More Bits of stuff than Bobs.

 It was very blustery last night, with the gaps in the buildings and the cut itself acting like a funnel. I had wrapped the moorings lines around the bollard so they couldn't be lifted off and they creaked every time the weight came on.

I had always wondered why a winding hole was put in here but it was the entrance to a basin that served the Excelsior Coal Wharf. Where I am standing was another entrance to a basin that served a malt house, glass works and a brass foundry. The area is now all down to exercise the brain muscle rather than any others.

It was windy as we approached Ashted Locks. Helen decided she would work the locks for now. We normally split it I drive the boat on lock flight up, and Helen on the way down. The over bridge just before the lock was for access to another wharf. That Ashted Tunnel is a bugger. I have never been able to pass through without catching and scratching the roof edges. The tunnel is very narrow and the profile just doesn't take into account the height of modern cabin tops.

Just like at Aston University there is a load of building going on either side of the Ashted Locks on the Birmingham City Campus. Then at the foot of the locks there is also loads of work going on for the Birmingham Terminus of the HS2 railway at Curzon Street. Unlike Ashted Tunnel Curzon Tunnel is very wide, but is full of wind blown rubbish at either end.

We turned into Warwick Bar, deciding that time and wind would prevent us from taking a peek down the Typhoo Branch to see what had changed down there. The stop lock is on the left. The banana warehouse?! on the right and the boat shaped massive warehouse that was for the Fellows, Morton and Clayton, and beyond that is the Bond, some more old warehouses.

There is then an aqueduct over the River Rea that has sort of disappeared from Birmingham's ken as it has been culveted, built over and kept out of site. There are plans at Digbeth to resurrect it and incorporate it into housing schemes. I wonder if it will spread down this end? I have just noticed on the bridge abutment the GUCC and 1935 so was part of the improvement scheme that widened the Grand Union, but not here!

Just past the aqueduct were this series of artworks, not just graffiti, as they seemed to be to raise awareness of male mental health and suicide.

At Bordesley Junction It is straight on to continue on the Warwick and Birmingham Canal that became the Grand Union. To the left is the Birmingham and Warwick Junction Canal. Originally just the other side of the over bridge was a basin either side of the canal. They have both been built over now, but under the bridge you can see the entrance.

This was the old Phoenix Wharf and the Providence Tin Plate Works. The building above the cut was the Colmore Bedstead Factory around the turn of the 1900's. Before that St. Andrews boys and girls school was on the site.

Despite the very unedifying filth that lined the off side we did see our first bluebells today.

I'm not sure if this is a pumping system returning water to the top of the flight, but on the old maps there are several pump houses indicated along the length of the locks. Until just before WWII the land on the left of the picture were brickfields and factories making the raw material for the expansion of Birmingham.

As we passed the site of the old Saltley Gas Works that would have provided plenty of work for the canal we came to some new bridges linking all the new industrial units. This is the packaging company Smurfit Kappa Co. Ltd, but I only added it to give you some idea of the strength of the wind. Fortunately it was largely from astern. If it had been into our faces it would have been bitter, especially when the frequent light rain sowers fell.

This is the River Rea where it crosses over from the towpath side under an Aqueduct to the other side. Behind us (to the right) there used to be a a canal side reservoir, and to the left on the towpath side was a large mill pond that was filled in by the First World War and a recreation ground built on top.

The canal runs along the right hand side of this map extract. I can't seem to find anything about the curious whirl in the middle of the newly formed recreation ground from the 1913 map. Is it a circular maze?

As we passed the pontoon at Star City we wondered what the signs would be. It seems that the pontoon was reserved on 20th March for an event. I think that C&RT need to get wise to using plastic wallets with printed paper and plastic wire ties to tie them on. It is obvious that some have already gone. They have campaigns to pick up litter and avoid plastic. The very least would have been that they take them off after the event so that they didn't end up in the cut. We tied up to make our fourth of fifth visit to the weed hatch!

As we neared Salford Junction we passed over the River Tame that flows under the motorway M6 above. The River Rea joins a little further down the Tame.

There are massive developments taking place north of the canal towards Sutton Coldfield. There are to be 6000 house built and industry to provide the jobs. There is to be a fully integrated settlement with swift transport around the place. A third of the total of the land will be left green or by recreation grounds, sports pitches etc. It is right in the middle of all the road and rail transport networks too. Such a huge area of green field. I originally thought it was the HS2 that had got lost?

We finished for the day just before Curdworth top lock. We seem to have done our bit for litter picking as the bow is full of stuff we have picked out of the locks or surroundings. Last time we came this way we were quite impressed as it was loads better than previously. However it is going down hill once again.

Back to Brum.

 After a quiet night following a nice visit to the Barton Arms we woke to rain, but it was all gone by the time we were ready to set off. Even the towpath was dry.

These are very secure moorings and hopefully the owners will prevent people living there full time and stopping casual acces like us. It is all over seen by CCTV too.

Just through Rocky Lane bridge is this wall that forms one side of another building. With the transformer station the otherside I guessed it was an old power station. However, before that it was Aston's first Fire Station built in 1879 on Chester Street and down to Board's Wharf on the cut. It expanded over the years until the turn of the century when it was sold and the power station was built, as the Aston Manor Corporation got the contract for supply of energy. They started supplying for lighting and power in 1903 and for the tram network in 1904. The site was expanded in 1906 when Erdington was included in the supply. I'm not sure when the rest of the building was demolished but the wall is preserved.

A little further up on the towpath side is this over bridge that ran into serve a granary that was also linked to the railway system until before WWII.

After a couple of locks there was another overbridge that led to an arm into the Windsor Street Gas works for the Birmingham Corporation. In the photo above on the opposite side you can just about see where another arm led off. It looked as if it was for another part of the gasworks. As there are no buildings on the wharf I suspect it maybe for coal storage.

After the last photo on the approach to the No.6 lock is another over bridge fright by the lock. It led to another part of the Windsor Street Gas works. Maybe this was for the removal of ash, or tar etc.

Two locks from the top, and having met one boat heading down. Despite the high rise buildings around this area is quite quiet, but in the hey day of the canal there was an iron foundry on the off side and an Iron works on the towpath side!

We got to the top in just an hour, for eight locks, and only a slight shower to dampen the spirits. Time is limited on this trip so we did not head up the Farmer's Bridge Locks and turned left an moored at the Science Park moorings. It is as easy to walk into town from here as from the top anyway.

At Aston Junction they are building even more student accommodation and there has been some moorings on the off side but were a place for drinking a drugs judging by the litter. It seems they are tidying it and if I understood the workers correctly it is going to be visitor moorings when completed.

The nursery that was here has gone and the Advanced Transport and Infrastructure National College has been built in its place. It is a 48hr mooring here with room for two full length boats, and more opposite the winding hole though.

After walking throught he Aston University campus we came to Corporation Street and the Methodist Central Hall. It is a massive red brick and terracotta building with it tower. The central hall could seat 2,000 and there were 30 other rooms, including 3 other smaller halls. Much of the road frontage on both sides of the building were let to shops and some still have the original design. It fell of use mainly in 2002 and has got into such bad repair that it is on the Historic Building at risk register as it is Grade II listed. The tile works was done by Gibbs and Canning of Tamworth. In 2018 there were plans for a 147 hotel, as the main part of a redesign, but it appears as if COVID, funding etc have meant that has not gone ahead. It would be a great shame to loose it.

On the other side of the road, and on the opposite side are the red brick Victoria Law Courts. The foundation stone was laid in 1887 and they were opened in 1891 by the Prince and Princess of Wales. Alterations have been made over the years but it must be quite sumptuous in side. It was the first court outside of London to be lit by electricity

Above the entrance arch in this terracotta detail, also done by Gibbs and Canning of Tamworth, It shows a relatively young Queen Victoria, not the grumpy old lady that is often seen.

Helen had a list of shops she wanted to visit and I took this picture on New Street/Corporation Corner. The Birmingham Post Newspaper was based here to the left and the building was extended in 1879 to the corner and in roughly the same style. At the top of the rounded corner is the names Queens Corner that was said to be added after the visit of Queen Victoria to the city in 1887. The clock is advertising Slater's Men wear that were in the building until not too long ago.

It has been graduation day at Aston so there were many gowns and motors and proud families as we walked through the campus that has plenty of grass, seating fountains and lakes. I was taken with this sculpture as it says ' All the Books I should have Read'. Well Helen is always reading and usual,reads about one a week.

We are back off to town for tea as by long standing tradition we have an Indian meal at the Barajee on Broad Street.

Carpetted and Ground Down, and a pint or two.

 We were off by 0930 and heading to the foot of the Curdworth flight.

The bottom locks are a nice quiet spot to live. Mind you at this time of year the canada geese (and others) make a hell of a row.

We had a small delay as we got to the third lock by the Dog and Doublet. The work boat was across the mouth of the lock until they had driven in the next pile. It seems bank repairs are always done by taking some of the navigation and re-piling. In some places they must have stolen 4 to 6 feet of navigation. How many times can they do this over the years?

There were volunteers at most locks but they were painting, grass cutting or similar. However there were one or two with a windlass that gave a hand too. The HS2 is crossing between locks 4 and 5  to add to the row from the M42 traffic.

As we moved on to the Minworth locks, after having stopped for water at the Dutton Wharf tap, There was more duck weed making an appearance. There was a bloke at the top lock digging it out from where the wind had blown it to the top lock. He will be there for a while, and the growing season for the duck weed hasn't really got going yet! 

As we went under Erdington Hall Bridge I was looking forward to the run beneath the old factory. In the end it was put on hold as the engine stopped. As I looked aft I could see a carpet following us. We managed to get to the side and had a look down the weed hatch.

How unlucky can you be to catch the corner of a carpet this size. We got the corner right round the prop and it took a fair bit to get it off. It was so heavy I couldn't pull it out of the water very easily. It was so heavy I couldn't lift it to dump somewhere better, and had to roll it up and stash off the tow path. We told C&RT about it so that they can pick it up before it gets into the water again. There is another one obviously dumped from the bridge on the off side.

If Salford Junction was in the countryside it would be full of gongoozlers. As it is under a motorway etc there was the odd cyclist and several idiots haring about on motorbikes etc.

The first side arm after Cuckoo wharf is the Carter's Arm.This led the Aston Coach Works where they had a timber yard as well as the iron works. The Plume Works had a big fire in 1870 and the opportunity was taken to add to the brass foundry that was there. Strangely they started up a match and cartridge company on the site as well. There were bankruptcies but by the time of the map it was being run by the Peerless Seamles tube company that were making bike frames as there was a huge surge in their production. It later became the site of the Verity Co. who manufactured electric motors, fans and fittings until the end of the 1950's. It looks like it would make good moorings?

On the off side used to be the Aston Water works, but later became a series of metal bashing factories. The chimney is truncated and you can just see the Bros. Ltd on it still.

The arm leading off next is the Dowlers Arm named after a bras and military buttons, cartridge, matches and much else besides. One side of the business was to make railway men's whistles and for others such as the Police.

The pound was quite low so we noticed these grinding wheels from an old factory that had been used in the foundations of an old wall. We were very relieved when we went up the third lock and found there was room on the moorings at the Waterlink business park. We moored up and got changed and headed off for a drink.

Just 15 mins walk away is one of the best heritage pubs in the country, The Barton Arms. It was built for Mitchel and Butlers in 1901 and cost £12,000. It was on the site of a former pub that they bought and knocked down. The whole place a late Victorian masterpiece. Above you have a set of snob screens. These are little etched glass windows that could be used to block the view from one bar to the other, so that the bosses in one bar could see the workers in the other, but block them seeing the what they were up to.

The Minton-Hollis tiles bring gloss and colour everywhere with beautiful tile picyures and stained glass windows.

The wrought iron staircase is also wonderful leading up to a large and small function room. It seems it is now run by the owner of Qakham Brewery and the Thai restaurant seems to be very popular too.

The tile work at the entrances is still in place and a testament to the Victorian pub buildings. A real gem and well worth the 15 minute walk.

How many pubs have a clock tower and beautiful massive exterior lamps like this. In its heyday it was close to the Aston Hippodrome which was the top variety theater of the are. all the top names that worked there also visited here between shows. They are very proud of the fact that Laurel and Hardy were here.

Fifteen minutes back and then a sit down and tea. A long but great day, with the sun shining that I wasn't expecting.

Fradley, Fill her up and Fazeley.

 All went very smoothly yesterday we did the journey back to Hull and return to Kings Bromley in record time. Lovely drive in good weather. We had time to go home and get the jobs done before I had to head for my Barbershop Chorus rehearsal. It is the British Barbershop Chorus competition in four weeks and we really needed to carck our two songs. We are now well on our way after 5 hours of solid practice. Helen go to see the No.1 Daughter and grand children, and her Mum so all was good.

We left the marina just before 10:00 and turned right, heading towards Fradley. I like this stretch as the trees lean in to the canal, the tow path is wide and there aren't too many moored boats to slow you down. Mind you there always seems to be a queue at Woodend Lock, as there always seems to be at Colwich Lock in the other direction too.

 

The trees have been cropped on the HS" route closer to Shadehouse Lock and there seems to be more people and equipment working there now. No volunteers working here.

It was a little breezy for hanging about waiting for boats at the junction but of course a boat popped out of the Coventry to head down to Alrewas. It took him a while to realise what was happening but I was able to pass behind him and Helen had the bridge open. There was nobody on the water points so we stopped and topped up.

The buildings just before Bridge 90 are made up of old and new extensions, but they make a very nice hotch potch of structures formed into one. It looks like it could have been a wharf at one time but on the 1880's maps there is no evidence of that.

We haven't seen any sun at all today, but the rape is well out and as well as brightening up everything when you pass, the smell is on the air too. Does this mean that everybody's hay fever will start now?

For the same reasons as the first photo in this blog I love this view. There is something majestic about an oak, even when not clothed in its leaves.

We passed the always busy Streethay Wharf and the diesel price was £1-75 a litre. However we passed  a boat at Woodend Lock who said they stopped for fuel and they would only let them have 30ltrs. Is there another diesel scare now? You would have thought with the cost now, that there would be a surplas as people reduced the usage! I was struck by the paraffin on the sign. There was a time when every home had at least one paraffin heater, pre-central heating. I can easily bring back to mind the smell of them. Do people still use paraffin heaters? Can you still by it at grocers and ironmongers?

The asparagus tunnels near Fisherwick have moved. I suspect that as the asparagus grow in the ground they will have to let it go fallow every now and then, and the plants must decline in production with age so that it pays to renew them every few years. The polytunnels looked 'other wordly as we passed them, especially with the wind turbine behind.

The wood anemones our out in Hopwas wood and on a dull day like today they are like bright stars in the night sky. Not long before the bluebells are out now too.

There must have been worse place than the pill box by Hopwas Wood Bridge. Then again on an eerie dark night it could get quite spooky I'm sure. I can just Pike shouting at passing narrow boats, and Capt. Mainwaring trying to get them to do something stupid. 

We seem to stop for water here every time we pass, but not this time! All was quiet as we turned right on to the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal and headed towards Brum.

I always like to see the signs still in place.

Tolson's Mill seems to be nearing completion now. It was built in 1886 and is Grade II listed.

The big windows and tall ceilings make it quite special, especially with a west facing room. I wonder what the rest of it looks like, from £150,000!!

Drayton Foorbridge, along with the swing bridge are very photogenic, but normally I seem to have taken the picture from the other side.

We continued onwards in the very slight drizzle, the sort that doesn't get you wet, until we had passed Fisher's Mill Bridge and tied up after quite along, but pleasant day, and well on our way towards Brum.