with warehouses, factories, and wharves, acting as a crucial industrial inland port for coal transport in the late 18th century.  Now a mooring spot for private boats.  The name originates from Gas Street, the first street in Birmingham to get gas lighting.

The Worcester Bar (1795) was built to protect water supplies.  The Birmingham Canal Navigation refused to join the new Worcester & Birmingham Canal, forcing a 7ft strip of land—the Worcester Bar—to be built. Cargo had to be manually transferred, or transhipped, across this barrier until 1815 when a stop lock was finally installed.  The stop lock is no longer there, just the narrow channel.

Our favourite mooring just inside Ouzell’s Loop and we were pleased to see that the moorings have been changed to 4 days which suits us nicely.  

13.5 miles, 0 locks, 1 lift bridge, 2 tunnels, 5hrs 54mins

Wednesday 13th May - Oozell’s Loop Visitor Mooring

Today we are going to have a wander around Birmingham City Centre, not to buy anything in particular, but just to have a wander.  This is Black Sabbath Bench, a tribute attraction to celebrate the Birmingham heavy metal band, Black Sabbath. It is located on Broad Street, above the bridge on Canal Street, also named after the band.  Also where fans flocked to pay tribute to Ozzy Osbourne after his death last year.

 

The Birmingham Library with the Rep theatre to the left of the photo.  The Library of Birmingham in Centenary Square opened in 2013 and features over 31,000 square meters of space. It is celebrated for its impressive contemporary design, rooftop secret garden, and massive archives, including one of the world's most significant Shakespeare collections.  It is the largest public library in Europe.

This fountain in Victoria Square is called ‘The River’ and known locally as ‘the Floozy in the Jacuzzi’. This is the first time we have seen it as it has always been closed for restoration due to repeated vandalism.

We also wandered into the station and were delighted to see the commonwealth games bull in the atrium.  Ozzy the Bull is a 33-foot mechanical sculpture originally created for the opening ceremony of the 2022 Commonwealth Games, which was initially known as The Raging Bull.  It was the first time we had seen it moving and roaring!

In the evening we met up with Barbara and Stephen in the Prince of Wales pub for a pre-dinner drink.  They are the people leading the Explorer Cruise and it was good to meet them and have a chat.

Thursday 14th May - Ouzell’s Loop Visitor Mooring 

Today we decided to go for a walk around the Jewellery Quarter and look at the history of the place.

We began our walk by heading along the Farmer’s Locks on the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal.  The contemporary bridge over the canal is being repaired  and will look very impressive when it’s finished.

Built between 1777 and 1779, St Paul’s Square is Birmingham’s only remaining Georgian square. The

fashionable Georgian houses allowed prosperous people to escape from the noise and dirt of the city centre and enjoy a better lifestyle. Having the church in the centre of the square makes a grand piece of town planning.  We were too early to see inside but will definitely visit another time.

Birmingham’s industrial growth was built on the manufacturing of metal, usually of objects much bigger than jewellery.  An example here of one of the many cast iron road names that can be seen all over Birmingham.

This building at 58-59 Caroline Street (the building with the large access arch) is a purpose-built manufactory, dating

from the late 19th century. The large arch to the right would have allowed a horse and cart to be loaded to

the rear. 

These buildings next door look as though they were built as houses but were in fact a pair of factories built in the residential style.

Another example of the ironwork of the area, the bracket half way down the post would have originally held the gas lamp.

A local pub The Jewellers Arms. Dating from the 1830s, this Hockley pub once traded as the 'Goldsmiths and Jewellers Arms', serving generations of metalworkers in the Jewellery Quarter.

Many of the buildings have these cast iron letter boxes attached to them, many of them carrying the name of the residents or company.

This grand building was built as a purpose-built jeweller’s workshop. It was occupied by W H Haseler Ltd, jewellers and silversmiths.  Haselers produced a range of jewellery, silver and pewter designed by leading artists of the day. They went. into partnership with Liberty’s, the London department store famous for its cutting edge design.

The increasing tourist interest in this area has led to improved transport services. The Jewellery Quarter

railway station was opened in 1995, as part of the ‘Jewellery Line’ project. This was followed in 1999 by a new tram service between Wolverhampton and Birmingham.

We were amazed to find a Joule’s Brewery pub in the middle of the Jewellery Quarter.  The Red Lion has recently been bought by the Brewery.  

This is The Chamberlain Clock which commemorates the work Joseph Chamberlain did on the reconciliation between the British and the Afrikaans at the end of the Boer War.  Joseph Chamberlain was an innovator of Birmingham and in 1873 became Mayor of Birmingham using his influence to improve the town and its services.

Senor Fattorini was an Italian who set up

a number of jeweller’s shops in Yorkshire. Demand for the products was so great that he decided to establish a factory in Birmingham and the business has flourished since.  Among other things, it specialises in ceremonial insignia, swords, medals and trophies.  The railings outside show bomb damage. This is a visual reminder of how the skills of the Jewellery

Quarter were put to work in the Second World War. Parts for armaments and Spitfire aircraft were made in the area. Just as in peace time, workers in the Jewellery Quarter could provide very large quantities of precisely-made metal parts for the war effort.  This made the Jewellery Quarter a major target for German bombers.

The Argent Works was built in 1862-3 to make pens, but also included Turkish baths reusing steam from the works! There is no doubt that this was a building intended to impress. The multi-coloured brick detailing, with the corner towers, echoes the style of early renaissance Italian Villas in Florence.

And finally to round off our walk we returned to the canal where we spotted newly hatched goslings, beautiful!

In the evening we went to the Birmingham Rep to see ‘A Midsummer’s Nights Dream’. Traditionally set in ancient Greece, A Midsummer Night's Dream has been re-set in modern day Birmingham for a production at the city's Rep theatre.  It included regional accents delivering Shakespearean dialogue, punctuated by hip pop music and original songs.  An excellent night’s entertainment!  We were rather bemused as we walked to the theatre as there were a lot of people walking to the Utilita Arena in fancy dress for a Premier League Darts evening and another group in black tie dress heading for the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce Awards held in the International Convention Centre.  Most amusing!

Friday 15th May - Ouzell’s Loop Visitor Moorings

Today we had booked a table at JuJu’s Cafe for brunch but when we arrived there was a sign outside saying they were closed.  The door was open and Dave checked with them.  Sadly we were told that Julia had passed away and the cafe was closed for now.

This photo was taken in November 2022 when we last met her, a wonderful lady full of life and laughter, may she rest in peace.

Saturday 16th May - Ouzell’s Loop Visitor Moorings 

A quiet day getting the boat ready for the start of the cruise tomorrow.  We got up early and reversed the boat to the water point just above the Farmer’s Locks, filled with water, emptied rubbish and then took the boat back to our mooring in Ouzell’s Loop.

We met up with the rest of the group for a history tour around Gas Street Basin.  Barbara led the tour.  This is the moorings at the top of the Farmer’s Locks, originally a wharf with warehouses and the canal continued under the bridge and down as far as the flats behind us.  

I liked the street art here with the lovely painting of Bob Marley on the wall.

In Gas Street Basin the warehouse was a distribution centre (now a pub) and the boats moored in the background are moored against what remains of the bar that was built to separate the BCN canals and the Worcester and Birmingham Canal.

We finished off the day with a meeting in the distillery for a briefing before we start tomorrow and a light supper buffet.

Sunday 17th May - Ouzell’s Loop to CRT Bradley Workshop

The family of geese out for an early morning walk, lovely to see them again before we set off on our Explorer Cruise.

8 o’clock in the morning, the lead boat collects all 8 boats and we begin with a tour of Ouzell’s Loop.

Once a hub for distribution and warehouses, now redeveloped as waterside housing, cafes and moorings for leisure boats.

Toured the Icknield Port Loop and Soho Loop, both now being redeveloped and moorings being used below the reservoir.

We came up the three locks at Smethwick, assisted by a lock wheeler, Rob, who comes out most days because he enjoys working the locks.  We moored up outside Galton Pumping Station and had a look around.  A fascinating place, situated on the Birmingham Main Line Canal, the pumping station first opened in 1892 with the purpose of pumping water from the lower Birmingham New Main Line to the high Old Main Line Canal. This was to replace the water lost from the higher level when boats went through the Smethwick locks. However the station only had a short working life, closing in the mid 1920s due to reduced traffic on the canals. 

I tried on a boatwoman’s bonnet, this was made after Queen Victoria died, hence the black, and was worn for sun protection and to keep the hair dry and clean and the practical issue of keeping the hair safe when working locks and moving heavy loads.

Dr Della Sadler-Moore made this bonnet in the same style, she is a lecturer at the University of Wolverhampton with a specific interest in the history of the women on the waterways

.

Wayne is also a character and is very knowledgeable about the pumping station and the BCN as a whole.

We followed the Old Main Line as far as Factory Junction, then joined the New Main Line through Coseley Tunnel to Deepfields Junction where we turned up the Bradley arm to the workshop at the end.  A skilful piece of manoeuvring by Dave brought us in backwards to moor up alongside all the boats.  A fascinating day, long and somewhat challenging, all 4 seasons in 1 day, but thoroughly enjoyable!

12 miles, 3 locks, 2 tunnels, 8hrs 30mins (including the stop)