Stourport ring ish with a bit more

[Lancshoppy]

Picking up from Alvechurch next weekend planning on going down to Worcester, up the river to Stourport, up Merry Hill and through the Netherton, back down Wolverhampton, up to Great Heywood, then Fradley and Fazeley before either up Aston and Farmers and back through Birmingham, or down Garrison and Catherine-de-Barnes and up Lapworth (depending on time).

 

Looking for any information on water levels, weed amount, general condition of the canals at the moment please - the sort of stuff you get by travelling rather than from the CR stoppages website. 

 

Thanks in advance for any insider information. 

[David Mack]

For your last option you might be better going up Garrison...

[agg221]

It's a good time to be doing the Birmingham bits, with the BCN Challenge having been last weekend it's a lot clearer now, both rubbish and weed in the main channel having been substantially reduced.

 

Levels were a little down on the weirs but nothing notable for a hire boat which is likely to be relatively shallow drafted. The main weedy sections are on the Wolverhampton level of the main line but whether you go up Factory or up Brades (if you are heading to the Black Country Museum as an overnight stop, rather than Wolverhampton top) you shouldn't have any problems if you keep in the cut line.

 

The upper part of the S&W was a bit shallow but easily passable when we went through last August with two boats. We were on a relatively shallow hire boat and could travel over it at normal cruising speed. The other boat was deeper (2'9" measured) and struggled a bit between Stafford and Great Haywood. Everything on the T&M down to Fradley was easy, even in a deep boat, except at lock landings where there was a surprising amount of silt.

 

Alec

[Lancshoppy]

1 hour ago, David Mack said:

For your last option you might be better going up Garrison...

Oops - yes. Got them the wrong way around didn't I. 

[Sea Dog]

Frankly, having frequently gone that way (based on "use it or lose it") I'm sad to say I'd now avoid the Garrison / Camp Hill route. I think CRT have forgotten there's a waterway down there and no-one else seems to care about the area, so the canal is chock full of rubbish, some of it very difficult to shift off a prop. You'll likely spend far too much of your holiday down the weed hatch.

 

[David Mack]

8 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

Frankly, having frequently gone that way (based on "use it or lose it") I'm sad to say I'd now avoid the Garrison / Camp Hill route. I think CRT have forgotten there's a waterway down there and no-one else seems to care about the area, so the canal is chock full of rubbish, some of it very difficult to shift off a prop. You'll likely spend far too much of your holiday down the weed hatch.

 

On the other hand, the last time I did that route, in a boat drawing 3 ft, the only significant problem was a shallows in the cutting by Lode Lane Bridge in Solihull, well beyond the most urban sections, where soil from the steep path down from the road to the towpath had clearly been washing into the canal for some time. The level was an inch or two off, and the next day it was back up and we had no problem.

[Lancshoppy]

22 minutes ago, David Mack said:

On the other hand, the last time I did that route, in a boat drawing 3 ft, the only significant problem was a shallows in the cutting by Lode Lane Bridge in Solihull, well beyond the most urban sections, where soil from the steep path down from the road to the towpath had clearly been washing into the canal for some time. The level was an inch or two off, and the next day it was back up and we had no problem.

Went through Camp Hill and on up Ashted and Farmers Bridge last year with no problem. Never done Garrison.

[Captain Pegg]

I’ve done most of that route in the last couple of months and most of the rest within the last year.

 

I don’t think there are any particular problems with Garrison locks. It’s not a salubrious area but it’s a damn sight better - and cleaner - than it was 40 years ago. It’s used by hire boats on a daily basis.

 

The section from Olton to Catherine-de-Barnes was very shallow and slow going last year but dredging was in progress. The north Stratford is built like that and will be slow even for a hire boat.

[Rob-M]

Take some garden shears with you to cut back the bank when you want to moor.  In the last week we have found even the popular mooring spots on the T&M are becoming very overgrown.

[David Mack]

3 hours ago, Captain Pegg said:

The north Stratford is built like that and will be slow even for a hire boat.

Last year the North Stratford was fine from Lapworth up to beyond Hockley Heath, but then it got noticeably shallower. We bounced over rubble in a couple of bridgeholes, and steering a deep drafted boat was 'interesting'.

Edited June 12, 2022 by David Mack

[Captain Pegg]

44 minutes ago, David Mack said:

Last year the North Stratford was fine from Lapworth up to beyond Hockley Heath, but then it got noticeably shallower. We bounced over rubble in a couple of bridgeholes, and steering a deep drafted boat was 'interesting'.

 

Lapworth to the other side of Hockley Heath isn't very far and is mostly moored boats and lift bridges so generally slow going anyway.

 

The Stratford is fine but it's a shallow canal so nobody should be expecting to be able to cruise at anything close to 4mph. I passed a well crewed (in terms of numbers) hire boat between locks 6 and 7 a couple of weeks ago and they were cursing how long it had taken them to get from Kings Norton. It was roughly 1800 and when they asked me about where they could stop at a pub I said there were a couple in Lapworth. However they said they couldn't stop there because they needed to be back at Wootton Wawen for 0900 the next morning.

Edited June 12, 2022 by Captain Pegg

[agg221]

24 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said:

 

Lapworth to the other side of Hockley Heath isn't very far and is mostly moored boats and lift bridges so generally slow going anyway.

 

The Stratford is fine but it's a shallow canal so nobody should be expecting to be able to cruise at anything close to 4mph. I passed a well crewed (in terms of numbers) hire boat between locks 6 and 7 a couple of weeks ago and they were cursing how long it had taken them to get from Kings Norton. It was roughly 1800 and when they asked me about where they could stop at a pub I said there were a couple in Lapworth. However they said they couldn't stop there because they needed to be back at Wootton Wawen for 0900 the next morning.

I haven't been that way for quite a while, but on the couple of occasions I have, I don't recall it being particularly difficult. The first would have been on a boat hired from Wootton Wawen - we went to Cadbury World (back when it was still Cadbury's) and then had to go up to Mailbox Turn to wind so were a bit later than we had planned for, probably setting off from Mailbox Turn at about 3pm but made The Drawbridge that evening by 8.30 or thereabouts. It was pretty rough at the time as I recall - we sat quietly in a corner but there was a fight broke out by 9pm and people were getting thrown out. We were back at Wootton Wawen the following evening with no problems, even a little earlier than planned due to lack of moorings where we could get in to the bank.

 

The second was crewing the BW publicity boat Waterscape down from Penkridge to Lapworth one weekend. We moored near Old Turn on the Saturday night and made Lapworth by about 5pm on the Sunday.

 

There was technically another one when I stupidly agreed to take an experimental pedal-powered canal boat from Bumblehole to Lapworth but the least said about that the better!

 

Alec

[Captain Pegg]

6 minutes ago, agg221 said:

I haven't been that way for quite a while, but on the couple of occasions I have, I don't recall it being particularly difficult. The first would have been on a boat hired from Wootton Wawen - we went to Cadbury World (back when it was still Cadbury's) and then had to go up to Mailbox Turn to wind so were a bit later than we had planned for, probably setting off from Mailbox Turn at about 3pm but made The Drawbridge that evening by 8.30 or thereabouts. It was pretty rough at the time as I recall - we sat quietly in a corner but there was a fight broke out by 9pm and people were getting thrown out. We were back at Wootton Wawen the following evening with no problems, even a little earlier than planned due to lack of moorings where we could get in to the bank.

 

The second was crewing the BW publicity boat Waterscape down from Penkridge to Lapworth one weekend. We moored near Old Turn on the Saturday night and made Lapworth by about 5pm on the Sunday.

 

There was technically another one when I stupidly agreed to take an experimental pedal-powered canal boat from Bumblehole to Lapworth but the least said about that the better!

 

Alec

 

It's not difficult, just slower than most other canals and I think that caught out the hire crew I met. They clearly were pushing it anyway because there's a limit on how much time you can lose in 10 miles.

 

It takes me four hours from the westernmost drawbridge to Kings Norton, that's about 2,5mph average. A hire boat will be quicker providing it's competently steered.

[jacko264]

8 hours ago, Lancshoppy said:

Picking up from Alvechurch next weekend planning on going down to Worcester, up the river to Stourport, up Merry Hill and through the Netherton, back down Wolverhampton, up to Great Heywood, then Fradley and Fazeley before either up Aston and Farmers and back through Birmingham, or down Garrison and Catherine-de-Barnes and up Lapworth (depending on time).

 

Looking for any information on water levels, weed amount, general condition of the canals at the moment please - the sort of stuff you get by travelling rather than from the CR stoppages website. 

 

Thanks in advance for any insider information. 

We are also picking our boat us next weekend  on Sunday  we may bump into each other not literally I hope  we are doing the Avon ring  

Graham

[jacko264]

Sorry I should have said also from Alverchurch 

Graham

[Lancshoppy]

Hope you enjoy it. We pick up on Saturday. I agree - lets try not to bump into anybody

I'll be interested to hear how you get on with the Avon ring. It's not one I've done.

[agg221]

With the Avon ring, I suggest doing the river bit first (assuming the flood warnings are OK at the time you set off). It's the bit which is vulnerable to changes in the weather whereas the canal part you can just keep going. When we did the ring, we were the only boat to go round the way we did (river first) and also the only boat to get back!

 

Alec

[Stroudwater1]

8 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

Frankly, having frequently gone that way (based on "use it or lose it") I'm sad to say I'd now avoid the Garrison / Camp Hill route. I think CRT have forgotten there's a waterway down there and no-one else seems to care about the area, so the canal is chock full of rubbish, some of it very difficult to shift off a prop. You'll likely spend far too much of your holiday down the weed hatch.

 

Interesting- We did Garrison and Camp Hill last year in a 2’9 draft boat and had not a problem at all. Wouldn’t think twice about doing them. It’s rather as Birmingham was , and I prefer to the developed areas tbh. It’s pretty quiet too boat wise which is a bonus😊

The other day we were warned to slow though bridges in neutral on the way to Camp Hill from Shirley , but again did that route last year without a worry apart from one stone thrower.

 

There’s been much dredging last year as Captain  Pegg mentions which has helped. This included a very large amount of muddy rusted pedal bikes which looked scrap merchant bound 🤣 

Edited June 12, 2022 by Stroudwater1

[IanM]

12 hours ago, agg221 said:

I haven't been that way for quite a while, but on the couple of occasions I have, I don't recall it being particularly difficult. The first would have been on a boat hired from Wootton Wawen - we went to Cadbury World (back when it was still Cadbury's) and then had to go up to Mailbox Turn to wind so were a bit later than we had planned for, probably setting off from Mailbox Turn at about 3pm but made The Drawbridge that evening by 8.30 or thereabouts. It was pretty rough at the time as I recall - we sat quietly in a corner but there was a fight broke out by 9pm and people were getting thrown out. We were back at Wootton Wawen the following evening with no problems, even a little earlier than planned due to lack of moorings where we could get in to the bank.

 

The second was crewing the BW publicity boat Waterscape down from Penkridge to Lapworth one weekend. We moored near Old Turn on the Saturday night and made Lapworth by about 5pm on the Sunday.

 

There was technically another one when I stupidly agreed to take an experimental pedal-powered canal boat from Bumblehole to Lapworth but the least said about that the better!

 

Alec

 

We've done the Lapworth to Kings Norton section twice in the last few weeks.

 

The first time going towards Kings Norton the level was about 4 inches down and it was very slow and tedious.  Coming back the pound was running weir in several places and progress was noticeably quicker. I think we did the section between Kings Norton and Hockley Heath about 20 minutes quicker on the return trip.

[oboat]

On 12/06/2022 at 14:41, Sea Dog said:

Frankly, having frequently gone that way (based on "use it or lose it") I'm sad to say I'd now avoid the Garrison / Camp Hill route. I think CRT have forgotten there's a waterway down there and no-one else seems to care about the area, so the canal is chock full of rubbish, some of it very difficult to shift off a prop. You'll likely spend far too much of your holiday down the weed hatch.

 

Did Camp Hill about 2 weeks back no prob's. But not a boat moving from Farmers Br to Lapworth.
However, the Land Redevelopment is incredible this COULD be another Gas Street in a few years.

 

[Captain Pegg]

12 hours ago, oboat said:

Did Camp Hill about 2 weeks back no prob's. But not a boat moving from Farmers Br to Lapworth.
However, the Land Redevelopment is incredible this COULD be another Gas Street in a few years.

 

 

It's possible that as it's a stretch of canal where moorings are limited and the majority of craft are hire boats on the Warwickshire Ring that the movement of craft is concentrated at certain times on certain days. It's not the busiest of sections but I've seen a half decent number of craft using the upper end of the GU and the Birmingham & Warwick Jn Canal on trips I've done in the area.

 

Presumably the land redevelopment you refer to is the new Birmingham HS2 station and associated works.