Your jacket has been found & Return to Bumble Hole

Yesterday Jan had a rummage through the freezer in the late afternoon extracting a large quantity of frozen cherries and strawberries.  I assisted by escorting her down to Sainsbury’s this morning where she bought some madeira cake. 

Apparently a trifle is going to be made later today.  What a shame that Jan doesn’t like trifle and we’re not expecting guests!

We waited for most of the showers to pass before departing our mooring.  The interim stop was to be the CRT facilities at Blowers Green.  A couple of hundred metres short of Blowers Green Lock we found some ones missing heavy black waterproof jacket.  I needed to use the new breadknife to extract it.  However the good news it is now suitable for a trip to the Vatican.

There is nothing like stripping off the top half and going down the weed hatch in the rain to put you in a good mood.  There was a “Yellow Peril” moored on the water point above the lock.  The crew had hired the boat from Worcester and had it for a week.  I asked them if they were doing the ring and was told they didn’t have sufficient time.  I did point out they had reached the canal summit and there were roughly the same number of locks in each direction but that seemed to go over their heads.

It took almost an hour to fill the water tank and we used the time to catch up on a few tasks (eg, making trifle).  On our arrival at Bumble Hole we found two moored boats.  We’d seen both of them at Merry Hill. 

After dinner I wandered down to the junction and then decided to follow the route of Netherton Tunnel by walking over the hill.

The feature that first caught my eye was the chimney of Cobbs Engine House.  There is a path leading up to it from the junction.

The area around here was a warren of coal mines and the extracted coal was (of course) transported via the canal.  The pump house was actually used to remove water from the mines. The shaft was 525 feet deep, removing over 1,600,000 litres of water into the canal every day.  The pump house was built around 1831 and was steam driven.  It ceased working in 1928 and the engine now resides in the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan, USA.  There are a few short canal arms here which are all that remains of what was once a busy canal terminal.

Autumn has obviously arrived.  The leaves are going brown and gold.  They are also drifting into the canal and fouling the propeller!

There isn’t a footpath directly above the alignment of the tunnel which meant I had to zig-zag across the tops of the hills looking for signs.  Eventually I found one airshaft hidden in a small copse.

There were some good views to the west as dusk fell.

Turners Hill was slightly to the east of my position.  At 271 metres it’s the highest feature in the West Midlands.  The two towers on top can be seen for miles.We noticed them whilst moored at Kinver.  Both towers are radio transmitters.  It was my initial error in pointing our TV aerial that led to us not getting a signal.   

Turners Hill 1 is a steel lattice structure whilst Turners Hill 2 has a concrete base.

A Short Walk

There was a break in the weather this morning and I decided to make the most of the lack of precipitation by taking a short walk along the towpath from Merry Hill to Blowers Green where there is a canal junction.  You can either proceed straight ahead up the three Parkhead Locks to Dudley Tunnel or make a hard right turn and almost double back upon yourself.

I’d only just rounded the bend from Merry Hill when I noticed a couple of walkers discussing all the litter floating in the canal.

It wasn’t as bad as Bulls Bridge Junction on the Grand Union but suffice to say there was no shortage of plastic bottles and cans floating on the surface.  The recent change to disposable plastic bags is a positive move but I’d like to see the policy extended to a 5p recycling refund on plastic, aluminium and steel drink containers.  Most of this littering would then cease.

There’s another of those low curved cast iron bridges just beyond Woodside Bridge. 

I thought it might be a disused arm but after checking the Waterway Routes map I now realise it it the former end to a shortcut which eliminated the need to go to Blowers Green.

You can see the ghosted alignment of “BCN Two Lock Line”

The first thing you notice when walking up to Blowers Green Lock is the pump house.

The pump house was built around 1890 and was used to pump water from the Dudley No1 7 2 Canals up to the top of the nearby Parkhead Locks.  It would have been part of the water supply to the locks, the Dudley Tunnel and the BCN Old Main Line.  The pump house is now owned by The Dudley Canal Trust and used by Acorn Performing Arts.  There is no sign of a chimney and I wonder if the pumps were electric?

I decided to continue up the flight as it’s unlikely we will cruise this way.  I anticipated the area didn’t receive much boating traffic and was expecting it to be rather dilapidated.

When looking from below the bottom lock one of the lower gates on the top lock appeared to be hanging incorrectly and I thought the locks might actually be unusable.  On reaching the top lock I was pleasantly surprised to discover a rather pleasant setting.  The area above the locks is well landscaped and maintained.  A boat moored in what might have been a former wharf area.

Looking up the flight with the former lock keepers cottage to the left

Looking back down the flight with the arm to the right.  A moored boat in the distance.

Still looking back, there is a second arm to the left

In the opposite direction is the tunnel entrance with a stop gate.

On examining the tunnel gauge I suspect Waiouru would fit if we removed the satellite dome.

My concern would be the depth of the water.  Whilst the original depth was nearly 2 metres I suspect it’s probably very shallow.  The two notices beside the entrance confused me.

One stated no powered craft and the other stated no unpowered craft?????

Some searching around on the internet suggests private boats can only use the tunnel with the permission of the Trust and boats are towed through using an electric powered tug.

If you are prepared to go up and down the three Parkhead Locks then the area appears to be an attractive mooring location.

Sniff sniff

As forecasted, the weather turned for the worst at 4am.  I semi awoke to the sound of ducks frantically pecking at the waterline.  Jan later told me she thought everything was being blown off the cabin roof.  <I’ve checked and nothing has moved!>  By 8am there was just a bit of occasional drizzle and after lunch we actually had sunshine.

The old ladies shopping trolley was extracted from the cratch and we went down to Sainsbury’s for some essentials.  Jan had a £7 discount voucher provided she purchased more than £50 of supplies.  Filling the trolley with groceries to the value of £50 didn’t take long <that’s a worry> and we were soon at the checkout counter.  The friendly lady at the till then asked us “Are you off one of the barges?” I looked at Jan’s clothing whilst simultaneously she looked at mine.  Then I went <sniff sniff>!  The checkout lady was rather quick on the situation and promptly said “Oh no, you have such healthy complexions from all that outdoor living!”  We had changed into clean clothes for the outing and had both showered last night so we’ll give her the benefit of the doubt.  The trolley was hauled back up the three flights of steps to the moorings on the embankment to discover all the other boaters had left <sniff sniff>.

Curiosity got to me this afternoon and I wondered where we were on this day a year ago.  One of the advantages of the blog is having a record.  It was a Sunday and we were at Fradley Junction.  Actually we went to The Swan for lunch.  We were on our way south to Atherstone where we planned to have the defective 175A alternator repaired.  Gosh, is it a year since we had the alternator repaired!  We also met Judith & John (nb Serena) for the second time in 2014.  The first occasion was near Rugby when they were being towed to Hillmorton to have a new engine fitted.  Life is going too fast…… slow down!

If you are a little like us and don’t derive much pleasure in parting from your hard earned cash then you may also have a smartphone with a very limited (or no) data allowance.  I’ve noticed our youngest son happily pulls out his smartphone and uses Google Maps to navigate.  Of course he is using his data allowance.  I’d also like to have the ability to navigate with my smartphone.  but I want to do it at no cost.  There is a solution.  If you have an Android phone you can download the free app OSMand from Google Play.  After installing it you can then download the free maps of the UK.  Actually you can download up to 10 maps before you have to pay for the App.  I now have a good set of maps for all of the UK on the smartphone.  Best of all… they are free and I don’t use any mobile data!  Just make sure you download the free version.

Merry Hell

On checking the camera I discovered one photo from last night’s walk along the Fens Branch.

Brockmoor Junction
We turned right at Leys Junction and continued along the Stourbridge Canal to Delph Junction where there is no longer a canal junction and instead the boater faces the eight locks of the Delph Flight.  I noticed the pub at the base of the flight is named The Tenth Lock which I thought was rather amusing given the flight only had eight.  However I’ve since had a second look at the Waterway Routes map and now realise the current flight is slightly to the west of the original flight which had nine locks!   So the pub is correctly named.
Almost every lock was in our favour and a couple even had the lower gates open.  This latter situation proved to be more of a hindrance than help as they would re-open after Jan had closed them.  Three locks from the top we met a single handed boater going down.  He had his work cut out although he must have been grateful that all those behind us were full.
There is a long brick building beside lock 6 and we assumed from the colour of the paintwork it belongs to CRT.
eI did a very quick online search and couldn’t find anything about the history of the building.  My guess is it was used for lock maintenance or perhaps stables?
From the top of the flight it was a short cruise to the excellent moorings on The Embankment at Merry Hill.  Although one boater referred to it as Merry Hell.  He’s not a fan of huge retail complexes!
Photo from the Express & Star website.  Actually it only shows a portion of the retail park.
For 125 years this was the site of the Round Oaks Steelworks.  During the Industrial Revolution the majority of the world’s steel manufacturing was conducted within 32km of Merry Hill and at its peak the works employed thousands of local people.  Obviously why it’s call The Black Country.
By the 1970’s the plant was obsolete and expensive to operate.  It was demolished in 1984 with several thousand locals being made unemployed.  However the new owners redeveloped the site into a major retail park converting the local economy from manufacturing to services.

Here we are moored on the embankment overlooking the retail park.  Both of us have been puzzled by the flag being flown on a number of the local boats.  It’s red, black and white with a three link chain.  Not your usual pirate flag.  Jan did some searching and discovered it’s the flag of The Black Country.

This boat had the flags as bunting.  More boats arrived flying the flag and during the evening they were all illuminated.

Sunday lunch was the roast at the Brewers Wharf (3/10). 

Our evening view of Merry Hill.

A change to the cruising plan

There was time for a last look around Kinver before continuing our cruise up the Staffs & Worcs Canal.  The village clock tower looks nice but probably isn’t all that old.  I think it’s also the main bus stop.

 

There were some interesting small shops down a side alley but we didn’t explore them because Jan had noticed the nearby butcher and adjacent wool shop. 

Water pressure from the tap above Kinver Lock seemed good but topping up the tank appeared to take ages.  We then cruised at tick over passing a long line of residential boats moored between Kinver and Hyde.locks.  Jan loved the front gate to the old lock keeper’s cottage at Hyde Lock.

Around the next bend was Dunsley Tunnel.  Neither of us remember the tunnel from our last trip this way almost a decade ago.  But then it was done in a rush!

On the southern side it looks to be cut through the local red sandstone and is unlined.  Halfway through it becomes a brick lined arch.

Stourton Junction is just beyond Stewpony Lock where there is a former Toll House beside the lock. 

On the other side of the lock is one of those circular entrances to the lock bywash.

At Stourton Junction the Stourbridge Canal joins the Staffs & Worcs.  We were here last year coming down the Stourbridge Canal from Birmingham and turning right to go up the Staffs & Worcs.  This time we have decided to go up the Stourbridge Canal back into the Black Country.

There are four locks at the bottom of the Stourbridge Canal and Jan quickly realised the water level was very low in the pound above the bottom lock.  I went forward and ran some more water down, but not too much as the next pound was also low.  Waiouru actually ran aground in the second pound forcing Jan to run down more water.

Just enough to crawl into the lock!

Above the lock the canal is mostly rural to Wordsley Junction where it then becomes very urban.  Beyond the junction are the 16 locks of the Stourbridge Flight.  We hadn’t see a moving boat all day and the majority of the locks appeared to have drained overnight so that made our passage up the flight easier than expected.

We decided to call it a day above the locks at Leys Junction.  Later in the evening I walked to the end of the Fens Branch.  Our mooring is surrounded by barbed wire topped high fences and the sounds of light industry working 24/7. 

Kinver Edge and Troglodytes

Kinver Edge is a high ridge line slightly west of Kinver village.  The geology of the Edge appears to be soft red sandstone with a covering of pebble and sand.  The area is mostly covered in woodland, although there are some areas of open grassland.  At its highest point the ridge is 180m above sea level and 120m above the height of the canal.  Kinver Edge is owned by The National Trust.

My plan was to walk up the hill and past Kinver Church to the southern end of the ridgeline, then turn north walking the length.  At some time during the walk I planned to come upon the rock homes. 

The view to the south with Abberley Hill on the horizon. 

Looking south-west it is possible to see Brown Clee Hills in the distance.

At the other end of the ridge are views to the west where The Black Country can be seen.

Eventually I came upon a signpost pointing to the location of the Rock Homes where a circular route eventually led me to the entrance.

A short 10km clockwise walk starting from the canal just beyond the right arrow.  The left arrow points to the location of the Rock Houses.   Access is relatively easy if you walk through Kinver village to the eastern end of the Edge.

The latter part of my route took me through some interesting woodland.

Wikipedia states “Kinver Edge is a remnant of the Mercian forest, although much planting dates from post-1945. There are two Iron Age hillforts on Kinver Edge the larger one Kinver Edge Hillfort, is at the northern end, while the other is at the southern end, on a promontory known as Drakelow Hill.”  None of the trees in this part of the woodland looked older than 20-30 years.

There is secure access to the Rock Houses and the only charge is if you want to enter the homes.  They were closed during my visit.

 

These are the last troglodyte dwellings occupied in England.  So now you know troglodyte means cave dweller! The homes were inhabited up until the 1970’s.  I guess this means all those opal miners who live underground in Coober Pedy, South Australia are also Troglodytes.  The Britain Explorer website offers the suggestion the Rock houses are the inspiration for Tolkien’s Hobbit Holes as he lived in Birmingham and “pined” for the countryside.

The walk ended on the opposite side of Kinver Village. 

Apparently Kinver was recorded in the Doomsday Book.  Roll the clock forward almost 1000 years and Kinver had a light railway system which brought thousands of Victorian visitors to the village every week.

Damned Blogger

Not a fellow blog writer but the program.  As you may have realised Blogger stopped showing our own domain name (www.narrowboat-waiouru.co.uk).  The blog could still be seen at www.narrowboat-waiouru.blogspot.com.   What happened?  You might have read on the Tuesday post I’d set out to remove the annoying google cookie banner from the top of the blog post.  The first attempt involved adding some information to the blog domain name in Blogger.  This didn’t work and when I attempted to reverse the change back to our original domain name Google threw a fit.  It would appear Google made some changes to the way Blogger would accept 3rd party domain names (ie, www.narrowboat-waiouru.co.uk).  We had initially changed to our own domain name before Google altered Blogger so when I attempted to roll back to the original configuration Blogger got lost! Whilst attempting to resolve the problem I discovered Google required me to make changes to our Cpanel on our hosting site.  Then Google advised it may take 24-48 hours for the change to take effect.  Just to compound the problem our internet signal was poor!

I’m getting closer to deciding to move the entire blog over to our own server space and taking total control.

We have been moored in Kinver whilst waiting for Kinver Canopies to repair the cratch cover.  It was back in April 2013 on the second morning of our shake down cruise when we were hit by a hire boat whilst moored on a straight at Thatcham.  The collision tore the cratch cover at gunwale level and split the zip stitching.  Then the other side was damaged by a hole in a lock wall north of York.  We’ve been holding off getting the cover repaired until we were close to Kinver Canopies. 

Scott visited yesterday evening and collected the cratch cover.  He promised to have the repaired cover returned by today.  We thought that was very good service given they are always very busy.  After Scott had taken the cover the first thing I notice was the difference in paint colours.

That’s not a shadow on the paint.  Where the cover has prevented the sun from striking the light grey paint it’s much darker. 

Scott returned with the repaired cover and we’re very pleased with the result.  It was also interesting to see the new new material on the cover looks very similar to the original.  I had expected the original cover to have faded. 

Whilst Kinver Canopies had the cratch cover we asked Scott to do a couple of minor repairs to the side panels on the pram cover.  After refitting the side panels he decided that he would make a second visit in a week to check on his repairs.  We’re pleased we waited for them to complete the repairs.

Oh…… if you are reading this from a location in Europe have I eliminated that annoying cookie banner?  I no longer see it!