Two more Branches of the Wyrley and Essington Canal

Monday, 08 February 2010 21:51

What a lot of cruising we did today!

Have a look at this - it shows our "track" today

It was a very cold day and it tried to hail and snow a few times, but with 5 layers and warm hats and gloves we survived! We left Sneyd Wharf and cruised South to Birchills Junction. Here the Walsall Canal (right photo) leaves the Curley Wurley. Here also once stood Birchills Power Station but now there is a large retail park.

We continued on towards Catshill Junction. This section once had a bad reputation and we had been warned that there were underwater obstructions all the way to Pelsall Junction. We had absolutely no trouble at all and what locals we saw all passed the time of day with us! In fact in all our cruising today we hit nothing (apart from a slight misjudgement at a Junction - more of that later!) and we had a perfectly clean prop so no "down the 'atch" for John at all today, except  to find nothing when we moored!

Once past Birchills, the canal reaches open countryside where once there was open cast mining, foundries and industry.

Looking across disused mineshafts, now countryside

The names of the bridges rather give the past away! Coalpool Bridge, Goscote Works bridge and at Pelsall, Pelsall Works Bridge.

Pelsall Works Bridge

The bridge above, built in 1824, has a plaque (top right) stating that this was the site of Pelsall Coal and Iron Company, 1832-1892

Pelsall Common area is very pleasant and would make a lovely mooring, but we pressed on. We have in mind that there might be some really cold weather ahead this week so plan to be somewhere where we can be "iced-in" comfortably, so  ..... we have a plan!

Pelsall Common area

We turned left at the Junction to explore the Cannock Extension Canal, but more of that in another blog! After that little excursion we continued on the main Wyrley and Essington Canal towards our next Junction.

Pelsall Junction

The canal remains mostly rural with some more interesting bridges, again giving away the canal's past

Silver Birches line the canal

Jolly Collier and Coopers Bridges

The Curley Wyrley takes a sharp right hand bend towards Catshill, but before this there is large Tesco with good moorings. We stopped and shopped!

Bend with canoe club and BW services (yes, they are real swans!)

Tesco moorings

At Catshill Junction we turned sharp left away from the Junction Bridge

Well, we almost did! It is such a sharp turn that if one is at the tiller and trying to take photos at the same time, one hits the bank! Here are the photos responsible for our slight contretemps!

Catshill signs

To the right, under the Junction Bridge is the Daw End Branch, but we were going left to the northern tip of the BCN on the Anglesey Branch and you will have to wait for that blog too!

Our total stats for today are as follows -

Sneyd Junction, Wyrley and Essington Canal (BCN) to Anglesey Wharf, Anglesey Branch

(via Cannock Extension Canal)

5 hours 10 minutes, 13.75 miles, 0 locks