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Birmingham & Worcester to the Shropshire Union


Dawdlemoor

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Hi All,

 

We will coming off the Birmingham and Worcester (currently at Alvechurch) en route for the Shropshire Union in the next few days and looking for a safe overnight mooring with nearby off lead dog walking area.

 

Can anyone advise please?

 

TIA

Martin

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Alvechurch to the centre of Birmingham is an easy run, moor anywhere just after the roundabout at Deep Cuttings Junction.. I'd then go for Tipton next to the health centee, or possibly the  Black Country Museum if you're not in a rush and fancy be a grand day out. After that, do the Wolverhampton 21 and stop at Autherly Junction or go through the stop lock and on to the Shroppie. All those are fine.

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21 minutes ago, Goliath said:

 

But the Shroppie is safe throughout and being rural I guess ideal for dog walking. 

 

 

 

Agree except for the first mile - that's on a par with some of the more 'notorious' urban stretches of waterway in the country. 

Edited by Philip
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Crikey, no wonder half the folk on the cut think they're gonna be murdered in their beds if they dare venture out of their marina! :banghead:

Autherley junction opposite Oxley "marina" is fine and I've spent many a night there to confirm that. If you go through the stop lock it's pretty obvious that opposite Wolverhampton Boat Club is the first sensible mooring spot and after that you're in rural Shropshire - the only trouble you're gonna have there is the Shroppie shelf! 

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9 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

Crikey, no wonder half the folk on the cut think they're gonna be murdered in their beds if they dare venture out of their marina! :banghead:

Autherley junction opposite Oxley "marina" is fine and I've spent many a night there to confirm that. If you go through the stop lock it's pretty obvious that opposite Wolverhampton Boat Club is the first sensible mooring spot and after that you're in rural Shropshire - the only trouble you're gonna have there is the Shroppie shelf! 

 

Pretty much what I said, do the first mile of the Shropshire Union at least before stopping. Opposite the boat club might be 'safe' but I'd say the moorings between bridges 7 and 8 look a lot more pleasant, scenery wise.

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13 hours ago, Philip said:

Autherley Junction isn't the best place to stop, better to carry on to the moorings between bridges 7 and 8 on the Shropshire Union - or do the first 5 miles and stop at Brewood if you want shops or places to eat/drink.

 

Autherley junction is a perfectly safe mooring area.

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1 hour ago, Philip said:

 

Pretty much what I said, do the first mile of the Shropshire Union at least before stopping. Opposite the boat club might be 'safe' but I'd say the moorings between bridges 7 and 8 look a lot more pleasant, scenery wise.

And slightly further away from the really noisy main road that runs alongside the first mile or so.

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11 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

Crikey, no wonder half the folk on the cut think they're gonna be murdered in their beds if they dare venture out of their marina! :banghead:

Autherley junction opposite Oxley "marina" is fine and I've spent many a night there to confirm that. If you go through the stop lock it's pretty obvious that opposite Wolverhampton Boat Club is the first sensible mooring spot and after that you're in rural Shropshire - the only trouble you're gonna have there is the Shroppie shelf! 

We went through a couple of weekends back for the BCN Challenge and moored at Autherley the night before. Lots of boats around and it was quiet (apart from the very long goods train that went past at about 4am!) We were heading south, so came through that mile between the stop lock and the boat club around 7.30-8pm. It had nicely kept houses and we saw several families out with their children playing on the grass, a few people taking babies out in prams and a group of children playing football. Most waved and smiled. This did not have the classic signs of a problem area, just normal suburbia. Notably, there are a handful of boats which look to be long-term moored along that stretch and there is no sign of vandalism. If we had had to stop there I wouldn't have been concerned, other than by the Shroppie shelf of course!

 

Alec

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1 hour ago, Paul C said:

 

Autherley junction is a perfectly safe mooring area.

 

No it isn't. 

 

It's a rough area and boats are a target. People go on about canals like some of the Manchester ones being bad stretches, Autherley Junction isn't any better but doesn't get the same criticism because it's on a popular canal. 

Edited by Philip
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4 minutes ago, Philip said:

 

No it isn't.

Yes it is.

 

I have moored opposite Oxley marina many a time, no hassles. I moor at the last bridge on the Shroppie and walk through the park to the supermarket, never had any problems.

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14 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

Alvechurch to the centre of Birmingham is an easy run, moor anywhere just after the roundabout at Deep Cuttings Junction.. I'd then go for Tipton next to the health centee, or possibly the  Black Country Museum if you're not in a rush and fancy be a grand day out. After that, do the Wolverhampton 21 and stop at Autherly Junction or go through the stop lock and on to the Shroppie. All those are fine.

Thanks Sea Dog, that's very reassuring for us newbies.

 

14 hours ago, Goliath said:

 Brewood is usually my first stop on the Shropshire Union for the pub and the washing machines.

Safe visitor moorings there and I think circular walks through fields around the village.

But the Shroppie is safe throughout and being rural I guess ideal for dog walking. 

 

 

Thank you Goliath

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16 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said:

Yes it is.

 

I have moored opposite Oxley marina many a time, no hassles. I moor at the last bridge on the Shroppie and walk through the park to the supermarket, never had any problems.

 

Just because you've not had any hassle doesn't mean to say it doesn't happen. Last year I got stoned there by youths hanging about under a bridge and I was minding my own business, I didn't antagonize them. From my experience it's not a good area to hang around.

Edited by Philip
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4 minutes ago, Philip said:

 

Just because you've not had any hassle doesn't mean to say it doesn't happen. Last year I got stoned there by youths hanging about under a bridge and I was minding my own business, I didn't antagonize them. It's not a good area to hang around.

 

Just because it happened to you once doesn't mean it's common... 😉

 

The very few times we've ever had any kind of trouble on the canals has not been in "bandit country" areas but supposedly OK ones. Maybe we've been lucky?

 

Which doesn't prove anything either, because one experience doesn't tell you if this is a one-off or a common problem in the area. Every time somebody comes up with a scary story about what happened to them somewhere, other people post how they stayed there with no problems.

 

There are undoubtedly a few dodgy areas on the canals where mooring is not advised, but probably far fewer than is sometimes suggested -- if everyone avoided every single spot where one person had ever had a bad experience (often long in the past where things have since changed for the better) large parts of the canal network would unjustifiably become "no-go" areas.

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19 minutes ago, IanD said:

 

Just because it happened to you once doesn't mean it's common... 😉

 

The very few times we've ever had any kind of trouble on the canals has not been in "bandit country" areas but supposedly OK ones. Maybe we've been lucky?

 

Which doesn't prove anything either, because one experience doesn't tell you if this is a one-off or a common problem in the area. Every time somebody comes up with a scary story about what happened to them somewhere, other people post how they stayed there with no problems.

 

There are undoubtedly a few dodgy areas on the canals where mooring is not advised, but probably far fewer than is sometimes suggested -- if everyone avoided every single spot where one person had ever had a bad experience (often long in the past where things have since changed for the better) large parts of the canal network would unjustifiably become "no-go" areas.

 

It still doesn't seem to stop certain northern canals especially (like the Ashton for example) not shaking off reputations from 30-40 years ago, even if the situation has improved a lot since, so it's a bit irritating that others areas like the West Midlands and London canals seem to get an easier ride.

To be fair as far as Autherley Junction goes I'd agree that the stretch opposite Oxley boatyard looks reasonable and the best place to stop, especially as quite a lot of boats moor there, but I think it is better to avoid mooring betwen Napton Narrowboats/the stop lock and Wolverhampton Boat Club.

Edited by Philip
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34 minutes ago, Philip said:

 

Just because you've not had any hassle doesn't mean to say it doesn't happen. Last year I got stoned there by youths hanging about under a bridge and I was minding my own business, I didn't antagonize them. From my experience it's not a good area to hang around.

If you get stoned, take less dope! :giggles:  Hanging youths under a bridge sounds good.😄

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13 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

Crikey, no wonder half the folk on the cut think they're gonna be murdered in their beds if they dare venture out of their marina! :banghead:

Autherley junction opposite Oxley "marina" is fine and I've spent many a night there to confirm that. If you go through the stop lock it's pretty obvious that opposite Wolverhampton Boat Club is the first sensible mooring spot and after that you're in rural Shropshire - the only trouble you're gonna have there is the Shroppie shelf! 


Staffordshire actually.  Brewood, Wheaton Aston, and Norbury are all in Staffs.  Only a relatively short part of the Shropshire is actually in Shropshire, either side of Market Drayton.  By the time you get to Audlem, you’re out the other side into Cheshire.

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1 hour ago, Philip said:

 

No it isn't. 

 

It's a rough area and boats are a target. People go on about canals like some of the Manchester ones being bad stretches, Autherley Junction isn't any better but doesn't get the same criticism because it's on a popular canal. 

Evidence, please?

 

ETA OK. Perhaps I should read through to the end of a thread before posting. I seem to recall forum member having his boat broken into at those moorings by the Blue Bell on the North Stratford a while back. Does that make it a 'no go' area?

 

Edited by Victor Vectis
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25 minutes ago, Victor Vectis said:

Evidence, please?

 

ETA OK. Perhaps I should read through to the end of a thread before posting. I seem to recall forum member having his boat broken into at those moorings by the Blue Bell on the North Stratford a while back. Does that make it a 'no go' area?

 

 

I've moored near the Blue Bell several times with no problems. YMMV... 😉

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14 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

Crikey, no wonder half the folk on the cut think they're gonna be murdered in their beds if they dare venture out of their marina! :banghead:

Autherley junction opposite Oxley "marina" is fine and I've spent many a night there to confirm that. If you go through the stop lock it's pretty obvious that opposite Wolverhampton Boat Club is the first sensible mooring spot and after that you're in rural Shropshire - the only trouble you're gonna have there is the Shroppie shelf! 

We were broken into on that spot some years ago and stuff stolen, despite being on board, asleep. But it was probably another boater rather than locals.

 

Would not put me off mooring there if that was a sensible option for the cruising plan.

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