Beers, Boats and Boozers, 2018. No.37

Just for a change the beer comes first this is because it was a detour was made after I had been dragged off shopping the next day. We didn't have far to go so had a half day, and celebrated my survival with a pint at the Weatherspoon's over the cut from our moorings

The Waterfront In is on the Waterfront complex that was built on part of the Round Oak iron and Steel Works. It had started out as the New Level Iron Works in 1857, and become Earl of Dudley's Round Oak Iron and Steel Works by 1897. It was decommissioned in 1982 and the 200 acre site was made available for the Merry Hill shopping complex and the Waterfront area of offices and entertainment. A lot of the place along the water front appear closed, but Weatherspon's seemed to be as busy as normal.

They only had five 'different' hand pulls on. It seems to be the way of things now a days. They have their standard draught beers but the guests beer numbers have dropped in number. It may be a good thing as then they get used more quickly and so less chance of a duff pint. I chose a beer from the Phoenix Brewery. It was started up by Tony Allen who took voluntary redundancy from Bass to start his business up in 1981, called the Oak Brewery. Initially it was on an industrial estate in Ellesmere Port but over the following ten years the brewery did very well and he found that he was  too far away from his main trade so decided to relocate to the old Phoenix Brewery in Heywood, Manchester. This brewery had been built in 1800 but had gone bust three times! The brewery had been left by Bass in 1962. Oak Brewery moved into the attached maltings and changed its name to that of the brewery building, the name is on the tower from the original company, in 1996. They produce around 100 barrels a week and supply more than 400 outlets.

I had the Wobbly Bob, which was a little daring at 6%, but it wasn't just alcohol. It had a lovely golden colour with an off white head to it. The first taste gives you a good malty hit that has the taste of treacle and fruit, a nice half sweet beer that is all about the malt. Quite often these strong ales just have the alcohol packed in them and that is all that you can taste. This was a nice drop.

I love this building at the waterfront. I think the credit card company Egg had it when it was new, the company and the building that is.

We headed up the Dudley No.1 Canal and stopped at the Blowers Green services for water, rubbish etc. There was no smell of baking bread from the nearby bakery today, shame. I hope it hasn't closed. We were now on the Dudley No.2 Canal.

As you pass round Ntherton Hill you could almost be somewhere on the Leicester Arm as you feel right out in the countryside.

We had a night at Windmill End which is a delight, other than the idiots on their motor bikes haring up and down the tow path, on their way to the next drug deal I expect, but usually the natives are friendly and I end up having a good chat to somebody.

We didn't head through Netherton Tunnel as we were heading for Hawne Basin as we were off home for a family wedding. The Dudley No.2 is a dead end now so is not boated that much, but was once a veritable motorway of boats heading to the Worcester and Birmingham Canal at Selly Oak, as a short cut that by passed Birmingham. When the Lappal Tunnel collapsed that was that. There is plenty of evidence of works and docks along the route still.

These signs got me thinking about whether structures these days prodly disply there builder and date like this. Maybe we are not quite so proud of them now?

Gosty Tunnel always seem to take ages to get through. I think it is very shallow so you can never put on speed. Here at the northern entrance there is what is left of the old tug dock where the tug that towed boats through was moored.

I always stop when I clear the southern portal as we are going that slowly I convince myself that we have loads of stuff round the prop. Usually there is nothing to worry about.

As soon as you clear the Gosty Tunnel it must have been amazing up until 1962 as you emerge into the middle of the Stewart and lloyds steel tube works. It started out in 1903 and by the time it was finished it was on both banks of the canal with bridges, cranes, pipelines etc above the canal. It is all slowly being recovered by nature now.

We are always made very welcome by the Coombeswood Trust of Hawne Basin, and old transhipment point for the railway. It is a bit of a beggar to get in through the bridge hole and in the confines of the basin in any wind, but we were lucky. The moorings and fuel are very reasonable. We were soon full of fule and water and moored up before  we headed home for a week or so.