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