Cuckoo Wharf

Today's Canals - Birmingham and Fazeley, Grand Union, Digbeth Branch, BCN

It rained steadily overnight but was all but blown out by the time we were ready to cast off. By then it was slightly wet but soon dried out and there was only one other significant shower all morning. However, it was really cold all morning with a strong wind but by he afternoon sunshine gradually arrived and it was quite pleasant for the latter part of the day.

Our first task was to complete the Curdworth Flight with six locks remaining. The sign beside the first lock of the day shows where it is planned for HS2 to cross the canal - assuming it is ever built that is! Objections based on noise are a little stretched since one or other motorway is never far from the canal all the way into Birmingham. We were fortunate with our overnight stop that the nearest section was in a cutting and so we were not disturbed. However, in our view, railways are much to be preferred over motorways in terms of noise - the latter make a continuous sound that never goes away.

Andrew's march to the next lock came to an abrupt end with a tree fallen across the towpath. He had to hitch a lift from the boat just to get passed. From the other direction it can be seen that the moored boat was lucky not to have been any nearer - it did seem as if the tree had fallen in last night's strong winds.

Above Lock 4, a CaRT workboat had been inadequately moored and did not leave enough room to get by. Andrew used our boat pole to push it away whilst Mike slipped through before it drifted back again.

By now the M42 motorway approached close to the canal.

Just after passing under the M6 Toll we arrived at the top lock. It is a fairly new structure so we assumed that it was moved to allow the new road to cross where it once had been.

Just after the very short Curdworth Tunnel we saw what looked like storm damage - that gutter will not stay there for much longer and let us hope it does not do any damage when it finally lets go. It was certainly swinging well in the wind.

Alongside Wiggins Hill Bridge looks like a former wharf but why those large, closely placed bollards? Once o the reasons for noticing this point is that at one time when we were leaving home a day or so later than we did, this might have been where we met up with the two girls on Wednesday. The photo also shows that by now the rain was clearing and that sunshine was on its way.

There followed the three Minworth Locks - quite well spaced apart. At bridge below the first, we saw this odd shelter-like structure attached to the wall, Was it where a lock keeper could sit whilst waiting for boats to arrive?

Two sure signs that we were approaching Birmingham: the first of the distinctive distance signs, which sadly are all too often defaced and unreadable. The second is the red gates in the bridge parapet which allows firefighters to access the canal for water. The first ones were installed (often very crudely) during the last war but this one is obviously more recent.

At the top lock the former Cincinatti factory has been acquired by Urban Splash and work has started on its renovation.

Much of the towpath in Birmingham is useless for mooring as the hard surface has been taken right to the water's edge. However, just as we thought that we would have to have lunch on the run, we came across some mooring bollards at Butler's Bridge. After lunch, Andrew popped to a nearby Lidl store for some supplies and also a newsagent for today's paper.

Hopefully this sign is no longer in use - it is now illegal to buy scrap metal for cash. Perhaps that's why there are no prices!

At Erdington Hall Bridge, a former factory was built over the canal - gives quite a subterranean cavern feel.

After passing alongside an elevated motorway for some distance we arrived at Salford Junction.

Here we turned left along a stretch which we have not been along before. The first part is Star City (an entertainment complex - if gambling ie throwing your money away, is your form of enjoying yourself!), built on the site of a former power station. There are some secure moorings alongside. They looked pleasanter than we had been led to believe they might be.

This jumble of skips looks as if it might be an installation art work - but look at the blue sky!

Next came the six Garrison Locks - sad to see a burnt out building alongside the bottom lock - was it once a lock keeper's house?

Further up the flight this Islamic Relief centre was close to the canal.

At Bordelsey Junction we turned right onto the Digbeth Branch, which connects the Grand Union to the BCN. Although it is not always recognised, the section we came down via the Garrison Locks is also part of the Grand Union, but as it, along with the Camp Hill flight from this junction are all narrow, it does seem rather different from the rest of the Grand Union.

Before long we were at the start of the Ashted Locks - there is some extensive re-development taking place alongside the canal - other parts already have plenty of student accommodation as there are two universities beside this canal.

The short Ashted Tunnel is very narrow and low - it is hard to avoid scratching the top running band on the offside wall as the towpath takes up a lot of room.

At the top of the locks we came to Aston Junction with a very sharp, almost 360 degree turn under this pleasing roving bridge to start the descent of the eleven  Aston Locks. Most of them are very close together so with three people working them we made very speedy progress.

The water feature in the middle of a new development is, of course, entirely non-functional - at least for boats.

At the bottom of the flight we were fortunate to find an available overnight mooring space at Cuckoo Wharf - most of it is long term - and we were also able to use the sani station before settling down for the evening.

13.3 Miles - 34 Locks

Curdworth

Today's Canals - Coventry and Birmingham & Fazeley

Despite dire weather warnings, today was generally sunny spells but with a coupe of sharp showers. There was, however, a strong, chill wind that could be quite biting at times as well as sending the boat sideways at several unexpected moments.

We rose early (extra early as the clock went forward last night) so that we could walk into town for the 8 am communion service at St Mary's, the parish church for the town. As we entered the church was both gloomy and cold and we wondered what was happening until we saw that a section at the back was being used - more about this in a moment. Although there were just seven us in the congregation and it was BCP service, it was calm and rather delightful.

Afterwards we had a long chat with the priest and a churchwarden. It seems that the church had been effectively unused for four years after the last vicar left (having been there 27 years) since the heating had failed. They had tried using a school but that was not very convenient so they moved back just to use the small section when it is cold weather and the main church otherwise.

The new priest, who has came about six months ago after completing his training at Bristol. He is actually a curate in charge to give time to sort things out. It seems that the previous person had fallen out with most people, including the town community but already things are looking up and he has had a real stream of weddings, baptisms and funerals. He especially noted that recently there was a funeral for a well-know person in town and there were at least 200 men that he would not normally see in church!

The church itself was a monastery in the 13th century with the main parish based at Mancetter, the Roman settlement just to one side of Atherstone. In the nineteenth century, the town became a parish in its own right and a very large extension was added, which forms the main part that is used today.

It was really encouraging to talk with someone who is so enthusiastic about the challenges he faces but is determined to change things around.

Atherstone itself grew largely through the hatting industry as well as the mines and quarries all around. These disappeared a long while ago and the local economy was quite poor but it has now developed a significant logistics business with at least four distribution centres as well as the headquarters for Aldi in the UK.

The Market Square outside the church has many buildings that date back to when this was an important coaching stop.

Back at the boat we changed and then set off to complete the remaining six locks in the Atherstone flight.

Lock 11- the bottom of the flight.

We now had a long level pound, passing Polesworth and then heading into Tamworth. We stopped in only a short distance to use the service station at Bradley Green Bridge 48.

Grendon Dock had a couple of boats in the dry dock being worked on.

We passed a motorcycle event - judging by the number of parked vehicles it was a popular meeting and there was a race in progress. The photo is not as distorted as it looks as the course really does zig zag across a bowl shape.

At times as we continued cruising the sunshine created pretty scenes - but, dear reader, you cannot feel the cold wind!

After Polesworth we passed Pooley Country Park, created on the site of long close mines. Quote from the website for the park, "The Pooley Hall Colliery became the North Warwickshire Colliery in 1951 when the mine workings from Alvecote, Amington and Pooley met underground. It was the first mine to generate its own electricity (from excess steam) in the early 1920s, and also the first to have pit head baths, which were opened in 1928."

The former loading wharf now provides a small number of permanent moorings. (The main line continues to the right of the picture)

Under the nearby motorway bridge there are a couple of images to remind passersby of the history of the place. This one recalls the wives and mothers of the miners.

We stopped just after Alvecote Marina for lunch and then continued round the northern part of Tamworth until we arrived at the two Glascote Locks.

At Fazeley Junction we turned left onto the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal. This has a number of very straight sections and runs alongside numerous lakes formed from worked out sand and gravel pits. Most now seem to be nature reserves.

We were now at the bottom of the Curdworth Flight. we were not sure how far we might get tonight. Our calculations suggested that it would be rather late if we continued to the top of the eleven locks (the first few are quite spaced out) but we did not want to end up too close to the nearby motorways.

We made good progress up the first three locks - watched buy a large walking party of both adults and children, who were keen to see how a boat comes up a lock.

But then we spotted a dense black cloud with obvious rainstorm emerging from below it. It was making its way towards us with some speed so we set off for the next lock, arriving just as the heavy rain arrived. there are good moorings alongside the Dog and Doublet at this point so, with several other boats, we called a sudden halt to the days proceedings. As it happened, as soon as we had moored up for the night, sunshine returned but it would not have been pleasant if we had continued and the rain persisted.

The pub looks as if it was once a rather grand house.

13.6 Miles - 11 Locks