Enough is enough!

Monday, 08 March 2010 19:24

We left Birmingham this morning - really not before time!

We are both ready to get going and begin our cruising for the warmer seasons - not that there is any sign of them yet: there was ice on Birmingham Main Line (BCN) as we took our last look back from Sheepcote Bridge.

We were retracing one of our journeys - as far as Dudley Port Junction, with the Netherton Tunnel Branch - and then we would be on "new territory" for Epiphany again.

Netherton Tunnel Branch

The canal travels over three aqueducts beside Dudley Port Station. Ryeland Aqueduct is painted blue and then repainted with graffiti. Dudley Port Station aqueduct is heavy brick and the final aqueduct is quaintly named Puppy Green aqueduct. It was here that we had to pull over and John went down the weed hatch to emerge with a bicycle tyre which had been attracted to our prop!

Ryeland Aqueduct

Watery Lane Bridge is the bridge before Caggy's Boatyard - called, by one of our fellow boaters, "a real traditional boatyard". We called in for some coal and gas and a quick look at our starter battery. The battery loses its charge, but not on a regular basis! The battery was checked - a few ideas passed on for us to test it - and if all fails we shall need a new one.

Epiphany at Caggy's Boatyard from Junction Bridge

Watery Lane Junction Bridge, over a basin of the boatyard, marks the Junction of the Toll End Branch Canal and the Tipton Green Branch Canal. This Toll End Branch was built to open up water transport to a new coal mine near Walsall. It was a closed line, with two locks rising from what was then the Broadwaters Canal (1784).

Watery Lane Junction Bridge with plaque

In 1801 it was extended to the Junction, with five more locks. The three Factory Locks on the Tipton Green Canal (1805) then linked it to the Old Wolverhampton Main Line creating the Toll End Communication Canal (1809).

In 1829, Thomas Telford's New Line cut across the Branch Canal. Then, in the 1960s, the canals fell into disuse and the Toll End Canal was filled in. Caggy's Boatyard now occupies the remaining basins. It was nearly lost due to a new road scheme, which would have been a tragic loss. However, a lot of lobbying resulted in new ground to the east replacing the lost land at the west end.

Caggy's main basin and narrowboats

So we had some locks ahead of us before we finished cruising for the day.