Mon 24th Aug
Camp Hill Locks to Minworth
We started early as rain was forecast later and we wanted to
get the locks done in the dry. The first challenge was to manoeuvre round Emma
Hamilton, who was sticking out a lot. Apart from a visit to a buddleia
bush, we managed OK. Bow thrusters are helpful at times.
Early morning getaway
Camphill Top Lock
All the Camp Hill Locks were against us, so we had to fill
them first. A CRT man was around, ensuring that the pounds were all OK, but he
didn’t set any locks for us.
We went through a decaying area of Birmingham, with faded
graffiti everywhere. We saw some
traveller’s caravans, a rough sleeper in a doorway, and a tent on some waste
ground.
Railways, roads, and
canals
Travellers
At lock 55 we discovered that one of the bottom paddles did
not work.
At Bordesley Junction, where the graffiti was at its
thickest, James needed to rejoin the boat, and we found that the steps down had
a concrete wall to climb over at the top, presumably to stop people falling
down the steps.
The graffiti and the
wall
Bordesley Junction
We took a right turn, along a straight with lots of bridges,
before the five Garrison Locks. Here we
met the CRT man again, and were able to report the fault with lock 55.
Line of bridges
Decaying Birmingham
A mile after the locks, there were two boats coming towards
us, passing a boat that was moored. As we passed the two moving boats, the one
that had been moored (That’ll Do) decided to leave in front of us. Once they got going they were moving
reasonably quickly and didn’t hold us up.
Following That’ll Do
Star City mooring
We noticed a good mooring on floating pontoons by Star City,
a leisure complex.
Narrow bit
At Salford Junction, where the Grand Union ends, there is a
canal crossroads, with the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal coming in from
Birmingham on the left, and heading for Fazeley on the right. Opposite is the
Tame Valley Canal. This is all under the M6 at Spaghetti Junction, and there
are roads in all directions on huge concrete pillars. We made the sharp right
turn in the direction of Fazeley.
Salford Junction
We emerged from the twilight zone under the motorways, and
almost immediately were cruising under a large factory building.
Into the gloom again
A wet cellar
We had decided that if the boat in front carried on down
Minworth locks, we would stop at the water point. If they stopped for water we would carry on. When we reached
Minworth Top Lock, they were tied up waiting for the lock, but they hadn’t
started filling it.
It transpired that the locks had anti-vandal devices fitted,
and they didn’t have the right key. We
showed them ours, and unlocked the paddle gear. The suggestion was that we
should go first, unlocking the devices, and they would follow, locking them
again, an action which does not require a key. They went through the first lock
and paused at the sanitary station. Meanwhile James was down the weedhatch
retrieving an assortment of polythene bags – most major supermarkets represented.
Prop art
We then also negotiated the top lock, by which time they
were ready to leave, and they were brandishing an anti-vandal key, which they
had found after a search. They have had
the boat for ten years, but never had to use this key! They decided that they would go on, so we
decided to fill the water tank.
The rubbish facility was a skip, which was overflowing with
rubbish. We saw later online that this
rubbish facility was to be closed down.
Conflicting
instructions at Minworth Top Lock
We needed some shopping, so we stopped near Dickens Bridge
where there was easy mooring, and we walked to a huge ASDA nearby.
The ASDA experience was not very good as we did not know our
way round the shop and it was very crowded.
When we reached the checkout there were long queues. We noticed that it
had started to rain, so we decided to go to the café first for a drink.
Hopefully both the rain and the queues would die down meanwhile.
Then we discovered that the café was the other side of the checkouts. We thought about leaving the trolley and
going back for it after the café, but the idea that it might not be there, and
we would have to start again, made us rethink.
We decided to leave the frozen food in one of the frozen food cabinets,
and check through with the rest.
Meanwhile we had lost our place in the queue, but it didn’t take too
long to get to the tills. We went for
our drink in the café, and Hazel went through again with our frozen items,
which, thankfully, were still there where we had left them. We then discovered
that there was another café upstairs where we could have gone before checking
out.
We walked back in the rain, which was lighter than before.
It was very difficult pulling our heavy shopping trolley on and off pavements,
which had no lowered section, and trying to cross very fast traffic at the exit
from a major roundabout on the A38.
We decided not to move on in the rain, but to stay for the
night.
Hugo disappeared for a while into some gardens.
Moored at Minworth
13 locks, 8 miles
Tue 25th August
Minworth to Middleton Lakes
Several boats had moored near us, presumably using the
“safety in numbers” principle. We made
an early start because, once again, rain was forecast later.
We noticed some good moorings between Minworth and
Curdworth, with views over agricultural land, but it would depend on the wind
direction, as there is a huge sewage works nearby.
We passed through the diminutive Curdworth Tunnel before the
start of the Curdworth Locks by the M6 Toll Road.
Curdworth Tunnel
M6 Toll Bridge
Most of the locks were in our favour. James had a bad back, so Hazel operated the
locks while James steered the boat. There was one boat following two locks
behind, and we met three boats coming up the locks. At lock 5 we passed a notice where HS2 is planned to cross,
rushing on its way to wreck the countryside west of Fradley Junction on the
Trent and Mersey Canal. Here on the
Birmingham and Fazeley Canal, it won’t make too much difference, as the M42 is
alongside at this point anyway.
Hazel doing the hard
work
Winding down
Curdworth Locks
At Bodymoor Heath Bridge we emptied our rubbish, despite a
confusing notice, which suggested the nearest disposal points were at Minworth
Top Lock or at Fazeley. There was clearly
a CRT rubbish facility on site, seen in the background of the photo.
Rubbish signs
After the 11 locks, we moored up at Fisher’s Mill Bridge, by
the entrance to Middleton Lakes RSPB reserve.
Washday at Middleton
Lakes
Rain was forecast later, so James went for a walk round the
reserve while it was dry. Several
little egrets, two hobbies, some gadwall, a widgeon, and two sandpipers were
the highlights. The photos are of flowers
and plants, which don’t run off or fly away.
Middleton flowers
Bulrushes
Grasses
Meanwhile, back on the boat, Hazel was at work making new
covers for our dinette cushions, from the fleeces we had bought in Leamington
Spa.
Hugo was out and about enjoying some freedom after two
fairly restrictive moorings the previous nights.
11 locks, 6 miles, 1 tunnel
Wed 26th August
Middleton Lakes to Fazeley
A leisurely start today with a short journey to make. The heavy rain in the night died away to
leave a pleasant day.
We had an uneventful cruise into Fazeley, and we found a mooring
just beyond the Litchfield’s by the mill. We phoned Mary to let her know that
we were here. They came round to see us
mid afternoon, and invited us to join them for dinner.
So after a relaxing day we didn’t even have to cook. We enjoyed the company of David, Mary and
Ching Li, who is to return to Malaysia next week.
0 locks, 2 miles
Thu 27th August
Fazeley to Hopwas
There were several boats moving, and one of them was Shammah,
our BCF friends David and Brenda Gooding, with their family. They were out for
the day, and are temporarily moored at Fazeley Marina, instead of their usual
base in Banbury. They turned right at the junction.
We set off and went to the water point opposite the
junction, where another boat was just leaving.
This tap is easier to use than the one at the sanitary station, which is
not designed for boats travelling north, as it is at the southern end, and the
hose won’t reach.
On the water point at
Fazeley Junction
While the tank was filling, James went to Tesco to buy milk.
When he returned, we set off once more, hoping to empty cassettes and rubbish
at the sanitary station. We were pleased we didn’t need water, as there were
three boats there already. We discovered that they were all heading for
Alvecote for a boat rally.
We managed to tie up in the entrance to the small basin
there, and did what we had to do.
The queue for the
facilities
We continued our short cruise up to Hopwas, and met lots of
boats going the other way. We guessed
there would be a long line of boats waiting for the two locks at Glascote.
Arriving at Hopwas, we attempted to moor outside the Tame
Otter, but the only space available was under a tree. We picked up something on
the propeller, so we had to stop anyway to visit the weed hatch. With a cleared prop, we carried on past the
Social Club, and under the final bridge, and found a good mooring just beyond
the 48-hour post, which was ideal, as we will be here for five nights.
Our mooring at Hopwas
Hazel was suffering from a stiff back as a result of doing
the Curdworth Locks, and decided she couldn’t sit on chairs in the social club
for a whole evening, so James went by himself to the folk club. He sang Dorset
Juggernaut, and Well, Well, Well. At the end he was asked to close the evening,
so he sang Once I knew a pretty maid, and Pick a bale of cotton.
They are a very friendly club.
0 locks, 3 miles.
