The weather today followed a similar pattern to the last couple of days: bright and warm in the morning, turning to rain and chilly later. However, on this occasion the morning was greyer but the rain held off until about three in the afternoon.
Before leaving, Mike took a look at the old railway line which Andrew had walked last evening. It crossed near the canal junction and ran alongside the Stourbridge Extension Canal to serve a number of industrial works towards Kingswinford. As can be seen from above the bridge, this was no small branch line!
After coming back around by the present end of the Stourbridge Extension Canal, not far from where we were moored, it was time (early-ish) to set off. Andrew was to return home today (he is involved in organising a large walk near his home t his Sunday and provides the technology to process several hundred walkers) so we needed to sort out a destination with a train connection back to Droitwich where his car was left. At this stage, we had several options and agreed to make a decision when we were nearer to Windmill End (the southern end of the Netherton Tunnel)
Back at the junction with the Stourbridge Canal we saw a couple of Canada Geese - we have not seen too many yet but no doubt they will soon be making their presence felt in huge numbers.
The canal between here and Windmill End is very much a contour canal - this part of the Birmingham conurbation has many significant changes in height yet lover many miles we only had two changes in height via locks. At one ;point we were just a few hundred metres from where we were almost an hour earlier!
Delph Marine still operates as a boat yard although much of the land seems to be occupied by relics from previous generations of construction! Two boats were in the process of being fitted out although one of them had far too stubby a bow for Mike's taste!
Eventually, a sign on a road bridge just below the Delph Flight of eight locks announced the start of the BCN and the Dudley No 1 Canal in particular.
The flight is very impressive with its wide overflow weirs. The first and last locks are a little different but the intermediate six are in a straight line - the top of the flight is alongside the building which can just be seen in the middle.
As a boat (probably the one that moored next to us last night) had come down the flight, they were all set for us. The gates, alas, are generally badly balanced and so when empty most of them swing open even after they have been shut. On this occasion, however, it was a help.
One lock had a gate that has seen better days and we feared for its balance beam - we made sure that we closed this one especially gently!
The BCN was noted for having much of its structures and equipment well marked (branding we would call it today) and even this former fence post is made to order.
We emerged from the top lock feeling good that we had managed the flight is just under an hour. All that remained was to shut the top gate.
However, Mike discovered that about half way closed the gate hit an under water obstruction which had not been felt when it was opened - something mushed have been brought down with the water flow into the lock. Try as he could, Andrew not persuade it to shut. However, we had spotted that in the stables alongside the next lock down there is a CaRT office and that someone was inside. So Mike went back down to report the problem and the member of staff promptly walked back up with him to investigate, carrying a long pole.
He eventually located a large and solid object and after some time managed to move it sufficiently to allow the gate to close. He was not happy just to leave it but would need to summon further help for what might be a long job. He was content that we left him to it.
The next stretch took as past Merry Hill, the huge retail park built to regenerate an area left desolate by the closure of a large steel works.
At Blowers Green there is a deep single lock and at the top, in a former pumping house, are the usual boater facilities where we emptied and filled as needed - except that the rubbish bins seem to have disappeared.
At one time, one of the long loops in the canal was short-circuited by a Two Locks Line which shortened the journey considerably. However, the subsidence from the extensive coal mining for which this area was once famed, soon rendered this canal unusable and it eventually closed at the start of the twentieth century less than 50 years after it was opened. Not much of it can now been seen apart from the start and finish roving bridges.
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Withymoor Island is a short backwater now used for private moorings. Alongside the mainline is a pump out and calor gas service - but it was closed and no sign of when it might be open! From old maps it seems that this arm was a transhipment base with a railway - a warehouse covered the majority of the canal and sidings.
By now Andrew had opted for central Birmingham for his departure some time around six o'clock, so when we reached Windmill End, we were able to pull in and moor up for lunch (second day of Christine soup - maker, not ingredient, that is) On the opposite side of the canal is a Visitor Centre based in an old stable block. Andrew took a look and found it quite busy with the local Nature Conservation group but when Mike had had his lunch and wandered around the junction
and it was all closed up. It seems that the group meet for two hours work in the morning and end it with refreshments at the centre!
Off once more and we were immediately into Netherton Tunnel. This is 2.8 km in length and the far end can be seen even before we entered. It was very much the height of canal engineering, wide, dry and with twin towpaths.
After emerging back into daylight and passing under the Old Main Line at Tividale Aqueduct, we joined the New Main Line at Dudley Port Junction. The first part of the Main Line is as straight as the tunnel - built for speed when it provided a faster alternative to the contour-following old route.
By now the promised rain had caught up with us and it poured rather heavily for a while. A feature of this line are the toll islands which are associated with most of the junctions. They are deliberately narrow which require care - almost impossible to avoid touching one side or the other especially those built with one side in line with the towpath (as above).
There seemed to be even more wall decorations than when we passed this way before. Since we are not able to 'read' the contents (alas, not our culture!) there is always the danger that we have quoted something we might not want to! But at least we can admire the skill and effort used to create them. At least they are more interesting than the ugly and plain walls.
Icknield Port Loop was part of the original contour Birmingham Canal but which was cut off when the straightening took place. Some of the loops were retained to service the canalside industries. However, this area had long since become very run down and substantially derelict, ripe for re-development. Plans have been in discussion for a long time, many getting no further than glossy pictures. However Port Loop (more re-branding) is now underway and the first houses, just visible under the bridge, are available for purchase. If you happen to have £379,000 to spare (no wonder the website indicates that Help to Buy is available)
We were now approaching the centre of Birmingham and, as always, slightly nervous about whether we would find room to moor. In the summer this can be a busy section even with a two day limit on mooring and if it is full there is some distance to travel to find an alternative. Today, although a number of boats were already tied up there was plenty of space still available. We are seriously considering taking up the two day allowance and staying here until Sunday.
16.7 Miles - 9 Locks
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