The Vale moorings on the Worcester and Birmingham

Friday, 19 February 2010 22:30

Last night we moored at The Vale

Once we left the city centre behind the Birmingham and Worcester Canal also begins to shake off e feeling of being in a big city.

However The Cube continues to dominate everything!

To begin with it is lined with buildings and then the railway appears alongside.

University College Brimingham

BW Contractors were cutting down off-side shrubbery between Bridges 87 and 86

The railway arrives at the same level as the canal beyond Bridge 85 and as usual I spent my time trying to catch a train running alongside! The green railings are not exactly what I wanted to photograph!

Looking back at Bridge 85, carrying St James Road

Edgbaston Tunnel is under Church Road, a leafy part of Edgbaston that defies the feeling of a suburb of Birmingham. The great arches either side seem to support the tunnel either side and are all that remains of the old Church Road railway station.

Edgbaston Tunnels

As we went into the tunnel, glancing back I spied "my" train!

Very soon after the tunnel is The Vale, approached by this lovely arched footbridge, known strangely enough as -

The Vale Bridge (84a)

The Vale is an area of student accommodation for the University of Birmingham. The towpath is popular with joggers (mainly students) and walkers. One can walk from the University to the accommodation along the towpath and as we arrived it was a popular occupation!

Beyond the winding hole, on the towpath side are ring moorings and there were three narrowboats there already. They were taking advantage of the wood left by the BW workboat after tree felling. Leaving this wood behind is a good idea as boaters pick it up and BW does not have to pay to dispose of it ;-)

Winding hole and moorings

On the off-side is one of the University mooring sites: permission is required from the Uni Management to moor here. Maybe one day they will remove the graffiti too!

University sign at mooring

We had to moor beyond the three narrowboats who were moored against the stone edging. It was a little difficult to get in and we had to have a couple of tries to find the best place.

Three narrowboats

There is a green and woods between the canal and the railway, making it a pleasant place to stop. The trains are not intrusive - there are not many travelling at night anyway!

Epiphany moored 

Brimingham Main Line, Oozells Loop, Brindleyplace to The Vale, Worcester and Birmingham Canal

1 hour 45 minutes, 2 miles, 0 locks