Snowy Worcester and Birmingham Canal

Saturday, 20 February 2010 20:54

This is becoming a habit - we got stuck again!

We woke up at The Vale moorings to a snowy morning

It was a beautiful crisp day and wonderful for cruising so off we set towards Kings Norton Junction. BW were once again cutting back the trees on the off-side. They really needed to as the trees were overhanging the channel. (small 'c', please note! ed.)

Looking back at The Vale moorings

The University of Birmingham is very much in evidence on the off-side for a while and pretty soon I spotted "Big Joe", the clock tower we remembered as a land mark and from when we visited the Campus with my brother.

First sight of Big Joe from the canal

The Hydrogen Boat, the Ross Barlow, belonging to the University was moored on the second of the Uni's moorings. It was converted from a standard BW maintenance boat - it shows what can be done!

The Ross Barlow moored at the University

The next "University Landmark" is University station. On the campus side is the Paolozzi sculpture/statue of Faraday, just visible in the left of the photo below

Bridge 82 (the bridge that leads to the station and other side of the Campus where the Medics "hang out", had more notices about the Canal Restriction at Selly Oak.

Soon we were warned again

We passed a strange contraption

I have heard of snow caps yes, but not cone caps! Do we report them to the Cone Line? Anyone know the number off-hand?

The Contractors, Birse, have sensibly (providing they do not come loose and become prop fodder) used old tyres in the construction of the restriction! They have lined the new temporary canal channel with them so once this is in use as a diversion boats can bounce along it!

Before we arrived at the lift bridge that is the heart of this tyre protected narrows, I glanced back to see some breathtaking last views of the University. Over the sports field were the Aston Webb buildings silhouetted against the blue sky. Before the works this view was not possible.

Aston Webb Great Hall and Big Joe

The lift bridge ahead was open and waiting for us - it was another "Carolyn Bridge" - a bridge that lifts horizontally! We cruised through and it was shut after us.

A narrow channel of tyres was immediately after this - and we got no further. John used full throttle but we were stuck!

Tyre channel

In the end the bridge had to be opened again and John reversed back and "took a run at it" - we had to do this three times before we eventually crept forward through the narrows and the bridge was closed again! At least we managed it without help, unlike Matilda Rose

Through at last!

The BW chap overseeing the works called for assistance, but we did not need it! He saw that there had been a land slide and thought that it would need dredging in case other narrowboats also got stuck!

This was the culprit

The canal is closed here, as from midnight on Sunday (21st) for a week, so the canal can be diverted to enable an aqueduct to be built for the new Selly Oak by-pass. When we do this bit again it will all look very different!

Our look back made us chuckle as we saw this notice

The rest of our journey was pretty uneventful through Selly Oak, past the moorings that are handy for Sainsburys and then the approach to the Cadbury/Bournville area.

Selly Oak moorings and off-side Bournville moorings

Arriving at Kings Norton Junction, we could see we had remembered it pretty well. The Junction has a number of interesting features. These include the arched bridge before it, the old Birmingham and Worcester Canal Company  House that housed their offices, a very delapidated wooden sign post and of course the beginning of the Stratford and Avon Canal (known as the North Stratford).

Bridge and signpost

B and W office and, opposite, the North Stratford and old guillotine gate and bridge in the far distance

We continued on towards the mighty Wast Hill Tunnel, but more of that on the next blog!

Birmingham and Worcester Canal, The Vale moorings to Kings Norton Junction

1 hour 40 minutes, 3.88 miles, 0 locks