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Mooring in Solihull Area!


RAB

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We going to do the Warwickshire ring (Clockwise) and looking for advice please (A bit more specific than previous threads, I have looked....honest). We're not going into central Birmingham so will be heading up the Grand Union and turning right at Bordesley Junction up the Birmingham and Warwick before joining the B&F. We're planning to stop for lunch at Catherine-de-Barnes, hopefully to meet some friends at The Boat! However I'd quite like to push on a little bit in the afternoon, for an hour or so, to help shorten the next day ideally so we can get well past Star City (although I'm not adverse to stoping there, if space allows). I seem to remember an awful lot of the bank heading up to Boardsley Junction, where you may wish to moor, is solid concrete / paving and is very difficult to moor too. Is my memory right? If there are any reasonable / recommended mooring spots on this stretch your advice would be most welcome.

We've plenty of time so don't really wish, or need, to cruise lots of hrs a day.

 

As always many thanks in advance for all useful replies 😁

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3 minutes ago, RAB said:

We going to do the Warwickshire ring (Clockwise) and looking for advice please (A bit more specific than previous threads, I have looked....honest). We're not going into central Birmingham so will be heading up the Grand Union and turning right at Bordesley Junction up the Birmingham and Warwick before joining the B&F. We're planning to stop for lunch at Catherine-de-Barnes, hopefully to meet some friends at The Boat! However I'd quite like to push on a little bit in the afternoon, for an hour or so, to help shorten the next day ideally so we can get well past Star City (although I'm not adverse to stoping there, if space allows). I seem to remember an awful lot of the bank heading up to Boardsley Junction, where you may wish to moor, is solid concrete / paving and is very difficult to moor too. Is my memory right? If there are any reasonable / recommended mooring spots on this stretch your advice would be most welcome.

We've plenty of time so don't really wish, or need, to cruise lots of hrs a day.

 

As always many thanks in advance for all useful replies 😁

You're right but I've never tried mooring there as I don't think it's safe.  You can moor safely overnight at the sani station at the top of of Cape Hill locks but it's not exactly a pretty spot!  Usually people overnight at C-d-B and push right through to Curdworth in one day.  If you must have lunch at C-d-B then I'd have an early lunch at 12, get moving againby 1:30 and aim to get to Star City that evening and then have an easy day down to Bodymoor Heath or Curdworth the next day.

 

Re-reading your post, I'd stay at C-d-B for the rest of the day.  Get drunk!

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1 minute ago, doratheexplorer said:

You're right but I've never tried mooring there as I don't think it's safe.  You can moor safely overnight at the sani station at the top of of Cape Hill locks but it's not exactly a pretty spot!  Usually people overnight at C-d-B and push right through to Curdworth in one day.  If you must have lunch at C-d-B then I'd have an early lunch at 12, get moving againby 1:30 and aim to get to Star City that evening and then have an easy day down to Bodymoor Heath or Curdworth the next day.

 

I would agree with this -- and if I remember correctly there's only really one mooring by the sani station at Camp Hill, and you won't know until you get there whether it's free.

 

I would opt for a later lunch at the pub, and then just stay there for the night.  Or meet your friends for dinner rather than lunch.

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18 minutes ago, pearley said:

Only one official visitor mooring at Camp Hill but I would have no qualms at mooring on the water point. It's not the busiest of canals. We were the inside one of 4 boats once. 

Agreed.  Boaters round there generally understand that it's the only safe spot so breasting up is expected.

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1 hour ago, RAB said:

We going to do the Warwickshire ring (Clockwise) and looking for advice please (A bit more specific than previous threads, I have looked....honest). We're not going into central Birmingham so will be heading up the Grand Union and turning right at Bordesley Junction up the Birmingham and Warwick before joining the B&F. We're planning to stop for lunch at Catherine-de-Barnes, hopefully to meet some friends at The Boat! However I'd quite like to push on a little bit in the afternoon, for an hour or so, to help shorten the next day ideally so we can get well past Star City (although I'm not adverse to stoping there, if space allows). I seem to remember an awful lot of the bank heading up to Boardsley Junction, where you may wish to moor, is solid concrete / paving and is very difficult to moor too. Is my memory right? If there are any reasonable / recommended mooring spots on this stretch your advice would be most welcome.

We've plenty of time so don't really wish, or need, to cruise lots of hrs a day.

 

As always many thanks in advance for all useful replies 😁

Never had a problem at Star City and there are even CCs who moor opposite it on the Towpath now

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2 hours ago, pearley said:

Personally I wouldn't moor anywhere between Catherine de Barnes and Camp Hill Services.

That is the oft repeated advice, but I would be reasonably happy anywhere between C de B and Olton. It's not the most exciting length and part of it is a rather dank deep cutting, but I reckon it is safe enough.

A couple of years ago we ran aground under Lode Lane bridge (can't remember the number- it's the one close to the Jaguar Land Rover works entrance), in the late afternoon, then got a massive prop foul while trying to push through. As we had to be home that night, in the end we drew back a couple of lengths moored up to the towpath on pins and left the boat there for a couple of days. 

On returning, the level was up an inch or two so we managed to get through the bridge and continue without any real difficulty.

No problems at all, apart from when I had retrieved the car and then left it in a small nearby residential close for about 20 minutes, while I went down to the boat to collect my wife and our bags, we returned to find a snotty note on the windscreen saying we would be reported to Jaguar Land Rover for parking in the close. There were no signed parking restrictions at all!

Edited by David Mack
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I would stop overnight at CdeB by the Boat pub, and then go from there to at least the Cuttle Bridge Inn on the B&F.  You can stop at the services at Camp Hill or at Star City, but there is not real need to do that it is a easy day from CdeB to Curdworth, or beyond if you want to.

24 minutes ago, David Mack said:

That is the oft repeated advice, but I would be reasonably happy anywhere between C de B and Olton. It's not the most exciting length and part of it is a rather dank deep cutting, but I reckon it is safe enough.

A couple of years ago we ran aground under Lode Lane bridge (can't remember the number- it's the one close to the Jaguar Land Rover works entrance), in the late afternoon, then got a massive prop foul while trying to push through. As we had to be home that night, in the end we drew back a couple of lengths moored up to the towpath on pins and left the boat there for a couple of days. 

On returning, the level was up an inch or two so we managed to get through the bridge and continue without any real difficulty.

No problems at all, apart from when I had retrieved the car and then left it in a small nearby residential close for about 20 minutes, while I went down to the boat to collect my wife and our bags, we returned to find a snotty note on the windscreen saying we would be reported to Jaguar Land Rover for parking in the close. There were no signed parking restrictions at all!

CRT have been dredging the GU summit through at least Solihull, so hopefully it is not as shallow as it was, but as you say it is all in a gloomy cutting, and not a particularly interesting place to stop, even if that initial section is probably safe.

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We would normally go from Catherine de Barnes to Curdworth without stopping, but as David Mack says above, I would have no qualms about stopping anywhere between C de B and Olton for the night, if the boat isn't left unattended - all the stretch up to the bridge carrying the B4146 Yardley Road is very pleasant. After that it gets more industrial and personally I don't find Camp Hill or Bordesley attractive places to moor. But if you particularly want to be near the city centre, one option is the moorings at The Bond, Fazeley Street, between Bordesley junction and Warwick Bar stop lock.

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11 hours ago, John Brightley said:

We would normally go from Catherine de Barnes to Curdworth without stopping, but as David Mack says above, I would have no qualms about stopping anywhere between C de B and Olton for the night, if the boat isn't left unattended - all the stretch up to the bridge carrying the B4146 Yardley Road is very pleasant. After that it gets more industrial and personally I don't find Camp Hill or Bordesley attractive places to moor. But if you particularly want to be near the city centre, one option is the moorings at The Bond, Fazeley Street, between Bordesley junction and Warwick Bar stop lock.

Do you mean on the towpath opposite the Bond, or actually at the Bond?  I enquired about using those moorings and got an emphatic no!

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26 minutes ago, doratheexplorer said:

Do you mean on the towpath opposite the Bond, or actually at the Bond?  I enquired about using those moorings and got an emphatic no!

Thanks for the update. I meant at the Bond, as they have been happy with people mooring there in the past. But obviously they've had a change of policy. A shame, because they're good moorings.

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1 minute ago, John Brightley said:

Thanks for the update. I meant at the Bond, as they have been happy with people mooring there in the past. But obviously they've had a change of policy. A shame, because they're good moorings.

How long in the past. My experience was about 5 years ago.

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52 minutes ago, doratheexplorer said:

I was told that it was a security breach and would set their alarms off.  Certainly I almost never seen a boat moored there so I wouldn't risk it.

Goodness it sounds like we are talking about James or Brooke here? Surely the thing was built for canal use 😐

 

Sad as it looks a good place 

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7 minutes ago, Stroudwater1 said:

Goodness it sounds like we are talking about James or Brooke here? Surely the thing was built for canal use 😐

 

Sad as it looks a good place 

Have you seen the CRT notice with respect to the Bond

 

 

Grand Union Canal
Location: Offside at the Bond Warehouse, Grand Union Canal 
Starts At: Towpath Bridge, Basin Bridge
Ends At: Towpath Bridge, Basin Bridge

Wednesday 1 September 2021 08:00 until Wednesday 5 January 2022 18:00

Type: Navigation Restriction 
Reason: 3rd Party Works


 

Original message:

 

Mac Group are redeveloping the bond warehouse and will require a cantilevered scaffolding unit over the canal and pontoons in the canal to protect any boat impact. The scaffolding and pontoons will extend 2m into the canal. Although the canal will remain navigational, we kindly remind boating customers to pass this area with care. The towpath will remain open. 

Works to install the scaffolding will begin on 1st September and will take two weeks. Please follow directions from banksmen and signage onsite and take extra care when passing through the works area. 

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39 minutes ago, Stroudwater1 said:

Goodness it sounds like we are talking about James or Brooke here? Surely the thing was built for canal use 😐

 

Sad as it looks a good place 

It's an events venue.  Privately owned.  In a fairly rough part of town.  I don't blame them for having decent security.

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13 hours ago, Goliath said:

Camp Hill Service Block is amongst the best I’ve come across. 
It was awhile ago, but hopefully it’s still in good order. 

Agree with you. The entrance foyer puts a lot of hotels to shame. Used to have a washing machine and dryer too but removed some years ago.

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