Jump to content

Overnight stops on Birminham & Fazeley canal


Neil2

Featured Posts

We'll be heading into Birmingham from Fazeley junction later this month, never done this stretch before, does anyone have recommendations for overnight stops or, conversely, places to avoid?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 minutes ago, Neil2 said:

We'll be heading into Birmingham from Fazeley junction later this month, never done this stretch before, does anyone have recommendations for overnight stops or, conversely, places to avoid?

I never stop on the back road anymore, its not far to Brum and much better moorings. Stay overnight at Fazeley and do the run to the top of Farmers in a day.

Used to use Cuckoo Wharf but now its cluttered with permanent moorers, can't even get to the services.

Suppose you could moor near to the services for a bit of company but its a miserable place.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Best option is to stay overnight at the Cuttle Bridge Inn. There’s a good mooring there and good views across the fields. 

 

Set off off early morning and head into Gas St Basin in one go. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We usually stop overnight at the Dog and Doublet and then go from their to the top of Farmer's Bridge in a single day. There are closer overnight stops that can be used such as Curdworth visitor moorings, The Cuttle Bridge Inn, The Boat Inn, Star City or Cuckoo Wharf (it was empty when we came through a few weeks ago so I expect hider hasn't been that way for a while).

Edited by Rob-M
Link to comment
Share on other sites

As said above with the additional proviso that anything that looks safe below Minworth locks is OK, closer to the locks and you may have noisy fishermen all night.

Further back below Curdworth tunnel is noisy, the motorway is never far away (or even overhead...).

It's very unpleasant as you get closer in to Brum proper with Star City being surprisingly quiet considering that the Spaghetti Junction complex is within sight!

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Depends how long you wish to take. We recommend Curdworth as a quiet mooring, and Star City is surprisingly good. If you don't fancy doing the Aston & Farmers Bridge flights in one go, there are good moorings on the Digbeth branch by the University, and the "Sacks of Potatoes" does good cheap food.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, hider said:

I never stop on the back road anymore...

Bottom road, and in the context of heading to Hawkesbury and Braunston.

 

Cursworth VMs are fine if wanting to atop above the flight. It’s a shortish standard length day from there to Brum.

 

Don’t find Star City or Cuckoo Wharf appealing for overnight unless forced to stop in that area.

 

JP

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Personally I would say Fazley to Birmingham is a very long day and that breaking it with an overnight stop at one of the locations that have been mentioned at Curdworth is the best way.  Nothing wrong with stopping at Star City if you want to break it down further, and reverse back to the junction.

Edited by john6767
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, hider said:

Used to use Cuckoo Wharf but now its cluttered with permanent moorers, can't even get to the services.

It was completely empty when we filled up with water a couple of weeks back. We overnighted at Star City

 

Richard

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, hider said:

Hello?  Pardon? Can you say that again?

I'm a bit deaf, been moored on the M6 at Star City, Hello? What?

Star city is fine, surprisingly quiet, not attractive I admit but a perfectly reasonable mooring spot

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We had such a joyous time moored by Kingsbury Water Park that we stopped there again on the way back. 

 

There are some of those coir sausages that used to be attached to the piling with some crude steel brackets and wire they have gone adrift and sunk meaning that if you see crude metal brackets and wire you will be a foot out from the bank because the sausage is underwater preventing you getting in. Shuffle along a bit to where there are no brackets if that foot is a problem for you to step across. (I have reported this to CRT) 

 

There was a cuckoo serenading us both night and morning there along with a host of other birds and the sanctuary makes for a lovely walk too. 

I think it is safe to say that was my favourite mooring of our 18 day trip 

Just now, tree monkey said:

Star city is fine, surprisingly quiet, not attractive I admit but a perfectly reasonable mooring spot

I agree, we did wake up to find a vagrant sleeping outside our boat which was a little alarming until we realised it was a Monkey

  • Greenie 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 minutes ago, RLWP said:

It was completely empty when we filled up with water a couple of weeks back. We overnighted at Star City

 

Richard

I'm amazed, last time I was there, 2017 I think, there were 3 C&RT mooring pitches across the wharf, little old lady said they were legal and paying for the moorings.

Thought it odd as you could not moor for the services. C&RT does say it is a mooring site too.

Good news if its available again, its the only possible diy kit pump out for miles.

Edited by hider
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Many thanks for all the suggestions, I had a look at the BCNS website as well but no mention there of the Star City moorings of course.  

 

Yes under normal circumstances we might very well try to do the run in one go but I'm looking at overnights mainly because of the weather, there seems to be a rain cloud permanently stationed above us at the moment flaming June it is not.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As frequent users of the route I would say that from Fazeley Jn to bottom of Curdworth is fine pretty much anywhere you can get to the side. I’d avoid the bit near the fancy swing bridge due to the proximity of the road. Moorings just before the locks are lovely, though the birds can be noisy at 4am when it gets light! Dog &Doublet or the next pound are fine, after that the M42 noise is a nuisance. Above the top lock and shortly before the 1st bridge is fine, seems noisy at first but the noise is from the M6 toll which is pretty deserted at night. Not too near the house though, there’s a barky dog. Curdworth VMs (just after tunnel) are in a cutting and hence gloomy. Oh and watch the tunnel, it may be short but it is a good scraper of handrails where it bulges in at the far end! Just past the cuttle bridge inn bridge is fine (just before the bridge is safe but a bit noisy from the road). After that I wouldn’t want to night stop until Star City (slightly off-route, you have to reverse back to Salford Jn), cuckoo wharf, crystal wharf or central brum.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, nicknorman said:

As frequent users of the route I would say that from Fazeley Jn to bottom of Curdworth is fine pretty much anywhere you can get to the side. I’d avoid the bit near the fancy swing bridge due to the proximity of the road. Moorings just before the locks are lovely, though the birds can be noisy at 4am when it gets light! Dog &Doublet or the next pound are fine, after that the M42 noise is a nuisance. Above the top lock and shortly before the 1st bridge is fine, seems noisy at first but the noise is from the M6 toll which is pretty deserted at night. Not too near the house though, there’s a barky dog. Curdworth VMs (just after tunnel) are in a cutting and hence gloomy. Oh and watch the tunnel, it may be short but it is a good scraper of handrails where it bulges in at the far end! Just past the cuttle bridge inn bridge is fine (just before the bridge is safe but a bit noisy from the road). After that I wouldn’t want to night stop until Star City (slightly off-route, you have to reverse back to Salford Jn), cuckoo wharf, crystal wharf or central brum.

Where is crystal wharf or is that an auto correct of Cambrian Wharf...?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Neil2 said:

Many thanks for all the suggestions, I had a look at the BCNS website as well but no mention there of the Star City moorings of course.  

 

Yes under normal circumstances we might very well try to do the run in one go but I'm looking at overnights mainly because of the weather, there seems to be a rain cloud permanently stationed above us at the moment flaming June it is not.  

Presumably you said “of course” because you realised that Star City isn’t on the BCN?

 

JP

Link to comment
Share on other sites

50 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

Where is crystal wharf or is that an auto correct of Cambrian Wharf...?

No, crystal wharf. Or crystal something, anyway. About 3 locks up Aston on the offside.

45 minutes ago, RLWP said:

By what used to be Dolland and Aitcheson?

Yes, amongst other businesses.

 

Last time we stopped for lunch, there were 2 tatty CMers ensconced. Still plenty of room though. Being offside I do worry that if the moorings are abused, they will eventually be removed.

Edited by nicknorman
Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, hider said:

I'm amazed, last time I was there, 2017 I think, there were 3 C&RT mooring pitches across the wharf, little old lady said they were legal and paying for the moorings.

Thought it odd as you could not moor for the services. C&RT does say it is a mooring site too.

Good news if its available again, its the only possible diy kit pump out for miles.

That sounds like Cuckoo Wharf rather than Star City. Hard to tell which are the permit mooring, which are for services and if there are visitor moorings at all.

 

So are you a two boat family then?

 

JP

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.