Bright Day

We might be in the depths of winter but today the sun was so blinding we had to dress the part.

Life’s so bright…. Got to wear shades! 
Just when we were thinking we might pick up a tan the canal took us beneath the M5 Motorway.

There are two sections where the motorway is directly overhead and following the canal.  I guess this was a cheaper option than “acquiring” the adjacent commercial properties.
We passed a lone fisher.  Nothing said and he scarcely glanced at us as we quietly passed by.

Steward Aqueduct takes the Old Main Line over the New Main Line with the huge concrete cylindrical piers of more modern M5 Bridge readily apparent.

Neither of us remember the old toll building beside Smethwick Top Lock having a burned roof the last time we were this way.  More vandalism?

There was a CRT work team above the flight removing moss from the towpath brick paving.

The pavers around the locks were slippery after the overnight frost and Jan was sensibly taking her time to work Waiouru through the three locks down to the New Main Line.

The dome of the Guru Nanak Gurdwara Sikh Temple at Smethwick can he seen on the skyline.
We passed a boat leaving Birmingham as we approached Monument Road Bridge.  It’s the first time we have passed a moving boat in the last week.

There were plenty of vacant moorings around Old Turn Junction so we continued down to the CRT services near Cambrian Wharf to top up the water and dispose of the rubbish.  A familiar boat was moored in Cambrian Wharf and I walked over to say a quick hello to James and Debbie on The Pen Boat (nb Lois-Jane).

Once the business was done we winded and found a good mooring opposite the NIA.
Readers you will have read about Jan’s fall several days ago.  She now has the necessary attributes to audition for the Black & White Minstrel Show.  So please be careful at this time of year. 
Yesterday evening I was invited to a Christmas party.  I had a few sherbets, followed by a few more, and topped up with some double sherbets.....
I still had the sense to know I was over the limit.
That's when I decided to do what I have never done before: I took a taxi back to the boat.
Sure enough there was a police road block and random mobile testing station on the way home, and since I was in a taxi, they waved it past.  I arrived back at the boat safely without incident.  This was both a great relief and a surprise because I had never driven a taxi before.  I don't even know where I got it from, or how to now get it off the towpath.

Titford Canal

The feet are feeling slightly better which allowed me to do some further exploring.  This time I decided to walk the Titford Canal.  The canal joins the Old Main Line at Oldbury Junction which is now under the busy M5 Motorway.  Whilst walking the towpath to the junction I noticed the numerous signs of former canal arms.  It’s interesting how you see them once you know to look.

You can see more of the former local canals and arms in this next map extract from Waterway Routes.  I’ve highlighted the end of each in red.

Our current mooring and the location of the floating pontoons from yesterday’s incident are marked with the red arrows.

My only human contact during the walk was the policeman on his bike.  Was he on patrol or heading home?  We passed each other again on my return so it was obviously a patrol.

Oldbury Junction and the start of the Titford Canal is located underneath the busy M5 Motorway

I had anticipated going down the six locks of the Oldbury Flight and it came as a surprise to find they go UP.  The old boatmen call this flight The Crow after the adjacent chemical works owned by Jim Crow.

Looking back.

This canal started it’s life as a narrow feeder drawing waters from Titford Pools, Smethwick and Edgbaston Reservoir.  Much of the feeder between Smethwick and Edgbaston was a tunnel.  The water was collected from the surrounding area and stored in the man made reservoirs.

I’ve highlighted the route of the original feeder in green from the Waterway Routes map extract below.

Towards the top of the flight was an interesting sign (for boaters) adjacent to the canal.  I wonder what their ppl is?  It’s the Fast Fuel outlet. <link here>

There’s an unusual looking device immediately below the top lock on the off side.  I think it’s an electrically operated valve connected to the adjacent pump house?

In 1835 it was decided to widen and canalize much of the feeder.  This also resulted in additional canals being constructed at Titford Pools to service local collieries and chemical works.  This resulted in a shortage of water.  If the Old Man Line is higher than the New Main Line and the Titford Canal is even higher then it’s logical that the Titford Canal is the highest point on the BCN.  Actually it’s the second highest canal on the inland waterways after the Rochdale Canal.

I couldn’t find the construction date of Titford Pumphouse which stands beside the top lock. Originally there was one steam powered single beam engine bringing water back up the flight.  However the growth in canal traffic soon resulted in the expansion of the pump house and installation of a second pump.  The lean-to building on the left was the blacksmith shop.  The pump house is now the main office of the BCN Society.  

The arm to the right is the former feeder to Smethwick and Edgbaston.  It’s now long term CRT moorings.

As I headed down (up) the canal the first object of note was what appeared to be a former Malting.  I recognised the unique top to the kilns from our time on the River Lea.

This is Langley Malting.  The buildings are listed and were damaged in an arson attack in 2006.  The council refused permission for them to be demolished. Apparently there is now a plan to convert the buildings into residential properties.

 

The stretch of canal from here to Titford Pools is rather attractive with little sign of rubbish in the canal.

The Pools are actually very noisy with busy main roads on two sides.  Not a place to moor.  Moreover I’ve read they area also very shallow

I think this fellow is a symbol of the site “feeder” heritage?

Titford Pools were created etween 1773 and 1774 a dam was raised to enclose a 9-acre site, collecting rain that fell on the Rowley Hills.
The Pools can’t always have been shallow as the BCNS website states during the 70's and 80's, a series rallies were held in the pools and scaffold based pontoons were built to accommodate the boats. 

The Turtle

The other boater at the Dudley Canal Trust suggested we consider the offside floating pontoons at Oldbury as a safe mooring.  We had remembered them from our last cruise on the Old Main Line.  They are adjacent to a large cafe and access to the moorings is cut off when the cafe closes its gates.

The cruise was uneventful and as we approached Whimsey Bridge I could see the pontoons.  There are also moorings with bollards on the towpath side but obviously they would be less secure.  I put Waiouru into neutral three boat length short of the pontoons allowing the momentum to take us forward.  Jan collected the starboard (right) centreline and moved around onto the gunwale as I carefully steered the boat onto the mooring.  We were still slowly moving when Jan stepped off with the rope whilst I continued to look towards the bow carefully avoiding hitting the pontoons.  In that instance there was a cry and I looked back to see Jan gracefully fall backwards as her feet went out from underneath her.  She was down with her arms in the air and left leg hanging over the edge of the pontoon.  Meanwhile the boat was slowly continuing on.  I called to Jan “Get up or I’ll leave you!”  Of course I meant the boat was still going forward but no doubt I’m going to be reminded of this inadvertent slip of the tongue for quite some time!

Jan floundered around like a turtle on its back.  Meanwhile I stepped off the stern thinking to tie off the loose centreline on to a bollard and go back to assist her.  That’s when I discovered the timber decking had a surface made of roller bearings.  Not only was I sliding all over the decking but the centreline was in the water.  I eventually managed to grab the cabin handrail and get back onto the gunwale where I recovered the centreline.

Meanwhile Jan was making unsuccessful efforts to get back onto her feet.  After several minutes she managed to get herself into a sitting position where she was able to remove her boots and socks.  I reversed Waiouru back to her location and she was able to carefully get back on board.  Obviously this isn’t such a good mooring!

Floating pontoons on the right.  The moorings on the towpath side are very close to the busy bridge. We decided to reverse 100 metres to the moorings before the bridge.

These moorings don’t get much foot traffic and are slightly noisy during the day due to the adjacent commercial premises.  The local area appears to all be light commercial rather than residential so we’re not anticipating any problems. 

Tipton Walk

We had two emails from readers (Paul & Mike) suggesting a local walk might reveal some interesting information.  Today’s walk took me to both suggested locations. 

I’ll explain the route using the following extract from Paul Balmer’s excellent Waterway Routes canal maps.

The route took me back down the towpath to Tipton Junction and then on to Tipton Green Bridge.  The canal widens on the  other side of the bridge which gives a hint about what was once here.

If you examine the map above you will notice the white dotted line to the right showing the route of an abandoned canal.  I’ve added two thin red arrows to the map!  The wide section of canal in the photo above is obviously a junction where boats could turn.  On reaching the widest point on the right I noticed a linear park which would have once been the canal.

Part the way down the path I came upon the remains of the second lock.

The continuation of the canal alignment can be seen on the far side of Union Street.  It connected to the New Main Line.  Well actually it did more than that.  Paul’s map shows it continuing.on to join the Walsall Canal

The more I examine the Waterway Routes maps the more I realize just how extensive the canal network was in the greater Birmingham area. 

Caggys Boatyard occupies what would have been the other end of the canal on the opposite side of the New Main Line.  The boatyard has a dry dock and one of the resident boaters confirmed the yard sells diesel, but he didn’t know the current price.  You can see the white diesel bowser at the right end of the bridge in the above photo. 

The dry dock

There is a sign on the centre pier of the next bridge.  Looks like pump out and elsan are also available!

I turned left at Factory Junction, but not before having a good look at the canal side pub.  It’s The Barge & Barrel which has a local reputation for specializing in rock music.

However above one of the unused doorways was the old name

The building actually isn’t all that old, dating back to the 1920-30’s and replaced a pub that was even closer to the canal.

Just after the junction there appears on first sight to be some CRT facilities.  However a sign states there is no mooring or services .

On the road side of the building is a plaque

Well that explains the buildings original purpose.

A little further up Hurst Lane is Mad O’Rourke’s Pie Factory.

I’m partial to a good pie but mine must have shortcrust pastry top and bottom.  Mad O’Rourke’s Menu suggests all their pies have a puff pastry topping.  To me that’s like having a stew with a puff pastry lid. 

Our time in Tipton is up and we want to move on.

Annoyed!

There was no blog post yesterday and I should explain why.  Our two backup data drives are almost full and it looked as If we might have to buy a 3rd drive.  Then I discovered that by moving some other data around I could free up a third 2TB drive.  Pleased at having found a solution which didn’t involved spending any money, my plans were then dashed when the 240v powered hard drive docking station wouldn’t work.  We only need the docking station to last another six months and I didn’t want to buy a replacement.   But if we didn’t have a docking station then we wouldn’t be able to update our data backups.  Time to pry the docking station apart.

We don’t have any testing equipment apart from a multimeter.  However sometimes the simple act of pulling something apart can reveal a loose wire.  I had guessed it might be a problem with the ON/OFF switch and did some pushing and prodding before turning the power back on whilst the docking station was in pieces.

It’s working!  Turned the power of and start reassembling.  At each step I paused to turn the power back on to check it still works.  The tricky bit was fitting all the small steel springs whilst simultaneously closing up the case.  The docking station now works, but I think the switch is still defective.  So we will use the docking station but turn it on and off at the wall socket.  By now it was late afternoon and all the data still had to be copied across. 

So I didn’t have a laptop yesterday to write a blog post!

We awoke early this morning and I had to give myself a small pinch just to remind myself how lucky Jan is to have me.  It’s now 45 years to the day since she tricked me into walking down the aisle.  Readers as you will know… every day with me is a honeymoon.  Well it’s been an interesting day.  Jan likes coffee but I hate the smell and taste of the muck.  Yesterday Jan ordered a coffee machine online from the PC World store at Wolverhampton and today I walked the 9km to collect it.  It was a nice day for a walk.  Neither too hot or cold!  What wasn’t nice was being told by PC world they didn’t have one in stock.  I had the online booking number but that didn’t seem to make much difference!  Feeling rather annoyed that the main girl in my life was going to miss out on her anniversary present I walked back to Waiouru feeling grumpy.  Halfway back to the boat I stopped feeling grumpy and started feeling sore.  Blisters!  These things happen when you wear lightweight socks.  I should have taken the bus back, but walking relieves tension.

Once back at Waiouru I examined the soles of my feet.  Both had blisters.  I don’t know why but I decided to check the insoles in my shoes.

 

Their condition was a revelation.  The tread on the soles of the shoes show little wear and they haven’t been worn much.  These insoles must be of very poor quality!  I’m back to wearing the old boating boats until we can buy replacement insoles for the shoes.

During a late lunch we looked online for an alternative local supplier of the coffee machine Jan had chosen.  PC World in Wednesbury had them in stock.  They were only 7.5km away so Jan again placed an order online and I went off to pay and collect it.  There was an “Oh No” moment when the sales assistant at the shop Collection Point came back without the coffee maker muttering.  He then went somewhere else before return to tell me “Sorry, none in stock!”  Well done PC World, time to spend some money upgrading your online stock control system!  Our kind son is now looking for a machine in Manchester.  Meanwhile, I’m resting my feet!

Dudley Mine Canals

This post is an explanation of yesterday’s boat trip into the Dudley mines on a Dudley Canal Trust electric boat.  The cost is £6.60 adult and £6 senior concession.  The tour takes approximately 40 minutes and I found most of it quite interesting.

Prior to taking the trip I walked around the exhibition on the lower floor of the new Dudley Canal Trust Visitor Centre.  This provided me with a better understanding of the canal and mines prior to entering them.

The first thing I need to mention is the underground canal network was there to transport the coal and limestone from the various mines.

This next map shows a dotted blue line which is the Dudley Canal Tunnel.  The solid blue lines show the surface routes of the Dudley Canal.  The entire area was riddled with collieries, some of which were quickly exhausted. 

Map from Dudley Canal Trust

Work was carried out on a contracting basis with Lord Dudley obtaining a royalty for every ton of extracted coal or limestone.   A “mine boss” would have bid for the right to establish and operate the mine.  All the work would have been subcontracted with boys as young as 9 and girls aged 12 working underground.  The miners worked 12 hours, 6 days a week.  Younger children and wives worked on the surface doing tasks such as the hand manufacture of clay bricks to line the canal tunnels.   Mining limestone didn’t carry the same gas risk as coal mining but it was still a very dangerous occupation.  Mine bosses didn’t pay compensation for injuries or fatalities.

This next map extract shows the number of collieries working in 1861.  The red line is a scale of 9km and every small circle represents one colliery.

Map from the Black Country Museum website

It’s not hard to see why this area is known as “The Black Country”.  Limestone was either used in construction or burned in kilns for use in iron smelting.

I’ve taken this next map from Wikipedia.  It shows the underground canal network and I have marked the route of the boat in red.

After passing through Lord Ward’s Tunnel you enter the small Shirts Mill basin.  Lord Ward’s Tunnel is named after Lord Dudley.  His full title was Lord Dudley and Ward.  Originally the basin was underground but the mines eventually removed it to give themselves some natural light.  The basin was originally a loading area for limestone.  We continued on a short distance to Castle Mill basin.  Like Shirt Mill, this basin has had it’s roof removed. Castle Mill started as a limestone mine and was subsequently widened to allow boats to turn and enter several new mines.  To the left is a former mine shaft known locally as Murderers Cavern after the bones of a young girl were found in it many years ago.  The tunnel to the right had been filled with silt leaving the main Dudley Canal Tunnel directly ahead.

Castle Mill Basin

To the left of the main Dudley Canal Tunnel is a second tunnel constructed by the Dudley Canal Trust in 1989 after they identified the original tunnels were structurally unsound.  To the left on the 1989 tunnel is Murderers Cavern.  We entered the 1969 tunnel.

Cathedral Arch has a high vaulted ceiling and the boat stopped here for an audio visual display covering the history of the mine.  I wasn’t sure if all the coloured lighting was Christmas decorations or a regular thing?

We continued on through Rock Tunnel and the 1984 Tunnel.  The latter was constructed by the Trust in 1984.  The furthest part of the tour terminated in Singing Cavern where there was a sound and light display.

The boat then reversed up into the main Dudley Canal Tunnel and headed back towards the portal passing another display showing what life was like for the original miners.

Our tour guide explained that the bricks lining the tunnel were handmade.  The boats were originally propelled by boatmen using a 6 foot wooden pole with a combined spike and hook on one end.  The spike was wedged into the brick joints to propel the boat.  This resulted in significant damage (and cost) to the brickwork so the practice was banned.  If the boatman was caught using his pole the fine was one week’s pay.  Hence the expression “wouldn’t touch it with a six foot barge pole”.  Legging replaced the pole method.

The limestone is significantly older than the coal.  It was formed millions of years ago when collection of billions upon billions of trilobites, brachiopods, and primitive types of sea urchin that once swarmed over shallow water coral reefs, before their skeletons were added to the accumulation of limy debris.  The trilobites could grow up to 600mm in length.  Eventually the land was pushed up and the sea drained to be replaced with a forest which became the source of the coal.

Just before the boat entered Castle Mill basin the guide pointed out the fossilized remains of a trilobite on the tunnel wall.

The canal didn’t just provide transport for the underground mines.  It was also the main route from Dudley through the hill to Stourbridge.  At it’s zenith the boat queues extended two miles on either side.  It became such a choke point that it was decided to build Netherton Tunnel which is bi-directional and has a towpath on each side.