Walsall and the Curly Wyrley

 We've now decided on a route that will take us around Birmingham to the north but not into the centre. So a circular form of Birmingham by-pass by canal. Last Friday we set off down the Oldbury Locks heading towards Walsall which we have not visited by boat before.

Once down the Oldbury Locks we were on the 'Wolverhampton Level' of the Old Main Line and turned east for a stretch where the M5 has been built over the top of the canal. If you look into the distance you can see an original canal arched bridge which contrasts oddly with the newer road flyover.

Soon the Old Main Line crosses the New Main Line which you can see through the forest of concrete columns holding up the M5. A railway runs nearby too, so three forms of transport are all close together.

A mile or so further and our way was to turn sharp left down three Spon Lane Locks to drop to the New Main Line. And it was a very sharp turn. We had come from the canal to the left of the picture and turned almost back on ourselves into the top lock where you can see Leo facing the other way. We're glad our boat is not 70 feet long!

We were now heading west and here Leo is waiting at the bottom of the three locks. Just below this lock we joined the New Main Line under the bridge on the right. The bridge on the left is over the New Main Line.

Below the locks is a gauging station. This is basically an island in the middle of the canal with a 7 foot wide gap either side. This was used for men to measure how much cargo you were carrying and to charge an appropriate toll. Cargo would be measured by a graded stick to work out how much of the hull was above the water and thus how heavy was the load. Anyway it made a convenient place to stop and clear the propellor. How do you like Ian's elbow length gloves? Going down the weed hatch is a common occurrence round here and you never know quite what you are going to find! Could be weed, could be plastic, could be something nastier. Best to take precautions.

Just under a mile west at Pudding Green Junction, we turned right under the bridge off the New Main Line onto the Wednesbury Old Canal. New waters for us.

Soon we came to the Ryder's Green Locks, a flight of 8 that leads down to Walsall.

In this view looking back up the Ryder's Green Locks you can see the piled up pallets either made or stored here. The surroundings are industrial round here.

We had been told of a safe mooring on the Ocker's Hill Tunnel branch not far from the bottom of the locks. Here we are turning under a side bridge into the branch. Immediately on the right once in the arm is a mooring that seems to be used by passing boaters or by CRT to store their work boats. With grass beside the mooring it was very pleasant and secure, in fact so secure that we couldn't go anywhere else from the mooring! Still it was a nice spot and there are always jobs to do.

On Saturday we backed out of our mooring and carried on north. Here we are passing Tame Valley Junction where the Tame Valley Canal goes to the right between the two bridges you can see. The Tame Valley Junction is a late one and is astonishingly straight and rather boring. So we didn't go that way but carried on straight ahead.

The canal towards Walsall was surprisingly green and attractive. Some areas were industrial and some were private houses but the canal continues as a green corridor even where civilisation gets close on either side. I don't however want to suggest that this stretch was easy cruising. Ian went down the weed hatch three times in the 5 miles to Walsall.

Eventually we reached the junction with the short arm leading to Walsall basin. In the distance you can see a lock on the left which is the first of the flight of 8 Walsall Locks and on the right is the arm into Walsall.

Here is the sign at the junction. We had come from Ryders Green Junction and were heading down the Walsall Town Arm. On Sunday we would be going up the 8 locks to Birchills Junction. The Canal Museum is sadly no more but we did meet Paul who used to run it.

Approaching the basin we pushed a spring loaded boom out of the way to enter the basin and moored, the only boat present in this central spot in the town. The huge balloon floating in the basin belongs to CRT and is there to warn you that the water is deep and it will be best not to fall in. It doesn't exactly say that but that is the intention. We had lunch in Brewers Fayre in the building to the left where we sat in a window watching the boat just in case. The worst we saw was two people taking pictures of each other leaning on Leo.  After lunch we visited the art gallery and found an amazing collection of works by famous artists given by two friends, Sally Ryan and Katherine Garman (the latter married Jacob Epstein). After having our fill of Walsall we moved to a secure pontoon on the way back up the arm to escape the noise of the town centre basin on a Saturday night.

Sunday morning started with persistent rain and we came up the 8 Walsall Locks carefully as some of the paving by the locks was a bit slippery. Here the photo is looking down the flight from Lock 3 to Lock 2. The fine old warehouse to the left of the lock includes a side pound which used to allow boats into the building to unload.

Here we are at the top lock. The single storey building was a toll office and the two storey one was a Boatmen's Rest. More recently it had been the Canal Museum until it closed, apparently due to lack of financial support.

Here is the plaque on the side of the Boatmen's Rest.

The water above the locks was exceptionally clear so I tried a photo looking down into it from the back of the boat. If you look carefully you can see a few fish too.

A half mile beyond the top of the locks we came to Birchills Junction where the Walsall Canal meets the Wyrley and Essington Canal (widely known as the Curly Wyrley). Here we turned right (east) and after a few weedy and twisty miles we moored at Pelsall Common where this photo was taken. This is open country of heathland and pools. The yellow flowers are on gorse bushes and there are also lupins.

And these yellow flowers further down the cut are of course yellow iris. On Sunday for the first time in three days we met other boats, albeit only a couple of them. In the afternoon we went for a walk over the common and back along the Cannock Extension Canal, a short branch which goes north and which we've decided not to visit. We've been before and it is not as interesting as Pelsall Common.

On Monday (yesterday) we cruised just 5 miles to Chasewater. We liked this CRT contractor carrying his road works sign on the mower.

The canal here is pretty weedy - we've made our own track through the weeds. However we managed the journey without lifting the weed hatch. We stopped at Tesco at Brownhills to replenish the larder. This must be one of the most accessible supermarkets to a canal - just cross the road by the canal and there you are.

Half a mile beyond Tesco we came to Catshill Junction and turned left. Almost immediately it became apparent that we really were out in the country and had shaken off the suburbs of Walsall and Birmingham.

Not far up is Ogley Junction. Straight on under the bridge is the Lichfield Canal which used to join the Coventry Canal at Huddlesford and may one day do so again. Our way lay to the left for another mile along the Anglesey Branch to a dead end, but a really delightful dead end. We went under the M6 Toll to emerge on the most northerly part of the Birmingham Canal Navigations and moored right below the dam of the Chasewater Reservoir.

On Monday afternoon we walked right round the reservoir, a distance of about 3 or 4 miles. This is an area of old coal mines now turned into common land. One footpath was under water and the only reason we can see for that is that the land may still be subsiding into the mines beneath. The willow trees are shedding their seeds at the moment and walking through woods we were amazed to see a coating of what looked like snow but proved to be willow seeds a few inches deep like cotton wool lying on the ground.

Around Chasewater the old mine railway has been turned into a tourist attraction, though unfortunately not open on a Monday. This is Brownhills West Station.

The Anglesey Branch ends in a small lake just below the dam of the Chasewater Reservoir. It is a delightful peaceful spot despite being not far from the M6 Toll. As usual whilst travelling on the BCN we were on our own, though when we left this morning another boat was just arriving.

So that brings us up to date to where we were last night. Today we've set off south to by-pass Birmingham to the east. We're now moored close to the top of the many locks (22) we must go down to reach Spaghetti Junction which is also a big junction for the canal system under the roads which are raised up on pillars above the water. But that is for the next update. Hope you enjoyed this one.