Autherley Junction to Hyde

Mon 27th Aug  Autherley Junction to Dimmingsdale

We had rain early on, so we had a wet hood to put away before we set off.

We soon noticed that the water was very clear here, and we could see fish swimming among the green river grass.  We discovered that fresh water flows into the canal from at least two places.

Water flowing into the canal

We headed south under a lot of bridges and then passed Aldersley Junction where the Birmingham Canal branches off up 21 locks to Wolverhampton. 

Railway bridges

The canal bridge at Aldersley Junction

Aldersley Lodging House ruins

The start of the Wolverhampton 21

Aldersley Junction signpost

Our first lock of the day was at Compton, where there was also the first of the circular weirs that adorn this canal.

Circular weir at Compton

Compton Lock

There were two more locks at Wightwick (pronounced Wittick), where we met a character on a boat called Sir T Fiable. He was below the lock on the bollards, but the lock was in his favour, but with only one gate open. He was in the bows apparently not doing anything about the lock, so we had to ask if he was coming through. He had to put his dog ashore, otherwise the dog would try to leap off the boat halfway up in the lock. He was on his own so we helped him through.

Wightwick Mill Lock

We decided not to visit the lovely National Trust property Wightwick Manor this time, having done that twice before.  We spotted a little grebe, or dabchick among the reeds.

We moored on some piling between Mops Farm Bridge and Dimmingsdale Bridge. This was a very peaceful mooring, with no traffic, cows, sheep, chickens, crows, geese or farm machinery. We had very few walkers or cyclists either.

BCF boat Parentis went past, with Jon at the helm, last seen in Market Drayton in 2014.

3 locks, 4 miles

Tue 28th Aug  Dimmingsdale to Greensforge

Dawn at Dimmingsdale

Our peaceful mooring

It started off beautifully sunny and fresh this morning as we went down through Dimmingsdale and Ebstree Locks.  Just before Dimmingsdale Lock there are some offside moorings with mooring rings and mown grass. Last time we were here, in 2015, the grass had not been cut and we had to hunt for the mooring rings among the vegetation.

Dimmingsdale Lock with the offside moorings in the foreground.

Weir at Ebstree Lock

Awbridge circular weir

Awbridge Lock is unusual, having a bridge across it with vertical slits in the brickwork on the parapet.

Awbridge Lock and bridge

A sign we chose not to obey

We passed a boat moored on the offside who was shouting about a speed limit of 4mph. We were on tickover doing about 1mph, as we usually do when passing moored boats. The next boat we passed asked if we were electrically powered as they couldn’t hear our engine!

We came to the Bratch Locks, and were able to go down straight away. Sometimes there is a long wait here. The locks are close together, with long side pounds off to the side, but they are not a staircase as each lock has its own top and bottom gates. The top gate and side pound paddles are blue, and the bottom ones are red, and you need to open the blue ones first before the red ones, or you will flood the tiny gap between the locks as the lock above empties.  Blue before red or else you’re dead, as opposed to the Foxton and Watford Locks: Red before white and you’re alright. It could confuse a stupid person. (Pete and Dud quote).

Arriving at the Bratch Locks

The Bratch

Side pound

Emerging from the Bratch

After the Bratch comes Bumblehole Lock, with a lock cottage and a steep angled bridge which goes nowhere. The Round Oak pub follows, where we once had a meal.

The weir at Bumblehole Lock

Bumblehole Lock

Round Oak pub

We stopped just before Wombourne Bridge and visited Sainsbury’s as you do. By now it was cloudy.

After a twenty minute shopping stop (a record?) we set off again, just before a hire boat did the same. When we arrived at the Botterham Staircase Locks we had to empty the bottom lock before we could descend in the top one, and the hire boat caught us up. After we left the bottom Lock we didn’t see them again that day.

Botterham Staircase Locks

Victorian buildings

Soon after this we came to the two Swindon Locks, where there is a split bridge, reminiscent of the Stratford Canal. It was designed for horse’s ropes to go through without unhitching.

Another weir at Swindon Locks

The split bridge (the iron strip on the top is a later addition)

Hinksford Lock was the final one of the day, and there was an interesting building soon afterwards, which apparently is Hinksford Pumping Station, built in 1900.  

Hinksford Pumping Station

We moored a little way before Greensforge. James went to empty a cassette, as we were running out of capacity, due to forgetting to empty one at Wheaton Aston. This time we WILL remember to empty the rest in the morning.

12 locks, 6 miles

Wed 29th Aug  Greensforge to Hyde

This morning James had a battle with technology. He wanted some paint for the gunwales and sides where we get scratches from locks and rough edges. He had phoned several chandleries on our route to see if they stocked Hempel Paints. They didn’t.  Arthur Page, one of our founder BCF members, lives in Stourport where we are heading, and James managed to phone him despite a low signal, and we agreed to meet up and he said he would take delivery of some paint.

When James tried to order the paint, the website wouldn’t allow his email address, saying “we have that already on our database”. So we must have used them before. So he tried going in as a returning customer, but they didn’t recognise any of our usual passwords. So he tried to phone them, but couldn’t get through as there was no signal.  Give up and try later, we thought.

We moved down past the line of “permit holder only” moorings, where there were large gaps, enough for eight boats, and pulled in to the one and only 48 hour visitor mooring to wait for the water point which was in use. CRT needs to move the marker post to allow a few more visitor moorings. We were soon filling up with water (good pressure) and emptying cassettes and rubbish.

Lots of gaps for permit holders only

Another gap

Water point

The next technology challenge was to set the time lapse camera. James got it worked out, he heard the camera working every second, and he placed the camera on the roof at the front.  We found later that it recorded everything until it was put in position, then it stopped. So we have pictures of James’s face, the sky, the adjacent pub at an angle, and some grass. You don’t want to see those.

Then he found that his phone battery was low, so he put it on charge and took one or two photos with Hazel’s phone. We didn’t have far to go, but there are some interesting sights on the route.

The first lock was Greensforge Lock, with its circular weir, and tunnel-like bridge for the footpath (and horse path)

Circular weir

Greensforge Lock

The horse tunnel

Looking back

We passed Ashwood Marina, where we sang in a folk club a few years ago. There are two more locks, and then the site of Gothersley Round House, which was on the loading bay for the ironworks on the Smestow Brook nearby.

Rocky Lock

Gothersley Lock

Living lock walls

Gothersley Round House

There were lots of red rocks on our route today

We passed the junction with the Stourbridge Canal, where a CRT work boat was turning round. This is followed by Stewponey Lock with a toll house and CRT maintenance yard.

Stourton Junction signpost

Stourbridge Canal

Stewponey Lock

Durnsley Tunnel follows soon after. It is only just over a boat length, but it is cut out of rock, so it is definitely a tunnel and not a bridge.

Durnsley Tunnel

Rocky roof

Looking back at Durnsley Tunnel

We moored in the lovely valley before Hyde Lock, where we have moored a few times before. There are scenic views here, and we were hoping there would be a space for us.

Mooring with a view

James tried to order the paint again, and requested a password reset. Success! The paint will be delivered to Arthur Page by the time we get there at the weekend.

4 locks, 4 miles.

Next: On to Kidderminster, where we will take a trip on the Severn Valley Railway. Then on to Stourport on Saturday.

Norbury Junction to Autherley Junction

Fri 24th Aug  Norbury Junction to Wheaton Aston

It was sunny this morning, but rain was forecast later, so we set off early.  As we did so, another boat pulled out two boats behind us, and started to follow us.  We decided therefore not to use the facilities here at Norbury Junction, but to wait until Wheaton Aston, as we didn’t want to be held up.

We passed through Norbury Junction, where a branch used to go down through several locks to Newport, Shropshire.

Norbury Junction

Cafe and chandlery

Newport branch

14 miles to Autherley

After the huge Shelmore Embankment, followed by a short cutting, we arrived in Gnosall, where we saw Pat Barton’s boat Quercus. Just south of here is Cowley Tunnel and cutting, with its impressive rock walls.

Navigation Inn at Gnosall

Floral boat

Quercus

Approaching Cowley tunnel

After another embankment and another cutting, there is a fine turnover bridge just before High Onn Wharf, where there some moorings on wide jetties with sheds.

Turnover Bridge

Moorings with sheds

A passenger on the marigolds

We passed Ultreya, but there was no sign of our friends Chris and Diana. We guessed they were on grandparent duty.

Ultreya

We moored in Wheaton Aston , before the garage where they sell fuel at an excellent price. We planned to fill up in the morning.

We went to explore Wheaton Aston, as we have never before been further than the garage. We checked at the garage to see if they would take our used oil, and saw a sign to say they would be closed over the weekend.

We saw what there was of the village, and found the Indian restaurant had closed, and there was no longer a hairdresser. There were two pubs, a post office and a Spar, where we bought some milk.  The church was locked so we couldn’t visit.

We went back to the boat, and joined a queue for diesel at the garage, where the fuel was 68.9p per litre.  They took our oil and we moved on from there to moor just before the sanitary station.

The fuel queue

The rain started just after we moored up. Later on, when it had stopped, James went to empty a cassette.  The second one could wait until the morning.

0 locks, 8 miles

Sat 25th Aug  Wheaton Aston to Autherley Junction

Hazel emptied the rubbish before we set off.  Sadly we forgot to empty the second cassette.  We blame old age.

The lock needed emptying before we went through.  There seemed to be very few boats around, possibly because it is changeover day for some hire boat companies.

Wheaton Aston Lock

We spotted Phyllis May on hardstanding in a boatyard.  This boat once crossed the channel and went through the French canals to Carcassonne. The skipper wrote a book about it. The boat later caught fire.

Phyllis May being restored. 

A5 Aqueduct

The A5 

We moored in Brewood, and went to explore the village. We bought some bacon from the butchers, and James found somewhere to have a haircut. We enjoyed some of the architechture.

Speedwell Castle

The square in Brewood

We then went to the Bridge Inn on the recommendation of Tim and Tracey.  The landlords, Mike and Maddie, were away.  We had a drink and some cheesy chips.

We moved on to Autherley Junction, where we planned to moor by bridge 2. 

The Bridge Inn

Avenue Bridge

Under the M54

Wolverhampton Boat Club

There was a shopping trolley in the water where we had planned to moor, so we having second thoughts about staying there overnight, particularly as it was bank holiday Saturday. We decided to move on to the moorings on the Staffs and Worcs at the junction.

Shopping trolley

A drunken man with beer can in hand, and two small boys in tow asked if the lads could see inside the boat. We invited them all on board and showed them around. When they were back on shore, the guy said they were his girlfriend’s kids. We could hear a noisy motorbike in the park, and he said that was the kid’s dad.

Two Napton Narrowboats staff had just taken some first timers up the canal to try their first bridge. We gave them a lift back to their base at the junction.  At the lock there was some training going on for hire boaters, so were locked through. We turned to the right and moored on rings.

The junction

Later a noisy motorbike went roaring past on the towpath, returning about ten minutes later. We wondered if it was the two boys’ dad.

2 locks, 8 miles

Sun 26th Aug  Autherley Junction

Moored by the junction

Rain was forecast this morning and rain was what we had.  We took a brolly and a trolley as we tried to find the best route to the church. We crossed over the Shroppie and took a path on the left. It wasn’t the best way, as the path sloped and was very near a hedge which needed trimming, so we were catching on brambles if we kept to the path. We walked on the wet grass instead.

We passed the Pendulum pub which didn’t look very inviting, and we went to St Pauls Church, which we had discovered on the way up the Shroppie earlier. We had a warm welcome, and we met Dot Clayton, a BCF member we have only met in passing before. The worship was pre recorded, although they usually have a music group. The vicar was away, so we had a retired vicar from nearby, and he talked about food in the bible, and particularly the communion meal.  The building was modern, shared with the school, but the roof leaked with the heavy rain.

St Paul's Church

We went to Morrison’s to stock up, and took a slightly different route back which easier for the trolley.

We decided to eat on board as it was still raining.  The noisy motorbike went past again.

No boating today

Next: heading down the Staffs and Worcs towards Stourport.