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You think it's quiet up North!

Ange

By Ange
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Ange Veteran

Ange

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The title says it all really. We set off from the Black Country Museum yesterday and cruised to the Tame Valley Canal via the Old Main Line, the Main Line and the Wednesdbury Old Canal, and then today to the Birmingham & Fazeley. Yesterday we saw three boats on the move all day, and they were all on the Main Line. Today we saw none, though after we moored up at Minworth we were passed by two hire boats.

 

Early in the year we went down through Garrison Locks on our way to Lapworth and noticed then that there were hardly any boats around.

 

I know it's not the most scenic of routes but we find urban canals fascinating. We picked up a very nice piece of rope on our prop that Dave is planning to make into a fender, but that was the only trip down the weed hatch. The biggest worry was the weed and plastic bags blocking the inlet for the raw water cooling.

 

Heading out of Birmingham now but we'll definitely be back to explore the rest.

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journeyperson Experienced

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It wasn't quiet up North today. I passed the bottom of Hurleston Locks at around 11.00am and I've never seen so many boats there, mostly hire boats, all waiting to go up the Llangollen. It's half term and it's good to see the hire companies so busy this late in the year.

 

A lovely weekend, eeking out the last of the summer. The clocks go back next weekend.

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Ange Veteran

Ange

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How clear was the water on the Old Main line? I saw a pike miss a fish on the arm to the museum

 

Richard

 

Aye, it was beautifully clear on the museum arm (we were fish watching there), and pretty good on the Old Main Line. I think is was around Wednesbury that it started to get mucky.

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Guest

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It wasn't quiet up North today. I passed the bottom of Hurleston Locks at around 11.00am and I've never seen so many boats there, mostly hire boats, all waiting to go up the Llangollen. It's half term and it's good to see the hire companies so busy this late in the year.

 

A lovely weekend, eeking out the last of the summer. The clocks go back next weekend.

 

Depend which bit you were on - we cruised from Beale on the River Aire to Selby basin today and saw not another boat on the move.

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Ange Veteran

Ange

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It wasn't quiet up North today. I passed the bottom of Hurleston Locks at around 11.00am and I've never seen so many boats there, mostly hire boats, all waiting to go up the Llangollen. It's half term and it's good to see the hire companies so busy this late in the year.

 

A lovely weekend, eeking out the last of the summer. The clocks go back next weekend.

 

Ah, now we can get into one of those conversations about where exactly the North begins :D I was thinking Leeds & Liverpool, Lancaster Canal type North

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muddywaters Rising Star

muddywaters

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When we did the Black Country ring a couple of weeks ago with the exception of Great Heywood, on a busy day we saw about 5 moving boats all day.

Even when we got to Brum on the Tuesday at 5pm there was only 2 boats moored at the NIA and one of those was over on the sea life centre side of the canal.

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Ange Veteran

Ange

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Oo I forgot to say, we cruised the whole of the Tame Valley Canal with no sightings of the Great Mattress of Tame! I think she's sleeping after being disturbed on numerous occasions by BCN Challengers :D

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RLWP Veteran II

RLWP

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Oo I forgot to say, we cruised the whole of the Tame Valley Canal with no sightings of the Great Mattress of Tame! I think she's sleeping after being disturbed on numerous occasions by BCN Challengers :D

 

It is rumoured that she migrates north at this time of year

 

Richard

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Guest wanted

Guest wanted

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Proper south was mega busy between brentford and teddington today. Everone scrabbling for the last bit of sun.

 

Oh, and I've always thought north starts at finsbury park! :)

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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

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We managed to leave central Brum via Farmers Bridge in the peak of August, and get all the way out through Camp Hill etc onto the Grand Union right through Knowle locks and only passed a single day boat towards the end of quite a long day.

 

You would not really anticipate that route being quite so underused at that time of year. (The Northern Stratford alternative clearly takes nearly all the traffic).

 

But what's also good about it ?

 

We hardly saw even a moored boat for the entire day. You can seriously make progress without having to slow to a crawl every couple of hundred yards!

 

I love Brum - we just don't get the opportunity to spend half as much time there as we would like.

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