The only visiting boat left in Birmingham?

Thursday, 04 March 2010 20:52

Another wonderful cruising day!

We had a long, but pleasant day today. A really early start from Catherine de Barnes meant that we were descending the Camp Hill Locks by around 10.30 am.

Solihull barely intrudes on the Grand Union Canal (once the Birmingham and Warwick Junction Canal - this link to Acocks History Society makes very interesting reading), but the marks of habitation such as graffiti and rubbish were very evident. All the bridges are high above the canal and mostly brick built. They all have access to the streets, some with handy shops.

Castle Lane Bridge (83) with "stylish" access

In many places it is very straight and pleasantly wooded. It is a shame that this area has a "reputation" and that there were not obvious places to moor. We had no problems but maybe at the weekends and at night it is not so good.

Cut after Woodcocks Bridge

We did see moorings north of Yardley Road Bridge (86A)

Tyseley Wharf now has a "Truck Stop" and "Barge Stop" - sounds like they serve FEBs. Once this wharf would have bustled with barges loading clay to make tiles and bricks. Now under the covered wharf is a sunk dredger with a purple coloured licence (2011)!

Tyseley

The Canal continues past Ackers' Trust Basin, built to serve WW l munitions factories and now used for water sports, together with the complex on the other side of the canal.

Ackers' Trust Basin

The canal travels through Sparkbrook and its industry and railway sidings line each side of the canal. Small Heath Bridge was ahead and here we caught our first glimpse of Birmingham City Centre.

Small Heath Bridge spans canal and ten rail lines

We wondered if this large reflective panel beside the bridge had a use or was just for "decoration". It sits by the huge railway sidings.

Reflective sculpture?

The wharves above Camp Hill Locks are no longer in use. Beyond are BW services and a small arm with moorings.

Camp Hill Wharves

So we had arrived at our first locks of the day! The Banbury and North Warwickshire rail lines were carried high over the cut on this bridge below the top lock - Camp Hill Lock 1 or Grand Union Lock 52!

Top Lock

We had not seen a boat on the move so far and it was the same all day. When we arrived in Birmingham later on (all this to come in later blogs!) it was strangely empty of narrowboats.

Cambrian Wharf had its normal quota of winter and long term moorers. All the visitor moorings were deserted! Had BW done a "purge"? Was there something that we did not know? Or was everyone fed up with Birmingham after being stuck here for so long!

So here we are, as far as we know, the only visiting narrowboat in the city centre!

Grand Union Canal, Catherine de Barnes to Birmingham, via Digbeth Branch

7 hours 30 minutes, 10.54 miles, 25 locks