Ian Mac
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Posts posted by Ian Mac
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Saturday 10th May 12:15pm
Wednesfield Junction, Wyrley & Essington Canal
Well a pleasant trip down to lock 6, we drop off our packet at the lock house 246. Chatting to the lock keeper he tells us that the National Winner was "Royal Mail" and that he had had a few pence on the Hag.
Just below lock 6 is the Neachell Branch which we are now going to explore.Sneaked in a salad for Lunch, well after such a heavy breakfast! Oh and a teacake and scone, with real butter - yum yum
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Saturday 10th May 11:15am
Wednesfield Junction, Wyrley & Essington Canal
Well we have arrived safe and sound and we passed the test of the Curley Wyrley, with a Hos' boat. Rockery Bridge was not a real test although maybe having some weight in the StyxL would have helped her to swim a bit.
We are about to do something which I have not done for nearly 50 years, since I was a teenager, Go down Bentley Locks. The last time I did this was on a camper boat from Willow Wren and we had nicked the Paddle gear of the redundant and half filled in locks at Smethwick so we could operate this flight. We did not get that far down just to the head of the forth lock. It is such a shame that this canal was lost. I can remember a party of councillors coming from Wednesfield to inspect the new Water channelled Rochdale canal in Manchester, they decided it was to costly for them, which is a shame as it would have saved the route, as it is they just put a pipe in it and filled it in. This does mean that developers cant easily build on top of the line, but hey ho! It is there loss.
Having passed through the Stop and strapped round the corner we activate the "Automat Sehnsucht" set to 1937, we chose 37 because there would be lots of industry working hard, ramping up in case of a war in the future. Also the Neachell Branch should still be open and in water
If we do this again I'm going to read some old papers and find out who won the Grand nation is certain years., so I can have a bet next time
We have a word with the lock keeper in his house at the top lock, and he has a packet for the guy in the next lock cottage at lock 4, and another package for the keeper at the bottom lock, his is the cottage nearest him, the other cottage is the length, does seem to like him!
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Saturday 10th May 10:40am
Ashmore, Wyrley & Essington Canal
10:40 Well that's the first two tests out of the way Olinthus bridge, and Devils Elbow Bridge. Boating with a horse boat is always interesting, especial at blind corners and junctions. The number of times you hear comments like go back, hard reverse now with lots of waving etc. is amazing. We have Richard out front with the Hos' and he has a shunters Horn, this is not only to warn other boaters of our approach, but to warn us of their antics. Fortunately we had no trouble at these two tricky little navigation tests this morning, but there are others to come.
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Please remember if our reading this, is that the BCN Challenge normally supports the BCNS who do a wonderful job of promoting the BCN. Beacuse this years real tour is not happening they will be getting low on funds, so it would help them immesly if you where to give them a donation
The BCNS do not have a clickable link where you can donate but you can do so via online banking by using these details:
BCN Society
Barclays Bank
Sort Code 20-84-13
Account Number 60176419Also this forum does not run on fresh air and could do with some help too. If you wish to donate to the forum you can do so here:
https://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?/store/category/6-make-a-donation-to-canal-world/
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Saturday 10th May 10am
near Short Heath Branch Junction, Wyrley & Essington Canal
We are all still a bit on the delicate side, but we are making a break for it. Looking forwards to doing this length, hope the cut is quiet, don't want to be meeting oncoming traffic on some of these turns with a horse boat! People just don't know what to do! The number ot time you get told to stop, put it into reverse etc. is unbelievable!-
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Saturday 10th May 9:45am
near Short Heath Branch Junction, Wyrley & Essington CanalWe now understand the flashing red lights on the "Automat Sehnsucht" it means the batteries are flat and its about to dump you back in the current time phase. So we have the solar panels in full Sun, getting it ready for later on
What we all need now is Three Square Meals and time to assimilate it.
I'm have a second Breakfast , it may clear my head a bit more.
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Saturday 9th May 9am
near Short Heath Branch Junction, Wyrley & Essington CanalWhat a night that was, we had us tea, sorted the hos' out and headed of for the United Kingdom, a Lane Head. we set the "Automat Sehnsucht" for 1945 and and came off the cut. Well actually your right next to the Bridge Tavern so it seemed wrong not to pop in there first, what a riot, anyway we fell in with a group of blokes who said we should do all the pubs in the village, next one up was The Swan, they said. I now realise this is really handy if you moor up in the Short Heath Branch, next up was The Duke of Cambridge, followed by The Woolpack Inn, then The Lame Dog.
We started heading back then but could not miss the Royal British Legion, which was buzzing, but the beer was no good, then we wandered into the Liberal Club a full on dance was going on here, great time. Made our way back towards the Cut and the United Kingdom, they were still well open, got our Medium Pork Scratching, which were brilliant. Had several more scoops and then some bottles to take out, headed back, stareing at the red flashing lights on the "Automat Sehnsucht" wondering what that meant. -
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The Short Heath Branch is sometimes refereed to as Holly Bank basin, and interesting academic discussion can be held over the precise definition of basin vis-à-vis a branch, certain some of the arms we have navigated this week could be open for this debate, but not this one Hadfield, defines it as a branch.
Having left the Hos' on the Mainline , we shaft up to the far end, a pleasant and easy experience, and then back to the junction. This is one of the places where Lord Vernon brought his coals by tramway, after he failed to find adequate water to feed his Essington Locks Branch.
At the Junction we call it a night and get the grub out. We may activate the portable "Automat Sehnsucht" later and walk back to the United Kingdom. The original plan was to set the device to 1969 and be able to sample the wonderful home made pork scratching, however given the date, we have a new time to set the magic machine to
One of the great things we have enjoyed on this trip is the provision of stabling, its all over the place, one can either swap your horse, borrow one and just have it looked after. So it might not just be us that is out on the town tonight. -
We retrace our route back under the LNWR railway , past Double Bridges Junction and then down Syned Locks, once back on the 'Hampton level we turn the "" off and proceed towards Hampton.
We pass the United Kingdom public house currently shut and carry on to the junction with the Short Heath Branch -
We proceed up the cut to Cannock lodge pit at Norton Cannock Colliery where we wind in the wharf arm, if we had had more time we would have loved to get to the end, at what is now called Cheslys Hay, but that is for another time, This is where the original branch terminated, before the company built the rest out to what was then called Wyrley Bank Canal. We do not want the "Automat Sehnsucht" packing up on us, by over or miss use
Anyway we may need it tonight
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We turn on the "Automat Sehnsucht" set to 1890 and leave the yard and pass under the junction bridge to join the original Main line of the W&E. To the left is 'Hampton and to the right is our road and the first of 5 locks , we plod slowly as directed up this flight, Sneyd Locks. Above lock three, to our left we can see the pumping station which is lifting the water up to Sneyd Reservoir. At the top lock there is an arm going off to the pumping station. After passing a short arm to Hilton Colliery Wharf, we reach Double Bridge Junction
We were going to set our "Automat Sehnsucht" to 1799, and go up this rare arm, however we have run out of lockage time and water, so we choose to walk it instead. This was going to be pirating exercise so it has saved us from having to do a load of explaining as this is/was the privately owned Essington Locks branch. The branch leaves to our left, and not surprisingly we have to cross two bridges to get to the old towpath which is still a footpath. This was a flight of four locks not five, as some think, (well according to Hadfield anyway!) these were built by Lord Vernon of Hilton Park, to server his coal mines at Essington.
The branch is quite easy to trace, it has just been - let go. On reaching the old wharfs at the top end we walk on to The Old Mitre on the nearby Bursnips Rd. The canal has been replaced by a busy tramway which we see on the towpath side about half way along. A further tramway crosses nearer the end.
We really are at the top, this was the high point on the BCN system, at over 500ft above sea level. Its a shame we could not get here by boat, but such is life.
After a pleasant drink or few, we set off back down the Essington branch to the Wyrley Bank Canal, at Double Bridges. An other reason for being relieved, is that we were planning on going back to 1799, this was the year when Syned Reservior failed and flooded everywhere, and one should assume the Wyrley Bank run dry, also the Wyrley Bank is not complete at this time.Postscript - just discovered that the old historic pub The Olde Mitre was demolished last year
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19 hours ago, cheshire~rose said:
ANNOUNCEMENT!
(Note: I noticed that when they cleaned the burrs of the horse, it went from brown to white. Did they use bleach? Is this a case of animal cruelty?)
Did you not read the bit about getting another horse from the stables at the top of Ryders Green! so that ours could be properly groomed. post #64
19 hours ago, cheshire~rose said:·
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We dispose of our treasures and inspect the excellent library in the facilities at Sneyd Yard. This was the main maintenance depot for the W&E. There was a short branch here, 300yds, which went up to Litchfield Road/Sneyd Rd, I'm not sure why this was required as it came later than the mainline, which goes under Litchfield Rd about 200 yds to the west, and that predates this arm. I assume it was for the coal, there were several mines by it. All that is left of the this short arm now is a little sub, the rest has a road and modern housing built on top of it, there is a secret gate out here if you want to go exploring but there is not much of merit to see.
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Its a slow job going up due to the lack of water, but we make it to the top, we use the wonderful facilities! Then we pass the boat yard, and the old arm into the Birchills power station, another power station built to be supplied both by rail and water, now all gone and the site covered in shopping sheds. We roll over the inevitable supermarket trolley. We haul the odd one out and stack them on the deck. We will drop them off at Sneyd Yard.
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These locks are very late in the scheme of things not being built to 1841 when this short link between the two canal was put in. This is after the two canal companies ie the W&E and the BCN merged to form a single company.
They are well built locks, the only problem is that they are not treasured, this being the case, we send the lad on to make sure all the pounds have at least some water in them, good job we are running light.
The other thing is that the third lock up has mitre bottom gates why? All the other locks are single gated as is the normal BCN practice.credit - www.wikiwand.com/en/Walsall_Canal
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Friday 8th May 9am
near Fosters Bridge, Walsall Canal - Junction with the Anson Branch.We awake to the news that other have gobbled up all the water and that all locks, no matter which time period will now take twice as long. Thats going to take a bit of replanning, but we will get underway and see what the day brings.
We awoke after a dry night. The Hos' is in fine fettle and we give him a little more bran, for breakfast, whilst we groom him. We had an explore last night, and went to inspect James Bridge Aqueduct, this carries the Walsall over the young River Tame and a small but busy road.
We set off for Walsall under the motorway and then Spinks Bridge. There us to be a automatic lift bridge here, it was great to see the stacker trucks racing to get across once you had operated the bridge cycle button and the bell had start to ring, they knew just how long they had till the barriers came down, would have been fun to pop back to 1977 to see that again. That is when we still have an engineering industry in the UK. The whole site is flattened now, awaiting re-development, probably yet more houses. We now enter the outskirts of Walsall, glad we are using a horse boat, no problems with the blade, just urchins! Past yet another dead centre and we approach the bottom of Walsall Locks.
The original canal line sweeps right to the right, and into the town centre where there is a nice basin with moorings.
Its a shame we do not have time to pop up this short length into the basin, but needs must. I like Walsall, spent some pleasant times here in the past. We will have to hope the facilities at the top of the locks are working, rather using the ones at the basin.Credit - http://www.historywebsite.co.uk/articles/DarlastonBldngs/Aqueduct.htm
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THis linky
may be the route we took on Thursday
and this linky
is for wednesday
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1 minute ago, tarboat said:
It would have helped if Mac had written Bradley Locks instead of Brades which is somewhere entirely different. We know what he meant though. ?
Dyslexia can be fun - NOT, will correct and will add the bit I missed having got so excited about Moxley All Saints, forgot to mention we did the stub end branch which is called the Bilston Branch.
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The days journeys end is not far away now. We have entered the Anson Branch, this is a very long straight canal with a bit of a turn at the far end where the original wharf are. The wharfs are by Reeds Wood Park, a public park which is part of Walsall corporations estate. It also has an excellent outdoor pool. Don't know if we have our trolleys with us, don't think skinny dipping will be allowed
Narrow mines Tramway brings coal down to the terminal wharfs from a number of pits to the north and west. As we go up the arm there is a large quarry on our left with a tramway coming down to the cut side. Boredom over we have reached the wharfs we wind A small brook runs under one of the basins this is Syned Brook, We hasten back to the main Walsall canal to spend the night near the "Dead Centre" of Walsall.We have spent an enthralling day, travelling though the West Midlands conurbation and seeing how it has changed over time. Starting in the delightful town of Tipton, Staffordshire and end our journey near the imposing James Bridge Cemetery , Walsall. We look forwards to the sun rising in the East tomorrow and it shining on our backs as we travel onwards.
It will be the emergency bottle night tonight there is absolutely nothing here and never was, a poor choice for an over night stop, the Crew are getting mutinous.
Some of todays entries have been in honour of Major General Sir Reginald Kerr, K.B.E., C.B., M.C., M.Inst.T.
long live the commission.credit -the facebook group Reedswood park open air swimming baths
https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2274184
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This is the Walsall Canal we potter along past the Moxley Tip, there are rumoured to be whole Bolinders tipped in here, maybe one day, we will discover more. We then opt to do the Bilston Branch another dead dead short lived branch so we set the "Automat Sehnsucht" to 1822 and romp up and down this arm which runs parallel to Darleston Brook and gives access to several coal mines. The locals say there is not that much coal left here. It peters out near a small hillock. Past the end of the Willenhall branch, but that is not for today, we have already been off piste once today
This is a dreadful length lots of social housing on one side and a big dual carriage way on the other we are in a little corridor of green, we carry on into the and of the nondescript shed As we approach the railway Aqueduct we power up the "Automat Sehnsucht" again set to 1920, we are going to go left at this junction,the roving bridge is a good way before it, being our side of the aqueduct, the junction is on the far side. I wonder if it was always thus, no time to play with the "Automat Sehnsucht" . This roving bridge was stolen in modern times I believe.
Also in modern times the tunnel under the motorway was made just big enough to fit a weed cutter through, I suspect it would not have cost any more to make it full size, so short sighted. They had to cut the weed as the branch supplied water to the power station.Moxley Village - created to serve the surrounding coal pits and iron works in the Mid 19th century. rapid expansion then happened and the parish church of All Saints was built in 1851, and had a successful face-lift in 2006-7. The layout and decor enhance all our worship activities, on Sundays and on weekdays for weddings and funerals. It has a church code of 620171
In Honour of Major General Sir Reg -
The Wednesbury Oak loop heads off to the right and we take the Rotton Brunt cut-off line to the top of Bradley Locks. Yet another right angle junction where we have to strap round, the top lock is in front of us with the lock keepers house on the left. We rattle down the first six lock a lovely tight flight, although some of the gates are showing there age, the lock keeper is following us and racking up.
Just below the bottom lock an arm goes off on the off towpath side, its too tempting, especially after flying down the Ocker Hill Branch, its dead straight and about 1000ft long, we shaft our way down it and then back up again. Once back we attach the Hos' again and we back on plan! This a longer pound , but we soon enter the bottom three locks, there is a large wharf system above the bottom Lock, and a railway goes over the pound carrying yet more GWR frieght. In the future it will carry the Birmingham Metro. Windlasses away now, and we soon arrive at Moorcroft Junction, where we strap round to the left, and turn the "Automat Sehnsucht" off.
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We wind the "Automat Sehnsucht" back even further to 1802 this is so we can Bag the Bradley Mar Branch. Turning right we enter this private canal, all seems quite, but the air is thick with smoke drifting in from the Northwest, presumably from Iron Man Wilkinson Bradley Hall Works. We drop down a couple of locks, find a basin, wind and retreat, before someone says something. At the junction we turn left and head back towards Bradley Locks setting the "Automat Sehnsucht" back to 1920. That was all a bit exciting!!!! Maybe if we do this again we will be a bit braver, and prepared. Maybe we will have a machine which we can dial more highly defined date than just the year!
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We pass yet more mines and wharf there are tramways everywhere most look derelict now. Arriving at Wednesbury Oak Works we take a right and head for the top of Brades Locks, we pass the locks on our right and carry on along the Rotton Brunt line and pick up the Brindley line again.
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Team NB Styxl - Virtual BCN Challenge 2020 Cruise Log
in Cruise Diaries & Reports
Posted
Saturday 10th May 1pm
Lock 7, Bentley Canal
Well the Neachell Branch was not that inspiring, one wharf off about half way along through plain farm land and slag heaps everywhere towards the end The Old pit of Neachell Hall is still standing but does not look that productive.
The same can be said about the run down to Lock 7 Farm land to the North and slag heaps to the south.
This is a parliamentary canal - one of the three which were required to be built to enable the act of union between the W&E and the BCN. The other two being Walsall and Rushall.
All three follow the same pattern of long straight lengths with fast locks, we are enjoying strapping the boat into the locks and using the starting pins. Its great having all the lock furniture still in place and functional.
Postscript
For a really good look at all the picture about the Bentley canal see @Capt Ahab video