Stourton to Merry Hill

It certainly was another day of locks today.

We were off early again leaving our mooring spot at Stourton Top lock in the dark, I'm pleased we got these locks done yesterday as it meant it wasn't straight into locking this morning. It wasn't long before the sun rose and and it started getting chilly. We were soon at Wordsley Junction and the bottom of the Stourbridge locks. We made great time up the 16 locks, only a couple were against us, it did help having no other boats around. I had a bit of help on the last two from a CRT guy who was checking and clearing the locks.

New housing estate, they had just started work on these when we came by earlier in the year

Good to see the old Warehouse being converted

Looking down towards the Redhouse Glass Cone

At Leys Junction we turned right and continued on our twisty turny journey to the bottom of Delph Locks and where the Stourbridge Canal ends and the Dudley No 1 starts. The Delph flight was opened in 1779 and there were originally 9 locks but due to subsidence they had to be re-built, the top and bottom locks are the original ones but the 7 in the middle were re-located slightly and re-built as 6 so now there are 8 locks in the flight, but they are quite deep ones. The flight is now a designated conservation area and has unique high waterfall style overflows.

That's an old sign

Guess this is how stoppages were announced before the internet

It was then another short run and we had arrived at Merry Hill and moored up on the embankment overlooking the shopping centre. Our journey today took just over five hours a lot less than we thought, when we set off this morning we were expecting another full day boating.

5.5 miles and 24 locks

TOTAL 738 miles and 602 locks

Birmingham, Merry Hill, Tipton Catchup

Going back to Monday 23rd March we met Jess at New Street Station and headed into China Town as it happened to be lunchtime. After a lovely lunch we had a quick wander through the shops, unfortunately the markets were all closed on Monday so we bought a few supplies at the Tesco Metro in New Street. In the evening we met up with Kirsty in the Prince of Wales where we also met a couple of the resident boaters at Sherbourne Wharf, 

We headed off early on Tuesday morning as the forecast was dry in the morning with rain later, the destination was Bumble Hole/Windmill End and to get there we had to go through Netherton Tunnel again, now Jess hates tunnels even small little ones that aren't much more than a bridge so she was not too impressed with Netherton and to say she was really pleased to get out the other end is a bit of an understatement. We moored up shortly after just before the forecast rain came down.

On Wednesday we negotiated the only lock of Jess' trip this time and that was the one at Blowers Green, Jess and I worked the lock and we continued on our journey to Merry Hill. We went off for a mega trip around the shops and retail parks there and got all our supplies ready for our new arrival. Quite funny really that the supplies for Dudley were bought in Dudley.

Jess feeling a little chilly working the lock

Thursday came all too soon and it was time for Jess to head back to the South Coast. We walked the mile and a half to Cradley Heath Station where we all got the train back to Birmingham, a quick bit of lunch and back to New Street Station for Jess to get the train direct to Bournemouth, luckily the works on the landslide near Banbury had been completed the week before so she didn't have to faff around getting the replacement bus to by-pass it. James and I got the train back to Cradley Heath and then cheated and got on a bus to Merry Hill as there was a massive hill to walk up to get back to LJ.

We stayed at Merry Hill for a couple more days sitting out horrible wet windy weather before heading back to Bumble Hole for the day and then onto Tipton ready for the Friends of Tipton Cut Easter Gathering where we have just completed our first weekend of trading on The Pen Maker's Boat.

Saturday started out 'not as planned', I went to the Post Office to collect a package that James had arranged to be sent there Post Restante, when I got there I was told the package was delivered about 15 minutes before I had arrived but they had refused it as they didn't know who it was for, even though James had phoned to ask if it was OK and he had been in on Thursday to check if it had arrived. I then tried to get in touch with the Tipton Delivery Office on the phone, but no luck, we didn't want the package returned to sender as there were vital pen components inside. Instead I walked the couple of miles to the Delivery Office, knowing the package would still be out with the postman but was desperate for it not to be returned. I spoke to the most helpful guy possible in Royal Mail, unfortunately I didn't get his name, but later that afternoon we had the package delivered direct to us on the boat. I was most impressed and truly thankful.

A few of the old working boats turned up for the gathering and the music was playing at The Founatain Inn. It was fairly quite on the towpath for trading, there were only two trading boats, us and Sparks a lovely couple selling mainly plants and seeds, along with handmade bead jewellery, hats and mittens. We made a few sales and were fairly pleased with our first days trading. A photographer from the local paper turned up and James had his own photoshoot, would be great if it makes in into the paper.

All set up

The local paper took an interest

Today most of the gathered boats went off on their various ways and we thought trading would be non existant and even thought about not setting up, but the sun came out a few people were strolling past so we had nothing to lose and set up. We ended up being pleased with the result having more than doubled our unit sales from the Saturday. We even had a visit from Richard Parry, the head of CRT, who seemed geniuingly interested in what we were doing.

21 miles and 5 locks

Total 110 miles and 119 locks

Windmill End to Wordsley, near Stourbridge

On Monday we woke to a light dusting of snow, it didn't last long but there was a really chilly wind. We got wrapped up and went off to collect some wood we had spotted when coming out of the tunnel. On returning to the boat we came across a couple of guys clearing up near the nature reserve, they told us were there was some more a bit of the beaten track, apparently they were going to burn it all this week but as its windy they were leaving it for the time being.

As we were all wrapped up we decided to head off, we need some food supplies so plan to call in at the Asda or Sainsbury at Merry Hill.

The wind was a nightmare and we struggled to get the boat away from the bank, we managed to push it as far as we could jump on and then it went straight back in to the edge, needless to say with perseverance we finally managed it and were soon on our way passing through Blowers Green Lock and with a 12' drop the deepest on the BCN.

We passed a couple of goats

This sign was on Primrose Bridge

Coming round into Blowers Green Lock

Stll quite a way to go down

Moored at Merry Hill, it was surprisingly quiet

After mooring up yesterday afternoon it was a quick trip to the shopping centre, only to the Post Office this time to send off the latest pen order.

On Wednesday we headed back to Merry Hill and had a wander round the shops browsing but not much buying. In the evening we headed out to the Waterfront Balti for a nice birthday curry and as usual ate too much.

This morning we were off again with the prospect of a locking day. After the first lock on the Delph flight all the bottom gates were open, unfortunately we were going down so I had to close the gates before I could start filling them, I spotted a CRT man at he next lock doing some work to the steps so asked him if I should leave the bottom gates open, he explained that the wind funnels up the hill and they all swing open after shutting them so it was pointless closing them when we left. Well that made it a little easier, just hope the next boat through the locks is going up.

Looking down Delph Lock flight

Yuk, not much has been through here lately

With the eight locks of Delph done James headed inside to get some lunch whilst I continued to practice my steering, and at some point we change from the Dudley Canal to the Stourbridge. We were soon at a junction where we turned left and straight into lock 1 of the Stourbridge flight. We swapped duties for three of the locks with James doing the hard work for these whilst I managed to successfully get LJ in and out.We stopped after lock 12 and moored up outside the Redhouse Glassworks.

James doing a bit of work

Moored at Redhouse Glassworks, I'll get a picture of the cone tomorrow

7.5 miles and 21 locks

Total 52.5 miles and 65 locks

Merryhill to Stourbridge

We arrived at Merryhill and went off to look around the massive shopping centre.

Yesterday was battery maintenance day, not pleasant as I think our batteries have got to be the most inaccessible ever! Anyway with two looking pretty dead James did a bit of rewiring and we have gone down to having three, we'll see how that goes.

This morning we set off nice and early we had two lock flights to do, 24 locks in total and had to be moored up for the rugby at 2:30pm. Our first flight was the 8 of the Delph locks with all of the them against us and a few bottom gates open. Once through these we are now on the Stourbridge canal and I got a break of a mile or so before starting on the Stourbridge flight of 16, which were also against us and again some gates opened, at lock 5 a guy walking along the towpath said there was a boat a couple of locks down heading our way, that's always good new the locks should be in our favour after we pass but no they were all emptying through leakages. We passed the boat at lock 9 and it was Peter and Heather's friends (our winter mooring neighbours) John and Jude on Serena. Straight after the lock we did a left turn down the Stourbridge Town Arm, winded at the end and moored up just in time for the rugby. Think I'm going to be a bit achy in the morning.

The Delph flight - it's all downhill now

The old stable block

Don't often see LJ at this angle

James busy preparing dinner whilst waiting for the locks

Stourbridge flight

Waiting for the lock

Moored up in Stourbridge

Today 5.7 miles and 24 locks
Total miles 26.4 miles and 25 locks 

Windmill End to Merryhill

Yesterday we took a quick walk back to Netherton Tunnel and traced it from above, I wanted to see the top of the air shafts, I know they”re nothing exciting and all look the same, but strangely this kind of thing interests me! We then walked the few miles down to the Gosty Hilll Tunnel.

Entrance to Netherton Tunnel from above

One of the air shafts for the tunnel

After a quick walk to Bumble Hole this morning, where we saw the remains of the windmill that I assume Windmill End gets it name from, we set off in lovely warm March sunshine. James had a tight turn getting LJ round from Dudley No 2 canal to Dudley No 1 and then straight into the Blowers Green Lock, which at 12ft is the deepest on the BCN. It was built to replace two earlier locks which had suffered subsidence. 

Bunble Hole with the remains of the windmill

Joining the Dudley No 1 canal

And into the lock

The deepest on the BCN at 12 ft

We then had a good run to the Waterfront just a short walk from the massive Merryhill Shopping Centre.

Lovely sunny spot and very quiet this evening

Today 3.8 miles and 1 lock

Total  20.7 miles and 1 lock