Ridgeacre branch

[IanM]

 

Tree appears to have been deliberately placed across the canal at Swan Bridge

 

 

We got stuck on something there back in 2004...

 

Great Bridge (East) Bridge - Wednesbury Old Canal, Birmingham Canal Navigations by imulford, on Flickr

Wasn't the widest channel then either...

Wednesbury Old Canal, Birmingham Canal Navigations by imulford, on Flickr

Though we did manage to get to the end eventually.

[Neil TNC]

We last went up the Wednesbury Old stub in March 2004 and had no problem, apart from the trolley reef under Swan Bridge, we simply used the boot hook to shuffle the trollies to one side or the other to make a 7ft gap, then carried on. ISTR that we did not even go down the weed hatch and did not stir up too much of the dreded black $hite (winded using pole)

 

Now the interior sprung mattress we caught under Belper Bridge was another matter! Thanks to the two van loads of BW bods it was soon off, they even went out and bought some new sniips!!!

Edited June 11, 2013 by Neil TNC

[RLWP]

Aieee! The Mattress!! Fear The Great Mattress of Tame!!!

 

I think we have some photos from 2009, including manipulating the trolley reef

 

I still haven't found anyone who has been to the end since we did in 2009

 

Richard

[Tom and Bex]

 

I still haven't found anyone who has been to the end since we did in 2009

 

Richard

Not for want of trying! Wish we did it on our last hire boat holiday in September 2009 now but we ran out of time after getting stuck at the top of the Titford. We guessed it was 3 years since the last boat but looks like 4.

 

We did take a couple of runs into the weed but no way would you get a boat through now (unless it was a shallow draft ex hire boat...). Shopping trolleys should be removable with a boat hook enough to get past - maybe make a report with the new trolley app!

 

I do think the pollution issue is overstated a bit though - I don't doubt the heavy pollution in the silt but still believe if boated carefully it it is no worse than many other areas on the BCN. It is people who don't plan ahead and thrash around needlessly using very high revs in forward and reverse that would cause a problem.

 

I would love to see some photos of your 2009 trip as a comparison to how it is now.

 

Tom

[Neil TNC]

Yes! yes!...please put them piccies up.

[madcat]

Neil that's a cracking photo of the BW guys,any chance of a copy for my friend with beard n wooly hat

[Neil TNC]

Neil that's a cracking photo of the BW guys,any chance of a copy for my friend with beard n wooly hat

Wilco, PM sent.

[RLWP]

Our cruise in 2009:

 

We took careful depth soundings on the way in as there were a few brick reefs:

 

 

Around the corner, it got a bit reedy:

 

 

This section wasn't long. Once through that and the trolley reef, the end was clear and deep. I believe it is kept so by the water draining from the rest of the system across the road:

 

 

We turned Tawny around, then backed the stern fender up against the extreme end so we could claim we had done the whole branch, TNC style (our heroes):

 

 

Going back was a little easier as we knew what to expect. In 2009, the reeds had a gap just one boat width wide:

 

 

In general, the water was Old Main Line green on top, and Ryder's Green black on the bottom:

 

 

Somewhere I think I have a photo of Team Tawny Owl defeating the trolley reef

 

Richard

Edited June 13, 2013 by RLWP