Worcester and Birmingham to King's Norton

 Another junction so another posting to conclude our passage on the Worcester and Birmingham Canal and turning onto the North Stratford. So this posting  covers our journey from Oddingley on the way north from Worcester, up the Tardebigge flight of locks towards Birmingham but turning off a few miles from the centre of the city at King's Norton Junction:

This is the entrance to Dunhampstead Tunnel. It is only 230 yards long and you can see the far end of the tunnel in the picture. Like other tunnels on the W&B it is two way so you can pass another narrowboat in the tunnel.

Some of the W&B is very overgrown as here where reed beds are present on both sides of the canal with just a narrow channel down the middle.

This picture is taken at Hanbury Wharf. The W&B is a narrow canal so what is the blue broadbeam doing on this canal and how did it get there? The answer is that they build them at Hanbury Wharf but when they are sold they have to be transported on a truck to somewhere that accommodates broad beam boats. Very curious, as that boat cannot go far in any direction from its present mooring before meeting a narrow lock.

Here is Hanbury Junction looking back. We had come under the bridge to the left in the picture. Under the bridge to the right is the narrow Droitwich Canal leading down to the fine moorings in Droitwich town and onwards on a wide canal to the River Severn above Worcester at Hawford Junction (see the previous posting).

On Tuesday (10 September) we climbed the Astwood and Stoke Locks (6 locks in each flight) and moored close to the Queen's Head for lunch. Our mooring was at the foot of the Tardebigge flight, the longest in the UK at 30 locks. On Wednesday morning we started early at about 8 am to tackle that flight. The picture shows us in lock 1 in early morning sunshine.

And here is Leo heading for lock 11 of the flight.

By lock 21 shown above we could see the dam of the Tardebigge Reservoir ahead. The reservoir provides a water supply to the flight and, by means of a pump, to the summit level which is on a level with Birmingham at about 450 feet above sea level.

Helen took this photo of Leo in lock 22 by standing on the reservoir dam.

This is  the top lock of the Tardebigge flight. While the depth of the other locks in the flight is around 7 feet each, this one is about 11 feet. Originally there was a boat lift here, but this was later replaced by a deep lock. At present there is a problem with the walls of the lock moving inwards so full width (7 feet) working boats are not allowed. Leisure boats like Leo are only 6 feet 10 inches wide so they are OK.

Here is the plaque recording the boat lift - note that the lift was man powered!

The bricks where the lock has narrowed have been scraped by boats using the lock. Ian tried to keep Leo forward of this area of the lock wall, just in case.

We moored at the top of the Tardebigge locks on Wednesday after a hard day. On Thursday morning we summoned up the energy to climb up to St Bartholomew's Church at the top of the hill. The view from here certainly shows that we are at the edge of a hill.

Here is St Bartholomew's Church, though it was closed when we visited.

On Thursday we had an easy day cruising to Alvechurch. Our route took us through two short tunnels - Tardebigge and Shortwood. The picture shows the boatyard at Alvechurch where a narrowboat has just been lifted out of the water.

On Friday we came past the two Bittel reservoirs. The picture shows the Lower Bittel reservoir. This too provides water to the Birmingham summit level. The mooring along the reservoir look great but unfortunately for us they are private moorings.

Soon after the Bittel reservoirs we came to the south portal of Wast Hills Tunnel shown in the picture. This is the fifth longest currently in normal use in the UK at 2,726 yards. It also marks a divide betwen rural Worcestershire to the south and the conurbation of Birmingham and its suburbs to the north.

A mile beyond the exit from the Wast Hills Tunnel we came to King's Norton Junction where the Stratford Canal turns right off the Worcester and Birmingham. The house in the picture is the old canal house at the junction. The plaque above the front door shows the tolls for the canal. The house has been vandalised in the past but now looks very smart and we have read that it is presently available to rent.

We think that, having restored the house, CRT now need to look after the signpost at the junction which is looking rather sad. We have turned right towards Stratford but intend to go only part way down to there, turning off onto the Grand Union Canal at Kingswood Junction. But that is for the next posting on this blog, so you must be patient.

Out on the Severn and starting up the Worcester and Birmingham Canal

 We have come down the Staffordshire and Worcester Canal (S&W) to join the River Severn and are now heading north from Worcester up the Worcester and Birmingham Canal (W&B). So this posting taking us up to yesterday evening covers three different waterways. So here goes:

As the opportunity has arisen (good weather and a suitable shore to the canal), Ian has been touching up the red shading of the lettering on our boat which has faded or disappeared. So here is Ian at Kinver on the S&W touching up the shadowing on "Narrowboat". A friend commented that this looked relaxing but I have to say that I find it requires a lot of concentration and wears me out!

On Thursday (5 September) we went for a walk on Kinver Edge from the boat. This picture is of Whittington Horse Bridge, a picturesque spot. Shame about the missing blue sky.

 

This is the view from Kinver Edge looking towards Birmingham. As boaters will know Birmingham is at the top of a hill and zooming in shows tall tower blocks near the top of the distant hills.

On our way down we had a look round the Kinver Rock Houses which were lived in until the 1960s and are now looked after by the National Trust. The picture shows the lowest of three levels of houses carved out of the soft sandstone rock.

Here is the bedroom in the house occupied by the Martindale family. These houses were a lot dryer than cottages occupied by other agricultural workers and were warm in winter and cool in summer.

From Kinver we carried on down the canal and this doorway by Debdale Lock leads into a large chamber. Some say it was used as a stable but somehow the horses would have to cross the lock to get in there. So it remains a mystery.

This picture was taken looking back from Kidderminster Lock towards the church. This is probably the best view in Kidderminster, a place which is not one of our favourites!

On Friday afternoon we arrived in Stourport, where the canal meets the River Severn. The picture is of the upper canal basin at Stourport. The town is an odd mixture of wonderful canal heritage buildings and a brash 'seaside' resort for the West Midlands with fairgrounds, ice cream, gaming machines and chips.

Here is a view of the river looking downstream towards Worcester.

The sign shows we have come from Wolverhampton and are heading downstream to Worcester. Beyond there the Severn is navigable to Tewkesbury, Gloucester and, if you are brave enough, down the tidal river to Portishead and up the Avon to Bristol. We have done that journey in the past but not this time.

Saturday was a misty, dull day with poor visibility. Here you see Leo waiting above the first of two double staircases of locks down onto the river. From the canal basins there are two wide locks or four narrow locks to get boats down to the river. We  were using the narrow locks.

Here is Leo coming into the lower lock of the top staircase. Beyond you can see a dry dock and, to the left of this, is the second staircase of narrow locks. Why, oh why didn't the builders line up the exit of the first staircase with the entry to the second staircase?  As it is, you have to make a nifty sideways leap to get across - not easy with a 57 foot steel boat that does not bend in the middle!

It is 13 miles from Stourport to Worcester but does not take too long as the river is deep and fast to travel and we were going downhill. We saw some sights that make you aware how much the river can flood in the winter. This cruiser clearly finished up quite a way above the summer level of the river.

These cormorants in a riverside tree reminded us of vultures.

This shapely bridge below Holt Lock was built by none other than Thomas Telford.

On a bend above Bevere (pronounced 'Beever-ee') Lock we passed Hawford Junction shown in the picture. A lock by the tall poles leads into the Droitwich Barge (i.e. wide) Canal. This leads to Droitwich from where a narrow canal leads up to meet the Worcester and Birmingham Canal.

Here you see us following a couple on a hire boat into Bevere Lock, the last of three on the way down to Worcester.

Around lunchtime we arrived in Worcester and the picture shows the main bridge with the cathedral beyond.

The cathedral dominates the river frontage and is the resting place of several well known historical figures, notably King John (of Magna Carta fame) and Prince Arthur, Henry VIII's elder brother who would have been king had he not died at age 15. Also Stanley Baldwin, three times Prime Minister in the 20th century.

Though the main street in Worcester is modern, a parallel street has a lot of historic buildings including Greyfriars shown on the left in this picture.

On Sunday our son David and his wife Ash came to visit. They are presently dog-sitting for some friends. We were also pleased to meet Cleo who was very well behaved. So the picture shows Cleo with Leo!

Ash took this picture of the four of us before a walk along the river. I'm not sure why I am apparently leaning on David.

Here we are having Sunday lunch together at Brown's next to the river. Cleo is also there but lying on the floor between David and Ash.

Sorry, another dog picture! Worcester was also full of penguins, all painted individually for charity.

Yesterday we left Worcester after a couple of days and in the picture we have just come up Sidbury Lock which is next to the Commandary where Oliver Cromwell watched over the Battle of Worcester.

Yesterday afternoon this was the view from our living room window. Having a boat is like having a country cottage but having the facility to change the view.

Today (Tuesday 10th September) we  have come up another 12 locks and are now moored in the rain at the bottom of the Tardebigge flight of 30 locks. So not a day of idleness for us tomorrow!

Two invitations to visit Birmingham, both refused!

 We are now moored at Stourport and will be going out on the River Severn tomorrow. But after another spate of moorings with no internet signal, I have some catching up to do. So this posting covers the end of our cruise on the Shropshire Union and the first part of our passage down the Staffs and Worcs towards the Severn. The font sizes on this posting are a bit variable. This is not my doing but I do apologise if it is a bit offputting. So here goes:

This is the iconic bridge for the Shropshire Union with the telegraph pole on a crosspiece of the bridge. It is in Grub Street Cutting, another of Telford's very deep and straight cuttings.

On Saturday (31st August) we stopped at Norbury Junction for diesel. At 87p base cost per litre, it's the cheapest we've seen this year. Norbury used to be a junction with the Newport Branch which went westwards to meet the Shrewsbury Canal. The branch goes left in the picture by the big tree. Sadly today all that is left of this canal at this point is a short length for mooring and the first lock of the Newport branch, now used by a boatyard as a dry dock.

Here is the short length of the Newport branch with the first lock in the white building at the end.

Coming through Gnosall we found these very well decorated gardens backing onto the canal.

This is Cowley Tunnel, at 81 yards one of the shortest. It is cut through solid rock and remains unlined.

And here we are at Wheaton Aston Lock. Most of the locks on the Shropshire Union are in groups - 15 at Audlem, 5 at Adderley, 5 at Tyrley and 2 at Hack Green. Wheaton Aston however is a lock all on its own and only 7 feet deep.

Here's a double helping of Thomas Telford. The Aqueduct at Stretton is on the Shropshire Union built by Telford and is crossing the A5 also built by him!

Looking back to the aqueduct we admired the masonry towers at each end.

After a last stop on the Shropshire Union south of Brewood (pronounced 'brewed') we came on Monday to Autherley Junction where the Shroppie meets the Staffs and Worcs Canal. But first you have to go through a shallow stop lock shown in this picture. A stop lock was often built where two canal companies' navigations met to prevent water from one company being used by the other.

Having come through the stop lock we had to pass under a bridge and then turn right at a 'T' junction. A foolish boat (called Meridian, if you come across them) was blocking our exit, so we asked nicely for them to reverse out of the bridge. Nevertheless, as the picture shows we have no room to make the right hand turn. So we had to push their bow out of the way. What twits!

Having made the turn onto the Staffs and Worcs we had half a mile to a further junction where the Wolverhampton 21 locks come down to join the S&W. Here we had a choice to make - turn left up 21 locks to Wolverhampton and then Birmingham, or carry on towards the Severn. We had already discussed our decision and spurned this first invitation to visit Birmingham! The picture here shows the typical name plate at locks on the S&W. There are 33 locks from Autherley Junction down to the River Severn and they crop up frequently down the valley first of the Smestow Brook and then the River Stour.

Here at Wightwick Lock is a typical S&W bridge below the lock.

We like this picture of Leo passing a side basin at Dimmingsdale. Helen was walking down to the next lock as Ian brought the boat down solo.

Circular weirs like this one at Ebstree Lock are to be found at most locks but not on other canals. It is the peculiarities of the architecture of different canals that is part of the joy of canal cruising.

And look at the support for this lock bridge to aid those working the lock. Not only is it surprisingly ornate but also you can see where tow ropes in the past have worn grooves on the left of the support.

On Tuesday we came down the 3 Bratch Locks. The picture shows Leo in the top lock. The Bratch locks are like a staircase set of locks but in fact there is a small gap between the bottom gate of one lock and the top gate of the next. That gap is linked to a side pond so that some water can be saved on each lock operation. Paddles are marked in red or blue and woe betide the boater who uses the wrong one! Fortunately there are lock keepers to guide passing boaters.

Here is the middle lock seen from the top.

This view is taken from the boat looking up from the bottom lock. The nearest gate is the top gate of the bottom lock and a little further off is the bottom gate of the middle lock. I hope that is clear!

At Greensforge Lock, a neighbouring house had huge sunflowers in the garden. The tallest we reckoned were 10 feet tall.

This view is taken looking back to Ashwood Basin. The main canal north is to the left. Ashwood Basin  was originally used by the Coal Board but is now famous (or perhaps not) as the site of the boatyard where boatbuilders Orion made hulls for narrowboats, including, you've guessed it, Leo! Orion is no longer in business but there are plenty of Orion hulls about.

As we get nearer to the Severn there are some serious outcrops of red sandstone through which the canal has been cut. Here below Gothersley Lock at a place called Devil's Den a small boathouse for a narrowboat has been cut into the rock. It even has a door as shown in the picture. We've no idea of the history of this strange boathouse.

Just beyond the boathouse we came to Stourton Junction where, as you can see, we had another chance to travel via Birmingham. We have again decided to take the longer but more pleasantly rural route via the River Severn and so we headed straight on towards Stourport.

Here, to the left of our course, is the bottom of the flight of four locks that start the climb through Stourbridge to Birmingham.

 So that takes us on towards our present location at Stourport. If the internet signal permits I will do another posting soon to bring us right up to date. From Stourport our way tomorrow will be down the Severn to Worcester.