Jungle, Waterfalls and a Russian Take-over.

 It was really quiet last night. I was ready for bed as the after effects of our meeting seemed to catch up with me. Well, with all of us to be honest as we were all ready for bed at 2200. It was undisturbed other than Amy sleep walking around the boat at about 0200!

Before leaving this morning we showed Amy the old railway line by the mooring. It actually makes me feel a little spooky as I think of the Burma Railway that was built by prisoners of the Japanese in WWII. The trees growing out of the tracks and the verdant undergrowth bring to mind jungle and for some reason 'the' dead, maybe as they are among the sleepers!! We reversed out of the arm with consummate ease, just as well as an old guy was watching my efforts with a professional eye. It is okay on a lovely day with no wind!

We were soon round the corner and on to the Dudley, well actually the Stourport Canal until the base of the Black Delph Locks, and that is where we are in the photo above. The top and bottom locks are original but the beautiful flight with the waterfall weirs are 'new'.

We got to the top in 45 minutes with most of the locks largely with us and crossing with one down bound boat. They are a great set of locks to work, other than a few of the bottom gates fly open all the time. The girls were loath to work the second last lock as there was bloated, very dead badger floating around the paddles. I'm glad we didn't touch it as it was pretty smelly as it was!

It was great having the 'third man' in the shape of Amy. She is a skilled lock operative and loves to keep things moving and efficient. She must have an excellent teacher!

From the top lock you can see the original route of the old canal under the roving bridge. The new line heads down the flight to the right and past the old boat horse stable.

We did discuss whether the girls wanted to moor up and head into Merry Hill Centre, but both thpought they would wait until Birmingham. Merry Hill owners, Intu, are doing their best to freshen the appeal of their centre after COVID with new facades, but the loss of the big Debenham's will hit them I'm sure

We were soon at Blowers Green and up and alongside the services. The lock house by the Park Head Locks is slowly being subsumed by the Russian Vine and other plant life. I wonder if Sleeping Beauty lives there. Somebody doeslive there, or at least the TV aerial seems fairly new.

It seems that the work party's around here haven't visited Blowers Green as the crane is also disappearing under ivy etc. We were soon topped up with water and the rubbish dumped and were on our way again

Between Merry Hill/Round Oak and Blowers Green it is largely industrial and the various noises of industry accompany you on your progress. After Blowers Green the canal travels through housing, fields and a reservoir and is less messy with rubbish too. It is the proverbial 'green corridor and plenty of folk were out using it too.

We were soon at Windmill end and surprised to find nobody moored up so we had the pick of the spots. Once made fast we had lunch of a bacon and black pudding 'banjo'. After letting that settle I set too cleaning the roof as we had to moor under trees at Kinver and it was sticky, never mind the fact that it would now be over two years since it was last washed. Meanwhile Amy and Helen went for a stroll around the country Park. I had just about finished when they got back, and as I had streaked the port side whilst doing the roof I set to cleaning that. Helen and Amy helped so it was soon done.

A little later a boat came along and it was the fuel boat 'Roach'. We had passed him heading south, but he had just been to fuel up a boat and had returned here to windmill end to moor for the night. A little later another boat moored up astern of us. Later I was out and chatting to the two young blokes from it. They were telling me they had saved two jay chicks from foxes yesterday and were now trying to feed them. They had been trying to get through to the RSPCA but couldn't as there were massive delays on the phone lines. I hope they manage to get sorted as trying to feed them meal worms through the night will keep them occupied.

The Stourbridge Canal is a Star.

 After an overdose of Batham's I could have been feeling very sorry for myself this morning, but as the beer is so extra special, and only 3.5% alcohol but I was just a little woolly headed. Amy went for a run so we were late starting.

Helen wanted to get some shopping so whilst she and Amy walked into Kinver I took the boat down to the winding hole to turn and come back. On Pearson's and Nicholson's it shows it a fair bit before the next bridge. I was starting to wonder where it was, and even tried at a wider bit than normal, as I didn't want to miss it as the next one was a lot further. I needn't have worried, it was just a lot closer to the bridge than the maps seemed to indicate. I was soon round and heading back for the girls.

The was a bit of a rockfall between the winding hole and Kinver and it does restrict two way passage, especially when somebody moors opposite it.

At Hyde Lock this little picture sort of encapsulates some of my feelings about the canals. A beautiful cottage, a Staffs. and Worcs. boundary marker and a breasting post (or what ever the real name of it is), along with the old textured engineering bricks for extra grip on the lock edge. All these point to old industrial skills and techniques that served usful purposes and that can still be seen on the network.

Above Hyde lock is this very photogenic cottage. Apparently it is all that is left of  the large Hyde Iron works that was located here. It was the managers house by all accounts.

It is the red coloured house on this map at the bottom for the works. There is no sign of the short arm that served the works either, at least not from the canal. There was a spade works just to the north of the iron works too.

We stopped for water above Stewponey and then headed round the corner and then turned right up the Stourbidge Canal at Stourton Junction. There was a C&RT work boat on the lock moorings fixing the retaining wall. These first three locks are a bit of a bugger to keep the bottom gates shut, though not too much of a bother going up.

We passed three boats between Storton and Worsley Junctions so had high hopes of having the locks with us. We got to the bottom to see a boat going up one lock ahead of us. There were only two of them and it was their first hire boat holiday. They were doing very well but inevitably we caught them up. By the time we got into the second lock there was another hire boat behind us with plenty of crew.

Between lock 13 and 14 the old mill had mirrored windows so I couldn't resist.

Just past Dadford's Shed there is the old Dock pub/shop with what looks like a little arm but I think was a side pound.

This is the first of the new wigwam's that are placed over broken paddle gear that I have seen. I wonder how long this will be there. They look like miniature toilet tents!

Helen is just entering the third lock from the top. The sun had gone in which actually was quite welcome as it kept it cooler. There was a little sprinkle of rain, but not much. John (or is it David) the non C&RT volunteer lock keeper was ouyt and dashing back and forth to set the locks for everyone. It all helped and what I feared was going to be a long job turned out to be 5 minutes short of three hours, not a record but not too bad. The hire boat ahead of us had seemed pretty vague about whether they knew how many locks there were etc, and when they go to the top of the locks they went straight on at Leys Junction, instead of turning right towards the Delph. Fortunately a bloke on a bike sped after them and halted before they had too far to reverse back to the junction.

However when we got to the top we intentionally went straight on as we were mooring up for the night on stub of the old Stourbridge Extension Canal. We did tell everybody that that was our plan so they didn't feel they had to chase after us too.

I think the Staffs and Worc's and the Stourbridge canals are two of my favourites so with a bit of sun, and with two for lock wheeling we have had a great day. and 

Down the locks, but not out.

 The rain stopped in time for us to leave a little early earlier than normal,but we just had to go and sit behind a boat that had passed us a bit earlier.

It was about an hour later the bottom of the Bratch Locks. Just to make delays a little more frustrating there was a fishing match between the Bratch Locks and Botterham staircase locks. There must have been a hundred or more anglers that delayed us a little.

At Bumble Hole Lock Helen was still xmiling.

We had gone down Botterham, Marsh, Swindon and Hinksford locks when the black clouds gathered and I can't remember when I has ever been in such heavy rain in this country.m I can't really remember such heavy rain, ever in the past. I was wet through to the under garments. It was chucking it down at Greensforge Lock. There was somebody on the water point, but there was somebody coming up the lock so we took their place.

By the time we got to Rocky Lock the sun was out again and the roof of the baot was steaming heavily as we all dried out.

We stopped for water above Stewponey Lock. Amy went to lay on the roof as it was getting warm in the sun with the idea that she would dry out quickly up there. It was relatively successful too.

The pressure was good and we were soon on our way and penning down by the toll house at the lock built in 1772. We didn't want to hang about as we were meeting up with some old friends at Kinver.

We were soon at Cookley Tunnel, if it actually counts as a tunnel!

The sun was out and cracking the flags before we got to Hyde Lock.

At Hyde Lock there is a 'to die for' view to the lock cottage.and the 10' drop  of the lock,. Our reason for rushing was to meet up with a long term friend from rugby days

. There aremany good things about Kinver, but one of them is the fact that the Plough and Harrow pub is a Batham's pub. My friend Chris, and his wife Cyd, also like it very much, so it seemed an idle place to meet up, and meet their beagle Hector. It is three years since we had seen each other. More pints than were sensible were consumed before we went out separate ways to make the best of the England v Denmark match.

At the late hourt, Helen very wisely decided that preparing and evening meal was not something she was putting to the top of here list, so as we passed the chip shop in the main street, with this lovely view, we stopped and prepared our feast for the evening.

It was a long, but ultimately really enjoyable day, and by the evening we ad even dried out after the torrential downpour.

Poplars, pylons, platforms and pump houses.

 The rain stopped on cue this morning,just as we were about to get going. It held off for the rest of the day with odd 'spitting' events!

I was impressed at Bridge 70, the Brinsford Dual Carriageway bridge. It looks fairly modern and they had installed rope protectors on the towpath edges. Looking back it looks like the road was made dual, and this bridge constructed, around 1960. It shows the amount of horse drawn traffic at that time to cause the grooves from the ropes when the coal carrying would be just about finished ten years later, or at least by horse drawn day boats.

The Stygian depths of the Pendeford Rockings proved lucky for us once more as we did not meet another boat until we had just cleared it.

The popular trees as you approach Autherley Junction ar an impressive sight. They run at the end of a school's playing fields. If one came down they would certainly block the canal, and provide a gooly quantity of logs for passing boaters.

There was a boat just clearing the stop lock on the Shropshire Union but we were well clear when they popped out. This seagull was just checking the route back to the sea. Not sure whether this is the most direct route though.

As we are heading down the locks now Amy took over the helm and Helen provided moral support. It was lovely and quiet on the southern Staffs. and Worcs, at least today anyway.

As we approached Bratch these ponies were curious to see what was passing by their field. We stopped at the start of the visitor moorings and after a bit of lunch decided to head off for a walk.

The number of feet that have trodden this boat access at the bottom of the Bratch Locks have indented their own history and made something vaguely sculptured.

We walked down the tow path to Giggety Bridge and walked up the Wom Brook Footpath. It is amazing to think that housing is up there somewhere as it feels so remote. You can just see the eaves of a house high above in the photo.

The Wom Brook Path crosses the Kingswinford Rail Trail to which we transferred. The line opened in 1925 but passenger traffic only lasted seven years. It looks like a single track for much of the route we walked, and a gentle rising incline. It was part of the Great Western Railway and the whole line closed to all traffic in 1965.

Here is one of those 'disguised' phone masts. I'm not sure if they actually do other than draw attention to it as it looks so unreal. If it was just a phone mast you would never even give it a second glance. Maybe that is why they haven't all been done. I wonder how they decide which ones they attempt to camouflage. Maybe just those that dispute the building the most. 

Wombourn (spelt without the 'e') only lasted as a passenger station as long as the passenger traffic, but it is still there today as a cafe and restaurant, and is in great condition. The site had sidings and bridges over the lines etc. Just the station building survives, and the platforms.

Looking down the slight hill down towards the station from where we left the railway for a quiet country road that took us back to Awbridge Lock on the canal. It looks double track on this section.

The navigators checking the route under a tree in a slight shower.

Once back at the boat I went back down the locks to get a better photo of the Bratch Pumping station. From the top of the locks it reminds me of a Bavarian Castle with it's little turrets. Up close doesn't disappoint either. It was created following an arguement about the cost of water. Bilston Council were complaining about the price of water supplied to them by Wolverhampton Council. In the end Bilston built their own extraction pumping station here, and did a 'proper' job of it too. There were two steam engines used alternatively to pump the water up from 50 metres below from the sandstone aquifer to a reservoir 100 metres higher up than the pump house. The water works became redundant in 1960 and was nearly lost, but by 1991 the building and one of the steam engines were retained and restored by the Friends of  Bratch and they hold open steaming days on some Bank Holidays.

I got back to the boat just before the rain started, just having enough time to do all the engine checks ready for the morning start.

Pootling Past Penkridge.

 We were away at a normal time today. The rain had been pretty constant  until about 0100 but then it stopped until about 0430 but was a lovely morning by 0730 when I made the tea.

All was right as we passed Acton Trussell with just the noise of the M6 increasing in volume. When we got to Shutt Hill Lock there seemed to be problems as there was a great big queue. On closer inspection there were two boats moored just clear of the bollards at the lock landing. There were 4 boats ahead of us none the less. I never quite understand the phenomena of shuffling up the line as the next onegoes in to the lock. Obviously if there is somebody is hanging about stemming water it would be polite to give them room, but if there was nobody behind, why bother. This morning there was a gap between the two moored boats. I would have gone and moored there, ahead of the last in the queue, but this may have caused a fuss. I wouldn't be queue jumping just mooring ahead in a space rather than hanging about. Life's a minefield isn't it!

So far this trip we have seen few fishermen, even over the weekend. But this chap had got a nice spot in the pound before Park Gate Lock

There seemed to be a few memorials on this stretch by the road too. I' am wondering if they are for road or canal victims. I will have to check and see if there are cars that have ended up in the cut on this length of road as they have installed these barriers.

We waited for this boat to come through Teddesley Park Bridge. The bridge is a little more fussy than the normal and led to the gatehouse of Teddesley Park. I wonder if the landowner demanded this, or the canal builder did this to curry favour with them? It seems that many estates have 'special' bridges constructed for them.

The M6 bridge is more like a tunnel and on a bend too. The traffic was hurtling past, but I know where I would rather be.

As we came up Penkridge Lock we saw that the water pint was free so we topped up, before continuing to Filance Lock but there was four boats waiting there so cheekily we moored up with about 1/3rd overhanging into the very large winding hole in the pound. We walked into town to stretch the legs and get a few supplies. As we arrived back on the tow path I think I spied a boat checker at the taking numbers. I wonder if we will have a black mark on the record?  The photo is now the public library but started life in 1858 as a Savings Bank. By 1880 it was being used as the Police Station, with a Petty Session Court Room, two prison cells and homes for a Sergeant and a Constable.

Just down the roas is the Old Lock-Up or Gaol. It started life as an old barn but apparently was converted to the local lock up in 1785. The stocks were right outside and the conversion included a few iron bars on the small and few in number windows. It was last used as a lock up in 1837. In 2000 it was bought by the Penkridge Civic Society and is now their headquarters.

Haling Grove was built in 1840 for a retired Colonial Bishop who had it built like he had seen on his postings. It does remind me of old colonial buildings in Singapore. Maybe it is just the colour. It was purchased by the Penkridge Parish Council for the community and as the Council Offices. We were only gone less than an hour and were then on the way, with a much clearer run.

Helen and I can not remember ever having come this way down this section of the Staffs. n Worcs. We have traversed it several times but not this direction it seems. Maybe why that is why I haven't seen this view of the Round House at Gailey Before.

We weren't disturbed by any alarms as we passed the chemical works, and chose not to moor near the recycling plant. I did wonder if the chap who had maybe was suffering from COVID and had lost his sense of smell!! Not having come this way before also explains why I haven't seen the 'This Way to Autherley' sign before at Hatherton Junction bridge, with the tight bend beyond.

I think this must be the first Greylag Geese goslings we have seen this year. The Canada Geese certainly make p the majority of honkers.

The towpath is all concrete edge and surrounded by trees until after Deepmore Bridge where we found a spot to moor up and finished for the day. The view above seems to be a series of sinuous curves of the canal with a tree  arch to invite you onwards.