It was a lovely day when we left our mooring in Brum. We headed out west to see how far the moorings had been extended, and to wind.
The new moorings extend almost to Monument Lane Transhipment basin, and this is where we turned. I bravely put my stern in the hole and let the wind turn us round and headed back to Old Turn.
Here we are with Oozells Loop off to the right and Brindley Place right ahead.
We turned to the south and headed between Brindly Place and the Convention centre. On the left there was a Boys and girls school in 1887.
WE are heading under Broad Street here and what is now known as the Black Sabbath Bridge. In 1887 there was a church built over the canal here, The Chapel of the Messiah with a sunday school also over the cut. Right ahead is 'our' Indian restaurant The Barajee.
Looking back at Gas Street Basin and the Worcester Bar. This was literally a bar and boats had to be discharged and loaded into boats on the other side. The were arms off to the left on either side of the bar. The northern one served a lead works, a wire and nail factory, a sword and machete forger and a company making engineering tools. The southern arm served an anchor and tube works, a galvanised iron works, and an Iron and brass foundry. It certainly wouldn't be the tourist trap with bars and restaurants that it is today. The smoke and stench would not be pleasant.
We stopped for water and to hopefully dump the rubbish at the services down by the Mailbox. There is no rubbish disposal so as far as I can tell the only place for boaters rubbish in the whole of central Birmingham is the little cupboard by Cambrian Wharf that quickly get stuffed full. Where the services are near the Mailbox was once the Corporation's wharf so would have had all the rubbish and night soil being tipped into day boats.
You soon get to feel that you are not in the city, other than the railway running along next to the canal. The area of Edgbaston is very leafy with big houses and university grounds and colleges so few bridges but many walkers and bikers. The other day we saw Claire Balding and Katherine Grainger walking up the tow path
After passing through Selly Oak and the hoped for restoration of the connection through to the Dudley No.2 canal at Hawne Basin through the Lapal Tunnel, and under the road, there is a long straight with new housing on the tow path side. There is evidence of two arms going off the canal here. They served the big works of Elliott's Metal Co. The works were established in 1853 and in 1866 they bought out Charles Green who had invented the method of making solid drawn tubes. They made copper and brass sheets, plates, rods and tubes. The company also bought Muntz Metals in 1926, who made their money out of providing copper alloy sheets to 'copper' the bottom of wooden ships to prevent tropical worm boring in to the ships timber. Hence the saying 'Copper bottomed'. Two years later they were taken over by ICI Metals.
As you approach Kings Norton Junction there are some obviously old industrial buildings in the angle caused by the Worcs. and Birmingham and the Stratford Canal. This was the Sherbourne Paper Mill of James Baldwin and Sons Ltd. It was established in 1829. The wall around the site has large gaps in that have been infilled with new brick, as in the photo above. These must have been where the raw materials for paper making were delivered, rags, grass, chalk and coal, and where the finished products were loaded too.
The Junction House is still sheaved in scaffolding and sheets after a fire. When they finally get round to doing something with it. They need somebody to live in it. I hope they do something with the junction sign too. You can still see the list of tolls between the sheets on the front of the building.
Helen had put a wash on as we left Brum, so as there was nobody on the water point at Kings Norton we stopped and topped up. Our policy is never pass a vacant tap if you have used any. Soon after is the first of the tunnels today. This was the Wast Hill Tunnel. It was built in 1796 and is 2726 yards long. It is wide enough for two boats but has no towpath. Originaly it was legged through by the crew, or hired leggers, but in 1877 steam tugs were introduced. It looks like it is the 5th longest tunnel on the canals still in use.
Soon after the tunnel you come to the Bittell Reservoirs. These were built by the canal company but were not completed until 1837, forty years after the canal opened. The upper reservoir was to feed the canal and the lower was to compensate the water flows in rivers for the mill owners of the area. sailing etc takes place on the Upper reservoir and the Sea Scouts have a big base there. It is also used for triathlon swimming and wild swimming in the summer. The lower water is used mainly for fishing.
Straight after the reservoirs you come to the M42 Motorway, and once under the carriageways you come to this old arm and cross over bridge. I thought it would be an arm to a factory or similar, but it turns out to be the old route of the canal that was blocked when the motorway was built and the route was altered to suit.
As we had passed the pub at Arrowfield a day boat had pulled out in front of us and was just dribbling along. I had hoped he was bound for Alvechurch Marina, but no we passed there and headed into Shortwood Tunnel. You can maybe just make him out ahead. At the other end was a boat who waited for us until we, and another boat astern of us were through. When we passed him I could see why he waited despite it been wide enough for two, it was a newly painted hire boat heading back to the centre. Shortwood Tunnel is 613 yards long.
The day boat finally called it a day at Anglo Welsh just before the last tunnel of the day which was Tardebigge Tunnel. Just 580 yards long it was a mere bagatelle and we were soon moored up before the top lock. I haven't mentioned another tunnel we have been through today. Edgbaston Tunnel is only 105 yards longs so not much more than a big bridge. The difference is that they have restricted it to one way working as they have installed a tow path for the benefit of racing cyclists.
It seemed like a long day, but we weren't off very early and it has been very nice weather for boating. No locks, so could be argued was a little boring. However we will make up for the lack of locks tomorrow!
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