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

Autherley Junction to Stourton

Wow - yes really we did this all in one day, not unusual for some but unheard of for us.

We set off at 7:30 this morning and passed by Aldersley Junction just as the sun was rising, if only the Wolverhampton 21 were open it would have been an easy run into Birmingham, the |flight is closed for winter maintenance as the bottom gates of the top lock are being replaced, the flight is due to reopen on 11th December but unfortunately that's a few days too late for us as we are going to be trading at the Floating Christmas Market that starts on the 11th, so it's the long way round for us.

Aldersley Junction

Compton Lock, first one of the day

There was a lot of water at Wightwick Mill Lock

It was overflowing

We made it to Wightwick lock in good time, there is a broken balance beam there and assisted passage had to be book with CRT, which I had done as soon as we left Wheaton Aston yesterday. I was told to arrive at the lock between 9am and 12 noon and there would be someone to assist us through. We got there just before 9am and around 9:10am I made an apologetic nagging call to ask when someone would arrive. I was told 10am, what a shame we could have had an extra hour in bed. Just after 10am Tony arrived and explained there was a boat booked in at 10am and another at 11am so he was going to hang around and do them both. What I couldn't understand is that if the other two boats had been given specific times why was I give a 3 hour window? Never mind we got through that's all that matters.

Wightwick Lock

Bratch Locks

We've only done this section of the Staffs and Worcs once and that was three years ago, but it was surprising how much of it looked very familiar and in a way it was a shame to pass by all the lovely stopping places, but needs must. We were planning on stopping at Stourton Junction but as we were making good time, even with the hour delay at Wightwick, decided to turn left onto the Stourbridge Canal and straight into the 4 locks of Stourton, it was 4pm when we started and light was fading fast but someone must have been looking down on us as all four locks were in our favour and the bottom gates left open - result. We reached the top lock and managed to tie up before we completely lost the light. 

I took this one to show our lovely wood pile ready for splitting

We went down 18 locks today, including the locks at Bratch which are unusual as there is only around 10ft between them and Botterham Staircase and then back up the last four, we will continue our ascent into Birmingham tomorrow.

13.5 miles and 22 locks 

TOTAL 732.5 miles and 578

Kinver to Windmill End

Saturday was another lovely Spring day, James set up his lathe and got on with some turning whilst I did some baking ready for our visitors on Sunday.

Unfortunately Sunday's weather wasn't quite as nice and in went up to the road to meet Mum and Lyn with an umbrella :( We did see a bit of the sun in the afternoon and had a lovely time with them, before they had to leave to head back to Berkshire.

On Monday we headed for the winding hole just past Kinver and began to re-trace our path. We managed to collect some wood on the way and did seven locks before stopping at the bottom of the Stourbridge flight.

Bottom of Stourbridge Flight

Today we were up and off by 7am it was to be a busy day. We were straight into the 16 locks of the Stourbridge flight. 

Cold and frosty when we set off

These are the two locks with only about 10ft between them

At the top I took over steering and James disappeared inside, it wasn't long before the delicious smell of bacon cooking wafted up. We actually met a boat coming the other day unfortunately of was on quite a sharp bend and I misjudged it, luckily a collision was avoided but James had to take over to get us off the side, think more practice is needed. We were soon on our way again and James reappeared with not only bacon but sausage,,mushrooms, egg and beans all served so we could eat on the move.

By the time we had finished we were at Delph Locks where we passed another boat coming down, we continued on past Merry Hill, where we considered shipping but decided to carry on up Blowers Green Lock and onto Windmill End/Bumble Hole.

Looking up Delph flight

At the junction, where we're back on the Dudley Canal

Not content with doing 25 Locks today we thought we'd be organised and get the wood we had collected chopped and stored away.

Our stash, ready to be chopped and stored

We also needed to check the weed hatch, this time it was James' turn and it was not pleasant. Quite a bit of material looked like a pair of pants and loads of black material, the usual plastic bags, one being a JJB Sports one with the pull string and the worse bit was a fishermans lure with two hooks on it, good job he was careful as it would have been a nightmare if it had stabbed him.

13.5 miles and 32 locks

Total 70 miles and 108 locks

Wordsley, Near Stourbridge to Kinver

Before we left we had a wander round the museum in the bottle kiln, admission is free so well worth a visit.

The Red House Cone is 90ft high and has a diameter of 60ft it was used by the Stuart Crystal firm until 1936 and is the best preserved of only four in the UK.

A glass manufacturer bought a one acre site in June 1788 and it is believed construction began straight away dating the cone to around 1760. A moving lehr (temperature controlled kiln) was installed which remains there today and is the only surviving one in the world.

Also on the site are various studios where independent artists create and sell their arts and crafts.

After an interesting tour we headed back to LJ for a sausage sandwich before setting off, and breaking news - just as the sausages had finished cooking our first gas bottle ran out. So that's around four months since it was installed - not bad going at all.

We set off down the remaining four locks of the Stourbridge flight and enjoyed some lovely Spring weather along to the four Stourton locks.

We were soon at the junction with the Staffordshire and Worcester Canal and did a left turn down towards Stourport and down Stewponey lock. 

Last of Stourton Locks, we're turning left onto the Staffordshire and Worcester Canal

I love these decorative run off weirs at the locks 

Horse Tunnel under the bridge

The Toll House at Stewponey Lock

We had to wait our turn at Hyde Lock as there was a boat just heading down it and as we left another came up so a few boats are on the move again. We called in a day just after Kinver lock enjoying the last of the lovely sunshine we've had most of the day, although there has been a chilly wind in places.

Moored up at Kinver just below Kinver Lock

4 miles and 11 locks


Total 56.5 miles and 76 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