Unable to cruise - so walk! Along the Rushall Canal

Thursday, 11 February 2010 21:00

What a glorious day, but .......

We planned to move today, so it was an early morning as finding a mooring might be a problem. As far as we can tell - room for one boat at Ocker Hill and then 24 hour moorings at Walsall Town Arm, but no water.

Cruising in icy cold weather means thinking about where to be for facilities, in case we get iced-in. We also need to think about when and where to get diesel and so far Sherbourne Wharf seems to be the only place on the BCN!

It is a lovely place to be, Top Lock and moorings in distance

One of the reasons we had planned to moor here at Longwood Junction was because of the cold weather forecast. We needed to keep the water tank topped up in case of a forced stop.

So we moved about 20 yards nearer to the water point,  so our hose could reach - just! John glanced down the canal - we were going nowhere once we had filled up! Yes, Folks - ICE ON THE CANAL!

John mooring us more securely, again

John wrestled with the water tap - he had to use an Allen key to get to the bottom part of the pipe to defrost the tap! I decided I had to go for a walk - at 9.30 am! So, camera in hand, off I set down the Rushall Canal.

This was the scene on Tuesday

Yesterday afternoon this happened

This was the view this morning - ice!

Alongside the canal there is a golf course and there is a gap in the hedge just before the top lock - so this is for our golfing friends

Golf course tee

There was ice in the Top Lock

Ice and ground paddle at top of Lock 2

Looking down the canal - ice as far as I could see

A stiff northerly breeze and snow on the green - hmmm, golf anyone?

The golf course alongside the canal

Rushall Canal is very straight, it was built in 1847 to link with the Tame Valley Canal. I walked to the first bridge I could see and discovered it was Moat Bridge, a footbridge that carries a path around the golf course alongside some playing fields. I carried on, as I could now see another bridge!

Looking back to Moat Bridge

Sutton Road Bridge ahead - and more ice!

I wandered under Sutton Road Bridge, along the old cobbled towpath that still remains. The view the other side showed yet more ice stretching away towards Gillity Bridge. Beyond Gillity Bridge are the next 7 locks, but I decided it was time to turn around and go back to Epiphany.

Ice to Gillity Bridge and a moored narrrowboat

Towpath under Sutton Road Bridge

A quick scramble up to Sutton Road revealed a long traffic jam, road works, a Coop shop and a bus stop - all useful information to store away in my brain! Walsall was to my right and to the left I could choose to walk back to Longwood Junction via road. Not for me though so I went back down to the towpath.

Sutton Road, looking left

On my walk back I was wondering if I would see any wildlife, but all I came up with was a skating moorhen.

Dancing on ice

When I got back to Lock 2, I could see that a BW truck had arrived - hopefully with men in it. They were repairing something near the water point, but what, we could not make out!

Looking up to the Top Lock from Lock 2

Look! - John was waiting for me - with the kettle on the hob!

I think I had probably walked about one an a half miles - and it was still only 10.30 am! The whole day was still ahead of me ......