Most pleasant way into Birmingham.

[Nightwatch]

Hello all.

We are presently in Banbury. We have made a decision! to visit Gas Street etc. 
 

In others opinions, which is the better way to get into central Birmingham? Thereafter, we plan to be in Stratford for mid to late August. A couple of years ago we did the Severn and Avon rivers and passed through Stratford, so thinking of doing a repeat route that way to slowly get to Stratford.

Any thoughts, advice always welcome.

[RLWP]

I'm thinking your options are either the North Stratford, the Grand Union or the Brimingham and Fazeley (top, middle and Bottom roads)

 

The first two mean doing Hatton, the second two either Garrison or Aston then Farmers bridge. I'm assuming you aren't up for more esoteric routes like Birmingham and Fazeley, Perry Barr and Ryders Green?

 

The easiest is probably the North Stratford. The Grand Union/Camp Hill/Ashtead/Farmers Bridge is less used. The B&F, Aston/Garrison, Farmers Bridge is pretty standard Warwickshire ring

 

So - what do you fancy? My Esoteric route is quite a surprise...

 

Richard

[Nightwatch]

Thanks Richard. Had to google Esoteric. Not adverse to esoteric to be honest.

 

Not afraid of Hatton. We could wait for another boat to share and there are volockies occasionally.

 

Been on the B&F but only to the first lock from Fasely to moor for a night about six months ago.

 

Thinking more about bandits etc. Having said that, and touching wood, we have experienced very little issues. Nor have we been into Central Birmingham before.

[ditchcrawler]

52 minutes ago, RLWP said:

I'm thinking your options are either the North Stratford, the Grand Union or the Brimingham and Fazeley (top, middle and Bottom roads)

 

The first two mean doing Hatton, the second two either Garrison or Aston then Farmers bridge. I'm assuming you aren't up for more esoteric routes like Birmingham and Fazeley, Perry Barr and Ryders Green?

 

The easiest is probably the North Stratford. The Grand Union/Camp Hill/Ashtead/Farmers Bridge is less used. The B&F, Aston/Garrison, Farmers Bridge is pretty standard Warwickshire ring

 

So - what do you fancy? My Esoteric route is quite a surprise...

 

Richard

Of the two N Stratford is my choice but he is coming back that way, Not very keen above Knowle,  always find it a bit mucky and not pleasant.  He could go up the N Stratford and then when he leaves go to Stourport and down the Severn to Tewkesbury and back up the Avon and S Stratford

[Mike Todd]

5 minutes ago, Nightwatch said:

Thanks Richard. Had to google Esoteric. Not adverse to esoteric to be honest.

 

Not afraid of Hatton. We could wait for another boat to share and there are volockies occasionally.

 

Been on the B&F but only to the first lock from Fasely to moor for a night about six months ago.

 

Thinking more about bandits etc. Having said that, and touching wood, we have experienced very little issues. Nor have we been into Central Birmingham before.

Central Birmingham is a good place to stop over - not yet failed to find room even is busy summer although it was close once.

[ditchcrawler]

Just now, Mike Todd said:

Central Birmingham is a good place to stop over - not yet failed to find room even is busy summer although it was close once.

At least he will be mooring up before the hire boats

[Mike Todd]

1 minute ago, ditchcrawler said:

Of the two N Stratford is my choice but he is coming back that way, Not very keen above Knowle,  always find it a bit mucky and not pleasant.  He could go up the N Stratford and then when he leaves go to Stourport and down the Severn to Tewkesbury and back up the Avon and S Stratford

It will be at least a week or two before Avon or Severn is an option, I suspect.

[Nightwatch]

Just now, Mike Todd said:

Central Birmingham is a good place to stop over - not yet failed to find room even is busy summer although it was close once.

Wanted to ‘do’ Birmingham for years. Looking forward to it. I realise there’s good mooring spots. I will ask for more info as time passes.

1 minute ago, ditchcrawler said:

At least he will be mooring up before the hire boats

I wouldn’t guarantee that will be the case. We don’t rush about. 

2 minutes ago, Mike Todd said:

It will be at least a week or two before Avon or Severn is an option, I suspect.

It’ll be ages before we venture onto the Severn or Avon.

[ditchcrawler]

1 minute ago, Nightwatch said:

Wanted to ‘do’ Birmingham for years. Looking forward to it. I realise there’s good mooring spots. I will ask for more info as time passes.

If you are nervous about mooring in Birmingham get round behind the Sea Life Center on the Oozle Street loop, that is where all the security chaps go for their fag break, its also very handy for the centre and no one much walking by.

[OldGoat]

1 minute ago, Nightwatch said:

Thanks Richard. Had to google Esoteric. Not adverse to esoteric to be honest.

 

Not afraid of Hatton. We could wait for another boat to share and there are volockies occasionally.

 

Been on the B&F but only to the first lock from Fasely to moor for a night about six months ago.

 

Thinking more about bandits etc. Having said that, and touching wood, we have experienced very little issues. Nor have we been into Central Birmingham before.

Good heavens - what an admission! I thought it was a right of passage for a narrowboater and a sine qua non for an ex grey funnel line.

I digress.

• I suppose the least grotty is via the North Stratford as all the locks are in 'countryside' and you don't have to touch anything until Gas Street
• The next is via the B&F because all the locks are in one lump and apart  from the one near the M6 flyover are pleasant to navigate
• The last via the GU has Knowle where the paddles are very heavy (My Magement has forbidden me/us to use Hatton 'cos she hate aall of the lock gear - but I'm the one using those Poo Works Penstocks...

On balance I reckon they are all about equal in nice and nasty bits...

[Mike Todd]

3 minutes ago, OldGoat said:

Good heavens - what an admission! I thought it was a right of passage for a narrowboater and a sine qua non for an ex grey funnel line.

I digress.

• I suppose the least grotty is via the North Stratford as all the locks are in 'countryside' and you don't have to touch anything until Gas Street
• The next is via the B&F because all the locks are in one lump and apart  from the one near the M6 flyover are pleasant to navigate
• The last via the GU has Knowle where the paddles are very heavy (My Magement has forbidden me/us to use Hatton 'cos she hate aall of the lock gear - but I'm the one using those Poo Works Penstocks...

On balance I reckon they are all about equal in nice and nasty bits...

It is a right of passage for all of us but only a rite of passage for those who have not been yet!

[RLWP]

32 minutes ago, Nightwatch said:

Thinking more about bandits

Very, very unpredictable, impossible to plan for

 

We have had more trouble in the countryside than in cities

 

I'd forget about this as a planning factor

 

Richard

[OldGoat]

Last safe/pleasant stopovers -

well back before the stop lock on the North Stratford

Catherine de Barnes on the GU

Before Minworth Bottom on the B&F

 

 

 

[dmr]

North Stratford is nicest and easiest way in but you will be leaving that way.

 

There are two other routes in to consider and both are extra good if you like pubs.

Up the Wolverhamption 21 and spend a night in Wolverhampton visiting the Great Western. Then into brum through Tipton and the old main line, a very interesting route.

 

The other route is to go a bit further along the S&W  and then up the Stourton flight of locks which includes some very pretty industrial archeology and interesting locks. The up the Delph flight, also very attractive urban locks, and into Brum through the Netherton tunnel, after first drinking beer at Ma Pardoes.

 

edit    but this might be a very significant detour...forgot you were approaching from banbury ?

 

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

Edited March 9, 2020 by dmr

[BEngo]

Round via Fazeley, Fradley and Great Haywood, then either up the 'Hampton 21 amd the main line  taking in Mad O'Rourkes pies, and the BCLM.  Overnight: top of Wolverhampton, Tipton, BCLM, Tividale Quays. 

Or better, IMO, up from Stourton Junction, visiting the Bonded Warehouse Stourbridge, the sixteen, Hawne Basin for well-priced diesel and Netherton Tunnel.  Overnight  at Stourbridge, Merry Hell, Hawne, Windmill end.

N

B€ggar it.  Beaten by dmr

[RLWP]

11 minutes ago, OldGoat said:

Last safe/pleasant stopovers -

well back before the stop lock on the North Stratford

Catherine de Barnes on the GU

Before Minworth Bottom on the B&F

 

 

 

And I have moored much further in on those routes. For instance, there's an offside mooring at Cadburys with BW key access. Likewise The Vale is OK. Or Shirley Drawbridge and go to the pub. And Star City moorings are surprisingly quiet

 

Richard

[OldGoat]

5 minutes ago, BEngo said:

Round via Fazeley, Fradley and Great Haywood, then either up the 'Hampton 21 amd the main line  taking in Mad O'Rourkes pies, and the BCLM.  Overnight: top of Wolverhampton, Tipton, BCLM, Tividale Quays. 

Or better, IMO, up from Stourton Junction, visiting the Bonded Warehouse Stourbridge, the sixteen, Hawne Basin for well-priced diesel and Netherton Tunnel.  Overnight  at Stourbridge, Merry Hell, Hawne, Windmill end.

N

B€ggar it.  Beaten by dmr

'trouble is NW is coming up the Oxford, thus doing a girt big loop round to the North or North West into Brum seems like a bit of a detour?

But then if you're in no hurry, why not......

[OldGoat]

2 minutes ago, RLWP said:

And I have moored much further in on those routes. For instance, there's an offside mooring at Cadburys with BW key access. Likewise The Vale is OK. Or Shirley Drawbridge and go to the pub. And Star City moorings are surprisingly quiet

 

Richard

Cadbury's (or whatever it really is nowadays...) is blurry noisy with the trains running by - especally as we always wave vigoeously as they pass by.

Forgot Star City - not for from Planet Craft where we first hired aeons ago (1975 no water...) but reports on here about nightime disturbances.

[RLWP]

1 minute ago, OldGoat said:

Cadbury's (or whatever it really is nowadays...) is blurry noisy with the trains running by - especally as we always wave vigoeously as they pass by.

Forgot Star City - not for from Planet Craft where we first hired aeons ago (1975 no water...) but reports on here about nightime disturbances.

 

We're drifting off into personal views on what is acceptable, I think. I can't remember any night time disturbances at Star City, I wasn't there on those occasions.

 

Much like reports of 'bandits', if you are there when it happens it's very distressing and the story hangs around for years. If you are there on occasions when it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen

 

Another one to add is the Camp Hill moorings at the top of the locks. Offside, gated and with access to the sanitary station - the shower is good.

 

@Nightwatch I guess none of this is really helping

 

Richard

[magpie patrick]

My favourite is the Grand Union through Knowle... Especially if I were coming back along the Stratford.

 

I could quantify why I like it, but really it's a matter of what suits you? Few boats, wide canal as far as Camp Hill, the last surviving northern GU narrow locks, Ashted Tunnel, Farmers Bridge...

[Victor Vectis]

48 minutes ago, dmr said:

The other route is to go a bit further along the S&W  and then up the Stourton flight of locks which includes some very pretty industrial archeology and interesting locks. The up the Delph flight, also very attractive urban locks, and into Brum through the Netherton tunnel, after first drinking beer at Ma Pardoes.

A very significant omission, pubwise, here Dave!

 

[Jen-in-Wellies]

Quote

Most pleasant way into Birmingham.

 

Lots of good advice here. I've ended up doing all the ways in except for the GU at various times and had an interesting time exploring the BCN. All I can add is that none of the ways in to Birmingham are as pleasant as the ways out of Birmingham. ?Jen

[Victor Vectis]

33 minutes ago, RLWP said:

 

We're drifting off into personal views on what is acceptable, I think. I can't remember any night time disturbances at Star City, I wasn't there on those occasions.

Well, there was the pre BCN Challenge impromptu party there a few years back.

 

IIRC team 'Red Wharf' were accused of sabotaging other teams chances by forcing extra strength G&Ts on their crew.

 

(And not forgetting the mystery pair of underpants on a car bonnet in the morning!)

[RLWP]

3 minutes ago, Victor Vectis said:

 

 

(And not forgetting the mystery pair of underpants on a car bonnet in the morning!)

ISTR you lost a case of underpants

[Nightwatch]

Tunnels. Someone mentioned tunnels. I know there’s tunnels but are they bog standard dimensions or are there restrictions on air-draft?  We are quite tall!!