Towpath motorbike; reaching parts others fear to tread

We had time to look round the town of Stourbridge this morning. We bought a pair of sandals each. Mine cost £3.49. I don't know how much Jan's were but I should think they were at least ten times the cost of mine Jan's were seven times the cost of mine as hers were new. Jan also treated herself to a haircut while I was looking for a new foil for my shaver. (No foil found, but temporary liquid ballast (beer) was obtained.) The economy of Stourbridge must have got quite a boost today.

After lunch on board we set off. At Coalbourne Brook Bridge we stopped to have a look round the small-scale glass industries/studios. We had a very good explanation of glass etching and saw some glass blowing. Pics to follow at some point if I remember.

At Wordsley Junction we turned right to go up the Stourbridge Locks. This flight was unusual in that every single lock was set for us. All I had to do was push open the bottom gates - I didn't have to wind a single bottom paddle. Progress was swift, then, up these closely-spaced locks.

As we exited the top lock a noisy mini motorbike came along the towpath.

Not only was he riding illegally on the towpath, but the towpath was closed for resurfacing works.

At the top of the locks - more photos to come but I'm saving on data - we carried straight on to the Fens Branch. At Brockmoor Junction we again carried straight on, slowly, past Nicholson's indicated "limit of navigation" until we decided that perhaps we'd gone far enough and we ought to reverse. This is how far we got, half way between the railway bridge and Crescent Lane Bridge. That's Crescent Lane Bridge in front ...

... and this is looking back to the old railway bridge.

Then we turned into the Stourbridge Extension Canal and reached the very end.

There was hardly any rubbish and these little-used canals were surprisingly deep. Back at Leys Junction we turned left to traverse the remaining couple of miles of the Stourbridge Canal, mooring at the bottom of Delph Locks. The sun was out, making this a lovely section.

We ate at the Tenth Lock pub, a Marston's house. Tomorrow we'll nip up the Delph Eight, stop at Merry Hill for a big enough Boots for the shaver foil and push on to Parkhead. I'm very keen to try out the tunnel gauge.

Rocky McLockface

One of today's locks was Rocky Lock.

As at Northgate Locks in Chester the sandstone has been cut away to put the lock in. Unlike Northgate Locks Rocky Lock and its neighbours are brick lined.

We stopped for water and Elsan at Greensforge, greeting Rob and Jill on Chrissie who were just about to depart. Later on, as we neared Stourton Junction, we had a message from a passing boat that soup was being prepared on Chrissie. And as we tied up behind them, Jill invited us for lunch. This was a real treat: Jill's chicken soup was wonderful. Jan provided some of her amazing chocolate tiffin and we spent an hour plus enjoying each other's company. I was able to lend Rob a tyre pressure gauge so he could adjust the accumulator pressure in his water system and we had a look round their new Stoke Boats boat. One really excellent feature was the reversible back to the Pullman dinette. This had an ingenious double-pivotted support, hidden in the sides of the seat, which made the flip very quick and easy. The electrics were a combination of 12V for lighting and 24V for most of the rest. The boat was exhibited at Crick; was this one of the punters' favourites? Adam? We certainly liked it!

At Stourton Junction we turned left onto the Stourbridge Canal and immediately climbed the four lovely Stourton Locks.

The Stourbridge Canal below Wordsley Junction is mostly rural, with lots of trees ...

... and a field of horses coming right to the water's edge.

We turned onto the Stourbridge Town Arm and moored right at the end, opposite the Bonded Warehouse. These are secure moorings, run by the Stourbridge Canal Trust. Overnight mooring is permitted provided there is space and you check in with Colin, the manager. There was plenty of space; we haven't seen Colin yet.

We walked into the town for one or two non-essentials; we'll go back for a better look round in the morning.

Timelapse: Stourton Junction to Dudley

Our April 2011 cruise took us on many waterways which were new to us. This timelapse film covers our exploration of the Stourbridge Canal and its navigable arms and extensions, all unknown to us before.



My account written at the time is here.

More foam and Glasshouse Bridge

9th April 2011


After our there-and-back along the Town Arm to Stourbridge it was time to go up the Stourbridge Sixteen. Foam in the locks indicates detergent, I suppose.


There's plenty of interest in the old buildings, with Redhouse Cone indicating the presence of glassworks. Jan's about to steer under Glasshouse Bridge.


Now I must get the next batch of photos from the laptop and load them onto this Mac - but first I have to clear a bit of space for them. I'm beginning to think that I should have been a little more organised on the photo labelling front, and possibly not quite so snap-happy! But then I often find myself wishing I'd taken more pictures ...

Stourbridge

Saturday 9th April 2011


In my early boating days I used to ignore side arms and branches. That's because we generally had only a week in which to do an ambitious ring, and so had to press on regardless. These days, I'm glad to say, things are (slightly) more relaxed. In my quest to explore every navigable waterway I now seek out "dead end" arms, planning my route so as to incorporate them. Like the Walsall Town Arm two days earlier, the Stourbridge Town Arm was a must for this trip, so at Wordsley Junction we turned right and headed up the arm. This was the scene of the famous 1962 "Battle of Stourbridge", the standoff between the British Waterways Board and the Inland Waterways Association over the right to make the arm sufficiently navigable to hold a Rally of Boats. Needless to say, the IWA and its small army of volunteers won, and, according to the Stourbridge.com website, dredged the canal for £74 where BWB had quoted £20,000.

Anyway, back to our trip. The image above is of the scene shortly after turning onto the arm.

All right, I have tweaked it a little. This is the original:


Intriguing fingers leave - or left - the arm almost at the terminus.


And to prove that the campaign of 49 years ago was worth it, here we are under the Bonded Warehouse at the end of the arm.


Unfortunately we had no time to explore Stourbridge itself as we had arranged to meet Ally and Ben at Delph Locks later on.

Backlit bulrushes

Heading up the Stourbridge Canal in spring was glorious. Especially so as it was early(ish) morning and the sun was out, backlighting the candyfloss bulrushes.


This is the edge of the Black Country, but all is now a rural idyll.


Well, this bit was, anyway.

edited to add extra photo

Stourton Locks

I'd better crack on with writing up the Easter cruise or I'll forget even more than I have already. On 9th April 2011 I rose early, set the bottom Stourton Lock on the Stourbridge Canal, and took Shadow in at 0730. These were more new waters for us, which is always exciting. Jan was up in time to take over steering while I worked the lock.


I don't know what's in the water to make it foam, but there was plenty of it here.


The previous day the houses at the foot of the canal were looking peaceful in the evening sunshine.

Reflections on Wordsley Junction

Well done to Paul, who correctly deduced that the ripply reflection in yesterday's post was the sign at Wordsley Junction, where the Stourbridge Town Arm joins the Stourbridge Canal.


Paul evidently relished the challenge. This is what he wrote, after I confirmed that he'd got it right:

Phew, that took a bit of detective work, The final piece in the jigsaw was if you go to Nb Epiphany's blog, to 15 December 2009, they have the other half to your photo too, the sign been repaired since then obviously.

We were there on 9th April, experiencing the thrill of exploring waters new to us.


Perhaps I should have made yesterday's puzzle harder. Would you have got it from this next photo?


I love the way the fence's top rail wiggles so smoothly; and the way in which, just for an instant, one of the arms of the sign has broken off into a circle lying on the water.

Jan: I think I'm getting the hang of these locks now.

Stourton Junction, last night's mooring

Today we went on new waters. From Stourton Junction we went up the Stourbridge Canal and the Dudley No. 1 Canal, making detours along the Stourbridge Town Arm to Stourbridge; and the Fens Branch as far as we could get (the railway bridge) and the Stourbridge Extension Canal to the end.

As usual for us, Jan did the steering and I worked the locks. Jan was being ironic when she said, half way up the Stourbridge 16, "I think I'm getting the hang of these locks now."




the extent of the Stourbridge Extension Canal

Just below Delph Locks Ally and Ben joined us, having caught a train to Cradley Heath and walked from there.



I was hoping to be able to get onto the various arms above Parkhead Locks too, but the paddle gear of the bottom lock was padlocked.


Dudley Tunnel south portal

We tied up at Windmill End, ready to do the Bumblehole and Boshboil branches tomorrow ... and Hawne Basin, Netherton Tunnel, Tipton Caanal Titford Canal etc.

That'll have to do for now - it's very late!

edited for typo - and I got the name of the Titford Canal wrong