Let's go check it out

Monday, 18 January 2010 10:41

Or .. "let's go for a little walk, dee dum, dee dum"

After our water adventures on Sunday morning I decided to go for another venture in the afternoon - along the towpath on the Birmingham Main Line to see how the ice situation was shaping up - or not!

So starting at the 48 hour moorings just beyond Old Turn Junction - the boat on my side has a patrol notice on it. It was moored here when we arrived in the city centre before Christmas. I have no idea where he was supposed to move the boat to, as the canal was iced up from a few days after this.

We had one night here before moving to Cambrian Wharf

Westernmost entrance to the Oozells Street Loop

I walked on, under St Vincent Street Road bridge, in the direction of Rotton Park Junction. On the way I passed the two junctions of the Icknield Port Loop and the easternmost entrance of the Soho Loop. The photos will speak for themselves, I think. It was solid thick ice from beyond this bridge.

Stretch before Monument Road Bridge and on the right Rotton Park Junction in the distance and one of the entrances to the Icknield Port Loop

This stone was sitting in about two inches of water on solid ice (the ice has the brown speckles). There were all sorts of things sitting in ice - bottles, clothes, bricks, branches. At one point near here someone had also been ice walking - for quite a way by the looks of things.

The Soho Loop and the Icknield Port Loop at Rotton Park Junction

From the top of Rotton Park Junction footbridge I could see down the frozen Main Line towards Lee Bridge and Winson Green Bridge. So, no cruising to Wolverhampton for the next few days, or even weeks!

I began my return journey on the other side of the canal - there are towpaths each side of the BCN Main Line here - so convenient for taking photos from a different perspective!

To be continued .......