Recommendations for routes around Brum

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

2 minutes ago, tree monkey said:

Netherton tunnel, bored,bored,bored, have we not got the the end yet? Bored, bored,bored, have we got there yet,  bored bored, bored and so on basically for ever.

 

Wast hill, oh this is cool, don't know what everyone was banging on about it's not that low...bloody hell that nearly took my head off, can I actually fit through, oh is that it

 

?

Netherton’s an half hour tunnel and not that interesting. 

 

Dr Bob wants to do the Standedge. Now that is interesting! No boredom in there. 

[Sea Dog]

9 minutes ago, tree monkey said:

Netherton tunnel, bored,bored,bored, have we not got the the end yet? Bored, bored,bored, have we got there yet,  bored bored, bored and so on basically for ever.

 

Wast hill, oh this is cool, don't know what everyone was banging on about it's not that low...bloody hell that nearly took my head off, can I actually fit through, oh is that it

 

Are you sure, TM?  I always think of Netherton as a bit over half an hour and about as easy as a long tunnel gets, whilst Wast Hill is maybe ten minutes longer but I don't recall any bit that might take your head off.  Are you sure your not just scared of the dark?

 

[dmr]

8 minutes ago, Goliath said:

?

Netherton’s an half hour tunnel and not that interesting. 

 

Dr Bob wants to do the Standedge. Now that is interesting! No boredom in there. 

Was interesting after that lunch session at Ma Pardoes !

Didn't I have to drive your boat for you as your eyes had stopped working

 

Thats another option for Dr Bob. Moor overnight in Brum, next morning through Netherton for a lunch time session, back to Brum for an evening beer, then on to Wolves via Tipton the next day????

 

..............Dave

[tree monkey]

30 minutes ago, Goliath said:

?

Netherton’s an half hour tunnel and not that interesting. 

 

Dr Bob wants to do the Standedge. Now that is interesting! No boredom in there. 

 

23 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

Are you sure, TM?  I always think of Netherton as a bit over half an hour and about as easy as a long tunnel gets, whilst Wast Hill is maybe ten minutes longer but I don't recall any bit that might take your head off.  Are you sure your not just scared of the dark?

 

Maybe I was just so bored in Netherton it seemed longer,  getting peed on by the vents was a highlight, that really low bit in wast hill did supprise me possibly  i overreacted

[Rob-M]

2 minutes ago, tree monkey said:

 

Maybe I was just so bored in Netherton it seemed longer,  getting peed on by the vents was a highlight, that really low bit in wast hill did supprise me possibly  i overreacted

Do you mean Gosty rather than Wast Hill...?   Wast Hill doesn't have any low bits but Gosty, on the way to Hawne Basin, does.

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

16 minutes ago, dmr said:

Was interesting after that lunch session at Ma Pardoes !

Didn't I have to drive your boat for you as your eyes had stopped working

 

Thats another option for Dr Bob. Moor overnight in Brum, next morning through Netherton for a lunch time session, back to Brum for an evening beer, then on to Wolves via Tipton the next day????

 

..............Dave

I did enjoy being chauffeured. 

Was Laurie with us? 

 

Whatever Dr Bob decides he won’t go wrong because Brum is ace. 

 

But, again,  I will recommend leaving via Stourbridge 

 

[tree monkey]

3 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

Do you mean Gosty rather than Wast Hill...?   Wast Hill doesn't have any low bits but Gosty, on the way to Hawne Basin, does.

And that's me feeling even dafter than I normally feel, yes I mean gorsty.

 

Anyone want to talk trees I can talk trees with some confidence

 

Netherton is still boring 

Edited April 24, 2019 by tree monkey

[Sea Dog]

2 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

Do you mean Gosty rather than Wast Hill...?   Wast Hill doesn't have any low bits but Gosty, on the way to Hawne Basin, does.

No-one forgets Gosty, surely?! 

[Rob-M]

Just now, Sea Dog said:

No-one forgets Gosty, surely?! 

Maybe Tree Monkey had a few too many warming tots beforehand.

[tree monkey]

Just now, Rob-M said:

Maybe Tree Monkey had a few too many warming tots beforehand.

First time maybe, second time the aftermath 

[Sea Dog]

1 minute ago, Rob-M said:

Maybe Tree Monkey had a few too many warming tots beforehand.

Then he'd very likely still be in there! He's not - there's no mobile signal in there and he's still posting...  

 

(Although none of it makes any sense, so you might be right about the tots, just not the location!)

 

 

[tree monkey]

Just now, Sea Dog said:

Then he'd very likely still be in there! He's not - there's no mobile signal in there and he's still posting...  

 

(Although none of it makes any sense, so you might be right about the tots, just not the location!)

 

 

It makes perfect sense if I change wast to gorsty but I won't because it allows opportunity for ridicule

 

Netherton is still boring 

[Sea Dog]

5 minutes ago, tree monkey said:

It makes perfect sense if I change wast to gorsty but I won't because it allows opportunity for ridicule

 

On here? And with BSP now in attendance? I think not!

 

[Chris Williams]

All these alternatives!  When I did Brum years ago, most of it was closed, including the New main line.  Had to use the old route.  Eventually got to Wolverhampton, didn't like the look of it, so on down the 21, getting dark, eventually tied at Aldersley Junction.  Wow, peace at last.  The only boats we had seen were a pair of Mattys chemical boats.

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

20 minutes ago, Chris Williams said:

All these alternatives!  When I did Brum years ago, most of it was closed, including the New main line.  Had to use the old route.  Eventually got to Wolverhampton, didn't like the look of it, so on down the 21, getting dark, eventually tied at Aldersley Junction.  Wow, peace at last.  The only boats we had seen were a pair of Mattys chemical boats.

It’s always been dark at Wolverhampton. 

[WotEver]

38 minutes ago, Goliath said:

It’s always been dark at Wolverhampton. 

That’s why they call it the Black Country...

[Chris Williams]

1 hour ago, Chris Williams said:

eventually tied at Aldersley Junction.

The next evening, we walked back up the flight, and went to see the D'oyle Carte doing Gilbert & Sullivan at the theatre.  Nice old theatre with red plush and all the gold trimmings.  Is it still there?

The walk back down was dark!

[Dr Bob]

4 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

Aternatively, instead of the Netherton or Wolverhampton options... either double back after Brum/BCM or simply turn left at the end of the North Stratford at King's Norton Junction if you don't want to do the city/museum.  Go through Wast Hill tunnel, stopping at Alvechurch, before going down Tardebigge. Overnight at the Queens Head and then, over the next day or two, get yourselves down to Worcester (well worth a night or two's visit) before going up the Severn to Stourport, which is a lovely half day cruise.  Now you are at the ideal start point to do the whole length of the lovely S&W and back on track!  Take the missus for a coffee in the cake shop at Compton - you'll both be amazed by the cakes they have on show (plus, The Swan is opposite). 

 

There we go. I go AWOL for 3 or 4 hours and come back to a tonne of responses. Wonderful guys. You make me feel so inferior!

 

It sounds like we must do some exploring round the BCN. There seem to be so many opportunities.

 

Now, on Sea Dogs suggestion of going down to Worcester, we did think of that route turning left at Kings Norton, although then aiming for the Droitwich canal. We decided against it as it meant going up the Severn against the flow. Never taken our bote upstream on a river before. Not sure how it would go against 2-3 knts .....is that the flow? We were maybe thinking we might come back down in September down the shroppie and then down the S&W and then the Severn to Worcester and back that way.

Is the half day up the Severn only half a day? We did enough sailing up tidal rivers in our lumpy water boat making 1knt overground with a speed through the water of 6-7knts to put us off for a lifetime. I suppose we could always turn round and go back the way we came if the engine overheated.

 

I am now very tempted by the Netherton tunnel route and then maybe do all the Staffs and Worc on the way back. Compton for cake does sound a good idea.

[Captain Pegg]

Just so happens I’m in the middle of the Birmingham to Stourton leg of a truncated Stourport Ring (one that involves Droitwich and not Worcester).

 

If time permits it’s a good route to access the Staffs & Worcs and then head north. Delph, Stourbridge and Bratch are worth doing.

 

Today I’ve done Birmingham city centre to Hawne via a trip to the end of the Engine arm and a lunch time stop at the BCLM with a sneaky trip into the Bottle & Glass. Tomorrow it’s on to Stourbridge.

 

As much as I like the BCN it’s definitely a place to think about where you are going to moor before you set off.

 

JP

[Sea Dog]

2 minutes ago, Dr Bob said:

There we go. I go AWOL for 3 or 4 hours and come back to a tonne of responses. Wonderful guys. You make me feel so inferior!

 

It sounds like we must do some exploring round the BCN. There seem to be so many opportunities.

 

Now, on Sea Dogs suggestion of going down to Worcester, we did think of that route turning left at Kings Norton, although then aiming for the Droitwich canal. We decided against it as it meant going up the Severn against the flow. Never taken our bote upstream on a river before. Not sure how it would go against 2-3 knts .....is that the flow? We were maybe thinking we might come back down in September down the shroppie and then down the S&W and then the Severn to Worcester and back that way.

Is the half day up the Severn only half a day? We did enough sailing up tidal rivers in our lumpy water boat making 1knt overground with a speed through the water of 6-7knts to put us off for a lifetime. I suppose we could always turn round and go back the way we came if the engine overheated.

 

I am now very tempted by the Netherton tunnel route and then maybe do all the Staffs and Worc on the way back. Compton for cake does sound a good idea.

Fear not on the Severn in normal conditions. Worcester to Stourport is indeed just half a day heading upstream and you'll hardly notice the flow. The locks are manned, so no issues there, and that bit of the river is lovely. Nice route to ring the changes on the way back instead though, but it's still half a day!

 

Compton cake - they make those exhibition type cakes which are remarkable to behold, but not on sale to cafe customers with their coffee!

[dmr]

2 hours ago, Goliath said:

I did enjoy being chauffeured. 

Was Laurie with us? 

 

Whatever Dr Bob decides he won’t go wrong because Brum is ace. 

 

But, again,  I will recommend leaving via Stourbridge 

 

I cant remember, did we do it once or twice? once with Laurie and once with your South American guest? or was it all of them in one trip?, for some reason my memory of that day is all a bit blurred. I think the drinking continued at the Flapper???? As you say, Brum is great ..... as long as you don't stray too far from the canal.

 

Last time we did Brum it was with Gillies Australian guest, we did Lapworth flight and all the way to Brum in a day, arriving at Gas Street in the dark and got the mooring right outside the new fangled Canal House pub.

 

..............Dave

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

1 minute ago, dmr said:

I cant remember, did we do it once or twice? once with Laurie and once with your South American guest? or was it all of them in one trip?, for some reason my memory of that day is all a bit blurred. I think the drinking continued at the Flapper???? As you say, Brum is great ..... as long as you don't stray too far from the canal.

 

Last time we did Brum it was with Gillies Australian guest, we did Lapworth flight and all the way to Brum in a day, arriving at Gas Street in the dark and got the mooring right outside the new fangled Canal House pub.

 

..............Dave

No, they were seperate occassions. 

Forget now how many times we must have done that trip. 

[nicknorman]

Agree with most of what has been posted but personally I always try to avoid mooring at the top of the W21. The secure moorings are grim grim grim and mooring in the park can be a bit dodgy. Tipton or the museum is fine, go from there to the bottom of the W21. Windmill end is fine as is Merry Hill, apart from that I don't think I'd stop until past the bottom of the S16. People sometimes moor in the little basin at the bottom of Delph but I don't think I'd do that for choice.

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

5 minutes ago, nicknorman said:

Agree with most of what has been posted but personally I always try to avoid mooring at the top of the W21. The secure moorings are grim grim grim and mooring in the park can be a bit dodgy. Tipton or the museum is fine, go from there to the bottom of the W21. Windmill end is fine as is Merry Hill, apart from that I don't think I'd stop until past the bottom of the S16. People sometimes moor in the little basin at the bottom of Delph but I don't think I'd do that for choice.

Bottom of delph is fine. 

Just above/by bottom lock. 

It’s safe. 

 

 

Wouldn’t dump my boat for a week or so, but to overnight is ok

Edited April 24, 2019 by Goliath

[dmr]

10 minutes ago, nicknorman said:

Agree with most of what has been posted but personally I always try to avoid mooring at the top of the W21. The secure moorings are grim grim grim and mooring in the park can be a bit dodgy. Tipton or the museum is fine, go from there to the bottom of the W21. Windmill end is fine as is Merry Hill, apart from that I don't think I'd stop until past the bottom of the S16. People sometimes moor in the little basin at the bottom of Delph but I don't think I'd do that for choice.

The old BW yard  at the top of the 21 is good and the gate usually gets locked at night, but not sure what is going on now CRT have vacated it. We found a space in there the last couple of visits but it is increasingly popular with local boats. Windmill end does get a bit of trouble (as do everywhere) think I would avoid it in summer school holidays, but then best to avoid everywhere on a hot summer evening in school hols .

 

..............Dave