Just round the bend

Tuesday 6^th May; to Springwood Haven marina

We are waking earlier on these light mornings and today we were up early enough for Dave to get an earlier train to fetch the car, so by 8 he was off and walking the two miles to Nuneaton station.  Jess got an early walk too; I decided to investigate a new route, going back along the towpath past a well-known landmark –

- and taking a well-signposted footpath before bridge 24.  The farmer had clearly taken steps to create the route for walkers to take, using weedkiller I imagine.

Look at those cracks in the ground and it’s only early May

And what do you think I could see when I looked across the field towards the canal?

I wonder how many boaters have seen it from this side?

Well-signed footpaths today!

The weedkillered path continued across another field to a footbridge across the railway, then another field, before it rejoined the path we walked yesterday back towards the marina.

This footbridge will need attention soon – some of the wooden treads are looking rather old and there is a rusty hole in the corner of the wall at one end of the deck.  Hope the railways are better at keeping up with maintenance than you-know-who.

Once back at the boat I set to with cleaning.  First the bathroom basin needed plunging (easy and effective), then the galley sink and draining board drains, which were another matter entirely.  Plunging removed a quantity of gunky dog hair, but it needed the full treatment of bicarb, vinegar and boiling water (thanks Jaq, NB Valerie!) and a lot more elbow-grease before they were properly clear.

Dave returned at 12.30, having been able to get an earlier train than planned and was lucky with the connection in Birmingham too.  We relaxed for a bit after lunch – if we had gone home this afternoon we would have caught the M42 at rush-hour, no thanks!  We did a few bits and bobs before going round the corner into the marina at about 3.30 to get all the paperwork sorted, and I bought a couple of Magnums to keep us going.  I swept the roof again to remove the tree bits which had accumulated even though we hadn’t moored under trees, and Dave cleaned the solar panels. 

Once dusk fell the grassy areas between the moorings and the exit were alive with rabbits.  Poor Jess, dogs must be on a lead at all times!

Last night's mooring

The next morning we were packed and ready to go by mid-morning, and arrived home early in the afternoon.  We still haven’t decided where to go on our next trip.

Trip stats;

88 miles, 5 furlongs and 110 locks.

Broad canals; 5 miles 6½ furlongs, 9 locks; Droitwich Barge canal.

Rivers; 8½ miles, 2 large locks; River Severn.

Narrow canals; 74 miles 2½ furlongs, 99 locks; Droitwich Junction and Barge canals, Staffs and Worcester, Stourbridge, Stourbridge Extension canal, Dudley Nos 1 and 2, BCN Main Line, Birmingham and Fazeley, Coventry.

Moveable bridges; 3, all in Droitwich.

Tunnels; 9 – M5, Impney Way and the A449, all on the Droitwich canals; Cookley and Dunsley on the Staffs and Worcester; Netherton and Galton on the Main Line, and Brace Factory and Curdworth on the B&F.  Canalplan gives a total of just over 2 miles underground, though I am not sure whether the two road bridges and the Factory one should count as being underground.

Retracing our steps

Monday 5^th May; Marston Junction to (nearly) Springwood Haven

As we hadn’t far to go today there was no urgency to get going.   Before we left I took Jess for a walk up the Ashby for a couple of bridges, so I could at least say I’d visited it too.  The early morning chill was wearing off and the sun was yet again shining brightly.

I think this was a water vole – they are known to live around here.  I was so excited to see it I nearly forgot to take a photo.

It was after 10 before we left.  We needed milk, so we tootled along to moor opposite Boot Wharf at bridge 20.  I had written the directions in Nicholsons, but the shop I had found last time was nowhere to be found – I had clearly taken a wrong turn, though I did at least find another shop.  We moved on as soon as I got back.

Bedworth prefers to be associated with Nuneaton rather than Coventry

By late morning we had found a pretty south-facing spot a little way before bridge 27 and the marina.  The weather was not so hot we needed to find shade, so there would be plenty of solar for the leisure batteries.  After lunch I took Jess with me to the marina office, to check where our berth would be, then we went for a walk towards the railway bridge intending to continue the circular walk which would bring us back to the towpath near the Anchor at Hartshill.

The girth of this tree does not show well in this photo – it was huge

There are just two properties accessible by car this side of the railway.  In the garden of the bigger one was a large chicken run, or so I thought – but no, a beautiful exotic pheasant was stalking about behind the shrubs which blocked a full view.  It looked to be a very sturdy run, very wise considering the size of the beautiful dog fox that slipped into the hedge as we approached!  Under the railway we went, past the place with horses, and turned left towards Caldecote Manor.  The track crosses the river Anker, where Jess found her way down for a drink.

The footpath which leads from the track to the bridge over the railway has been closed for some time because a major new pipeline is being laid from Nuneaton.  It’s normally very easy to follow the well-trodden path through whatever crop is growing – however, the sign indicating the start must have been removed when they laid the pipeline, and clearly no-one had yet come that way to indicate the route.  So rather than trample the growing wheat in the wrong place we turned round and went back again.  Not at all annoying. 

Caldecote Manor

The spoil heap from decades of quarrying, known as Mount Judd, is clearly visible from this direction.

Mount Judd

Dave had been investigating the bow thruster battery system, as the new batteries are failing to charge.  The fuses are ok and there are no loose connections, and research suggests it might be the split charge relay which determines whether the engine power goes to the starter battery or the bow thruster batteries. 

We will be getting up early tomorrow – the car shuffle day.

4 miles 

A change of plan

Sunday 4^th May; Hartshill to Marston Junction

It was jolly cold when I took Jess out first thing.  We walked down towards the railway.

The rabbits scarpered before she saw them

It was very pleasant once you were in the sun and out of the wind though.  We went to investigate what looked like an enormous chunk of raw chicken, but it was what I’d guessed – a large chunk of rock salt for the cattle that are sometimes in this field.

Nothing dodgy, unless you count the grass that has been killed by the salt!

Jess gave it a cautious sniff and lick but clearly it wasn’t to her liking.  Back at the boat, we (Dave and I, Jess wasn't included!) had a boaters’ conference to decide our plans for the next few days.  Our original plan was to get to Calcutt marina, but we’d taken the longer route which turned out to have been rather a blunder.  Bearing in mind the car was at Droitwich, we would need to be doing 6 or 7 hour days and still be very pushed to get home in time for various commitments.  We needed to call in at Springwood Haven for a pump-out so we thought we’d ask if we could leave the boat there for a few weeks, although last year they told me they didn’t have visitor moorings at all.

We took on fuel too, and as they have got a decent chandlery Dave even managed to get the correct batteries for the bow thruster.  And joy of joys, they can accommodate us for a month, so we booked in for a couple of days’ time and went on towards Hawkesbury Junction.

A lorry crossed the bridge from Judkin’s Quarry, and now the boat is covered in dust again

We stopped for lunch opposite the long stretch of allotments in Nuneaton and had a think.  Should we go on to Hawkesbury Junction today?  A meal in the Greyhound would be great.  But …it’s a bank holiday weekend and the moorings would probably be crowded.  On we went, just not as far.

This moorhen had built her nest about 5 feet above the water

We winded at Marston Junction.  There was no wind so it was a calm and orderly manoeuvre.

Hello Ashby

We moored opposite the Bedworth allotments at about 3.  Dave and Jess went for a walk up the Ashby canal, and while they were out of the way I hauled the matting out from the well deck and gave the area a good sweep out.  Bits of leaf, willow fluff and catkin slugs, dog fur and towpath dust and grit had joined the fragments of kindling wood and coal dust from the winter.

The blossom this year is wonderful

Less than 5 miles cruising, new bow thruster batteries.

Onward and upward

Saturday 3^rd May; Atherstone lock 9 to Hartshill

The air was very fresh this morning when I took Jess out first thing and it was still so chilly when we left, shortly before 9, that we wore woolly hats and I even had my gloves on for the walk up to lock 9.

The sun was very bright and the sky shows white even though it was blue.  I don’t think my camera can cope with the contrast between shade and bright sun.

Annoyingly a boat had passed us before we were ready to leave, so I had to turn the first two locks – but soon boats were coming down and the rest of the flight was very easy.  Very nice after the heavy locks we have been used to this last week or two!  At lock 6, above Baddesley Basin, a small fibreglass pram dinghy (empty) emerged from the bushes and tried to follow Dave into the lock until I closed the gates – I didn’t want to risk it getting crushed and sinking in the lock.  With a boat arriving to go down we explained the situation but I could see a CRT bod coming down so I went and reported it to him.  We moored before the busy road bridge and went into town for some shopping.  We were very confused for a while, as the Toolbox appeared to be in the wrong place – but it turned out they had moved across the street, though they have kept the original shop for less tool-type items like buckets.  Dave went in to search for a drawer-knob for the galley while I went off to join the Saturday queue at Bates the butcher.   Then I  popped into the baker (next to Greggs) to buy some tasty snacks for lunch before we did a 4-bag Tesco shop.  We got going straight away, this time with benefit of four volunteers, one at each lock.

Lockie’s coffee keeping warm

From the first volunteer, the one I had reported the loose boat to, we learnt that it had been sold along with a narrowboat, although the new owner wasn’t keen to keep it.  He must have quietly undone the rope once out of the marina, and escaped before he was spotted.  The lockie helped a moorer from the little marina to retrieve it for his grandchildren to use, who was last seen paddling it back into the marina with a spade.  It leaked, but he hoped to mend it.  We had met lots of boats going down the flight, but we were only the second going up.

We moored opposite the abandoned hat factory for lunch.  A sale fell through last year, and last December part of the wall on the street side fell down, and a petition has been started for the whole thing to be demolished.

So sad

After lunch I walked back to the top lock to drop off a couple of books at the book swap, choosing one in return, then we cruised on and stopped at the CRT wharf in Hartshill to fill up with water.  As it’s on the offside, Dave grabbed the opportunity to finally get all the stick off the starboard side.  Luckily no-one else wanted water so he could finish the job.  We moored where we usually do, just round the corner from the Anchor.  Dave then replaced the drawer knob in the galley.  It had been too small for the job – the drawer is heavy and very solid – and the knob had come loose and couldn’t be re-tightened.

It's a little larger than the other knobs, but a fairly close match to look at.  More important, it's now a lot easier to open the drawer!

Then he took Jess off to chase rabbits on the walk down to the railway while I tried to catch up with blog posts.  The Wi-Fi signal on this trip has been particularly dodgy – slow, dropping out or non-existent on many days.

4½ miles, 9 locks

Do not moor overnight beneath trees!

Friday 2^nd May; Fazeley Mill marina to Atherstone locks

It was fresh and rather cool this morning, but at least it was dry after yesterday evening’s rain.  When we moored last night our minds were so occupied with finding a shady spot that we completely failed to notice that some of the trees on the towpath side were overhanging the boat, though at quite a height so perhaps that’s why it didn’t register.  Anyway, the nice clean roof was once more covered in bits of tree, the scales from the opening leaf buds, little bits of leaf and twig, willow catkin slugs, all sweepable, but – honeydew!  Early May is prime aphid season of course.  The side of the boat was just sticky and horrible.

Over the Tame aqueduct

We set off at 8.30, and were soon round Fazeley Junction, onto the Coventry and cruising over the River Tame.  It was early and the waterways have been pretty quiet except for the occasional busy spell, so we were not surprised to find Glascote locks deserted – and they were even set for us.

Glascote locks have long had a reputation for being slow even if there is no queue.  The bottom lock was particularly leaky, and a boater (calling themselves the Bard of Glascote) penned this amusing ode, originally on paper or card in a plastic cover as I recall.  Some years ago it was engraved on this brass plate, and I've included it (again) because it still makes me laugh!

I don’t think it’s quite so leaky now but I don’t actually know.  When we were up the top lock, Dave grabbed the broom and swept the roof as it was clear there were no other boats around.  He wanted to get the sticky washed off before the sun got too hot, so we moored at bridge 73 a bit further on.  I went to the Co-op, and to find a post-box to post a get-well card to my brother-in-law, who has just had a new knee.  It is apparently at the garage a bit further along from the Co-op, tucked away beside the car-wash so difficult to spot.  But I saw a postie doing his rounds, and he took the card for me.  Dave had washed off the roof and was busy doing the port side, which hadn’t been so badly stickified, so I started sweeping out the willow catkin fluff and dog fur from inside while he finished.  The starboard side will have to wait until we have a towpath that side.  We went on a bit further to Polesworth Woods, well before the M42 bridge, for some lunch and to take Jess for a walk in the woods.

The lovely woodland and the country park on the other side of the canal are on the spoil heaps of the Polesworth pits.

We went on up the first two Atherstone locks before stopping on the long pound for the night around 4 o’clock.  It was a lovely evening.  Several boats had passed us while we had lunch, and there were a few later on too but generally the canals have been pretty quiet.

The old boat at Grendon, I would think beyond repair now

4 locks, 8½ miles, over the Tame aqueduct

 

A slightly gentler day down the Curdworth flight to Fazeley

Thursday 1^st May; Minworth Green bridge to beside Fazeley Mill marina

Unsurprisingly, we slept well last night after our exertions!  This is a reasonable spot, as in spite of the number of busy roads round about, with housing and a massive Amazon warehouse a couple of hundred yards away on the offside, there are enough trees to hide the buildings, which with a rise in the ground shielded us from most of the road noise.  It was already hot when we started off at 8.45.

The water level had been low when we arrived last night.  It had recovered somewhat by this morning, but seemed to get worse again as we neared the top Curdworth lock.  We were going to call CRT but there was no need – a tug with 3’ draught had run aground above the top lock yesterday afternoon, and CRT had been running water down from Minworth for a couple of hours already, which explains the slight improvement.  The tug had just managed to get itself moving again with the help of the CRT chap there, but struggled to get past us – you would have thought they would have been sent on their way towards Minworth before any boats were allowed down the flight this morning, but apparently four already had been.

Early paddleboarder portaging up towards lock 2

The reason for the low water yesterday was probably due to CRT running water down to an empty pound part-way down the flight after somone had left a paddle up.  After our delay yesterday we were relieved to be held up for only 10 minutes.  We had to turn the first 9 locks, but apart from the first two most were close enough for me to lock ahead.

Lock 4 has a rowing boat filled with flowers on the approach

Jess and I walked between the locks, enjoying the cool shade from the uncut hedgerow.

Reflection

Lock 8 top gate was in an even worse state than it had been last year.  I expected it to have been replaced over winter, but no such luck.

This time I remembered not to use the footway over the lock - there is no notice on the towpath side!

We pulled in at Bodymoor Heath for the domestics.  Food waste bins haven’t reached this far yet.  We weren’t surprised there wasn’t one at Cambrian Wharf, as the building where the bins are housed is quite small, but there wasn’t one here either.  At least we got the water topped up.  A boat came up from the last two locks as we finished, so they at least were ready for us.  We were down by lunchtime.

The bottom lock and pretty cottage

The gentleman who lives in one of the lock cottages looks after the lock surround.  I asked him about the numbers on the cottage walls, which are like the ones at Minworth locks – two hundred and something I think these were.  Back in the day, all lock cottages on the BCN were numbered, though the numbers aren’t used now and many of the cottages are long gone anyway.  He kindly closed the bottom gate for us.

Now we were on the lookout for a shady spot for lunch, out of the scorching sun.  A suitable stretch near the old gravel pit conveyor bridge was free.  Normally we would have stayed put for the rest of the day, especially as we heard a cuckoo as we had lunch, but having belatedly realised we would have little time for hanging around if we were to get to Calcutt in time to get home for appointments, we pushed on to moor alongside Fazeley Mill marina at getting on for 5 o’clock.  Dave wanted to wash the boat roof, which was covered in dust and bits of blossom, fluffy willow slugs catkins, and tree bits.

Dave used the window-cleaner blade to clear the dew from the solar panels this morning, and thought he'd do the same on the boat side.  This is what happens when you use it on damp dusty paintwork!

The boat soon cooled down with a hopper window out and the sun behind the trees on the offside.

Looks nice, doesn’t it?

A piledriver was intermittently noisy in the marina.  From what we could see through the trees it was installing new electric pillars, but they soon stopped and it was quiet.  Later in the evening there was thunder and rain on Dave's clean paintwork.

11 locks, 7½ miles

And sometimes it means rather a lot

Wednesday 30^th April; Birmingham to Minworth Green bridge

Another brilliantly sunny day which warmed up very quickly.  

Bee bee hotel – look closely at the cells below the bee

Plenty to see along the towpath as I walked Jess first thing.

Early morning giraffe

We had spent the last few days thinking about the route to take from Birmingham to Calcutt. 

Part of Albert’s Garden alongside the Arena moorings

We had three routes to choose from – via the North Stratford and picking up the Grand Union at Kingswood Junction; going down the Farmers Bridge flight, turning right for the Grand Union all the way from the Digbeth Branch; or going straight on from the Farmers Bridge flight for the Birmingham and Fazeley, Coventry and North Oxford route.  The middle option was easily discarded – we are not keen on that route.  Even though the third option would take a day or so longer than the first, we opted for that, though later on in the day we questioned our judgement!  We entered Farmers Bridge top lock at 8.30.  The scaffolding (for replacing faulty cladding) that was on many buildings for what seemed like years had all gone, but yet more was being erected near the top of the flight.

Cheery scaffolders, though they didn’t hang about for a photo-op

To start with, the locks were either ready for us or nearly so, and they are mostly so close together that it is easy to lock ahead.

Cool and shady in the canyon between the office blocks

In the bottom half of the flight is one of the nastiest locks on the system.  It is entirely under a bridge with a building rising up over it, we can’t quite remember what is up there though we have been through it numerous times.  It is deep, dark, noisy and echoing and there are railings along the towpath edge as the roof is low.  But the worst bit is the offside bottom paddle.

The offside paddle is hard to see against the graffiti

It is only accessible across the bottom gate, and although there is enough space to operate it safely it feels dangerous.  At least the gate is a single, not a mitred pair, so you can lower the paddle and walk across back to the safety of the towpath side before you open the gate.  If you were afraid of heights, you wouldn’t want to do this one.  With two locks to go, the first volunteer arrived and walked on to set the last two locks for us, before going back to help a single-hander.  We had a short rest as we cruised to the top of the Aston flight.  Half an hour earlier, a cyclist had warned us there was an empty pound a few locks down.  He had reported it, but we arrived there before CRT. 

Water level way down

I started letting water down, leaving Dave in the lock above.  Several of the pounds have a wide section like this one, so I didn’t think there was a risk of the pound above getting too low.  A CRT chap arrived about 10 minutes later, and showed us how to let water through a lock with a boat in it – start with a full lock, leave one top paddle open, open the bottom two half-way, and wait.  The lock stays full, the water  stays fairly calm and slowly, slowly the water level below rises.  After a while he closed the top paddle and we were able to carry on down as normal.

Going down at last, CRT in attendance

Apparently there was a boat coming down behind us, though we didn’t see it till we were nearly at the bottom lock.

I wonder if the thimble mill made other items too?

I was very hot by now, as the locks are hard work and there was a lot of walking.  At the final lock the offside ground paddle delivered a fountain right into my face – cooling, but I’m not sure canal water is recommended as a face wash!  We stopped at the lovely-sounding but grotty Cuckoo Wharf to take on water and dispose of rubbish (no recycling) and thought, it’s only lunchtime, should we go round to Star City and stop, or should we crack on towards Curdworth?  We went on.

Ornamental balustrade across the river Tame, below Spaghetti Junction

We had lunch on the move, then moored on the bollards at Butler’s bridge in deep and welcome shade, where it would be safe to leave Jess aboard while we went up to Lidl.  We were half-tempted to stay on the mooring as it was so cool, but it was right under the flight path to the airport as well as near a busy road, so on we went.  The top Minworth locks were against us, and at the second I couldn’t get the bottom gate even half open – we had the same problem last year.  I asked a passing walker if he could lend me some muscle and between us we got it open.  He even stayed to make sure I could close it again, which was very kind of him.  Finally we were approaching the bottom lock, with another boat emerging, hurray!  Below this lock is one of the best conker trees on the system.

In full candle

We moored not much further on, before Minworth Green bridge.  Not surprisingly we didn’t feel like cooking!  The Boat wasn’t doing food, and worse, had no bitter, but a couple of drinkers directed us further down the canal to the Hare and Hounds.  That didn’t have bitter either, but Guiness and Peroni would do while we perused the menu.  It’s a busy road-house with attached Fuzzy Ed’s Funhouse soft play, and full of young families having their tea.  When we realised the wait for food was well over an hour we went back to the boat and had a fry-up, delicious!

About 8 miles, 27 heavy locks, 8 hours including the trip to Lidl, quite enough for one day thank you very much.  And more to come tomorrow.

Sometimes Birmingham means no locks at all

Tuesday 29^th April; Windmill End to Birmingham, Arena mooring

The day dawned brilliantly sunny and Jess and I had a pleasant walk first thing.

One of the ponds near the canal, 7 am

We knew it was likely to get very hot and thought we’d get the cruising done early, so were away at 8.30 – straight into Netherton tunnel which was cool, and dripping from the ventilation shafts.  It took about 35 minutes, our usual sort of timing.  Boat-wise the morning was utterly quiet.

Pudding Green Junction.  Not that way – Walsall canal is still closed after the cyanide spill although dredging has now taken place.

This article describes the incident and the re-opening of the towpath

This article is about the dredging.

The weather was hot by the time we passed Bromford Junction, where the three Spon Lane locks rise up to the Wolverhampton level.

We went up those locks once, years ago.  It was so long since they had been used that the water in the bottom lock was stagnant, black and stinking as I raised the paddles and let it out.

It wasn’t long before we were passing under the M5 and the Stewart aqueduct.  We did once see the stern of a boat disappearing across it as we approached, but today there was no activity.  On we went past Smethwick Junction, the other access to the Wolverhampton level from the new Main Line.

Smethwick Junction

Then a sheen began to appear on the water.  I remembered there had been a CRT alert about pollution in the previous week and as I was checking back on my phone, an update came through;

Last week, the Trust responded to reports of an oil-based pollution incident in the New Main Line Canal at Rabone Lane and Soho Loop, near Asylum Bridge.  Our team was able to deploy oil-absorbent pads and booms onto the water to soak up the spill and minimise the impact on wildlife in and around the city’s canals.  The team visited Soho Loop today, and the canal is looking much improved, with no evidence of fresh oil or animals in distress.  We will check the canal at Rabone Lane tomorrow.  We have informed the Environment Agency about the pollution, and they will be investigating the incident.

The smell of diesel was still noticeable.  But there were nicer things to look at than a diesel spill.

A blaze of colour

Then, almost 3 hours since we started, we saw our first boat – making for the ‘wrong’ side of the ex-bridge support.

Oh well, as long as we both go the 'wrong' side.  The fuzzy look to the the water is caused by squillions of little fluffy willow seeds, lots more in the boat!

It wasn’t even lunchtime before we were mooring in the centre of Birmingham, on the Arena side as our usual spot opposite was occupied.  We were running low on bread and milk so we sat down to write a shopping list, when I saw a wisp of smoke rising from the table between us.  WHAT??  A tiny charred spot on the table was getting bigger by the second!  The sun streaming through the window was also streaming through the magnifying glass sitting in the pencil pot  … quick action meant disaster averted.  It would have been a fascinating experiment to watch the situation develop and see how long it took for fire to take hold, but that would have been rather stupid.  We may do the experiment at home though, though more likely in the garden, with newspaper.  

We were already puzzled by a small black burn mark on the table, which appeared last year.  Now we know how it must have got there!

The magnifying glass now has a new home under the gunwale.  After lunch we decided to walk up to the Edgbaston reservoir, where you can walk by the water in the shade of trees.  It is less than a mile from the towpath, through the new Port Loop development.

Edgbaston waterworks tower

A different view of the BT tower

The last few weeks have been very dry and the water level seemed very low, with changes in vegetation indicating the normal water level.

Like mangrove trees

We completed the walk by crossing the dam, from which you can just see the CRT yard on the loop.  The photo showed the canal reflecting the blue of the sky but was not worth uploading.  On the back wall of the Sailing Club was a colourful mural, depicting people of significance to Edgbaston and scenes from local life.

The figure on the left is Thomas Telford, who was employed in the 1820s to inspect and advise on improvements to Birmingham's canals, which had severe maintenance problems.  The other main figure is William Ward, who turned out to be the Earl of Dudley and was the first Commodore of the Sailing Club.  (There was another local William Ward, who played cricket for Warwickshire and made his debut at the Edgbaston ground).  The figure between them, walking the tightrope, is the famous Charles Blondin, who crossed the reservoir in 1873.  On the far left of the photo is the Edgbaston Waterworks tower, which is still standing.

We stopped at the Distillery for a drink, but with a Guiness and a pot of tea coming to over £10 we won’t do that again in a hurry.   Back on the boat we took out some hopper windows to cool the boat down, and later had an excellent takeaway curry from Barajee.

10 miles, Netherton tunnel, Galton tunnel, a fire averted.