More Birmingham moorings advice please

[comfortably numb]

On Saturday night we want to moor overnight in the Perry Barr area on the Tame Valley Canal (we have our reasons but don't wish to bore everyone, LOL) and I was wondering if anyone has had experience of doing so. Or it can be anywhere between Bordesley on the Grand Union and Perry Barr.

 

Being a Brummie myself I know that these areas aren't the best, but I have no experience of mooring in these areas so was hoping that there may be some fairly 'safe' moorings.

 

Oh go on then i'll bore you with our reasons, sad as they are, LOL. I'm a lifelong Birmingham City fan (I knowIi know) and they are playing at home on Saturday. The Grand Union Canal runs within a 3 minute walk of the ground and I thought it would be a novel way of going to a match, and a first too.

 

It's a 12.15 kick off so we could set out from Birmingham City centre first thing and go via Farmers Bridge and the Digbeth Branch. The problem would be having enough daylight hours after the match (about 4 hours) to get to safe moorings. There would be time to return to the city centre, or to go to Salford Junction and on to the B'ham & Fazeley, but we'd prefer to go the other way towards Perry Barr and explore that part of the BCN because we've never done it before.

 

So might there be possibilities do you think?

[john6767]

The only place I have moored in that area is at Star City, which is fine, and almost at Salford Junction.

[nicknorman]

Camp Hill top lock services (secure, exit with BW key). Star City. Cuckoo Wharf (can breast up against any annoying CRT or contractor workboats taking up the visitor moorings!). Perry Bar top lock (although we felt a bit exposed since its floodlit and just below a road bridge, others seem to find it OK). Perry Bar flight above second lock is probably OK, I've seen other boats moored there but not done so myself. The long cutting above perry bar locks is very quiet and almost certainly OK. Ocker Hill (other end of Tame Valley). Longwood boat club (top of Rushall locks)

[adam1uk]

The only place I have moored in that area is at Star City, which is fine, and almost at Salford Junction.

Likewise, we've moored at Star City and it's fine.

 

Where will you moor during the match - and will you leave someone with the boat?

[comfortably numb]

Likewise, we've moored at Star City and it's fine.

 

Where will you moor during the match - and will you leave someone with the boat?

 

We will moor by the St Andrews St Bridge. I'm not sure what number it is as there are so many there, but it's by a row of canalside housing and there's plenty of places to moor I think.

 

I'll be leaving the wife on the boat, and our large(ish) dog. Her growl would put off any undesirables, and the dog has a mean bark too, LOL.

 

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I'd completely forgotten about Star City, and although a Saturday night and possibly therefore a bit noisy, at least it's secure and has I believe security cameras on it. But the other suggestions are worth considering especially if we want to travel a bit more after the match.

 

Yet again this wonderful forum is coming up trumps.

Edited October 2, 2013 by comfortably numb

[john6767]

The canal at Start City is by the car park, almost round the back, so I don't think you will find it too noisy. The car park certainly has cameras and security patrols.

[adam1uk]

Plus I'm sure 99 per cent of people who go to Star City don't even realise the canal is there.

 

We enjoyed the Perry Barr route. You get to see even more of the underneath of Spaghetti Junction than you do at Salford Junction, and at the other end the aqueduct over the M5 is great.

[steve hayes]

Moored at the top of Perry Barr with no problem

[Dave_P]

Star City - then you can go to the casino to celebrate the bluenoses win!

[Odana]

Top of Perry Barr locks good. Excellent service block too.

[comfortably numb]

Star City - then you can go to the casino to celebrate the bluenoses win!

 

I went to the first 3 home matches and we lost all 3.

I've missed the last 3 home matches and we've won all 3.

My fellow supporters are telling me to stay away !!!

[sarahavfc]

Moor at Cuckoo Wharf then head to Villa Park to watch a decent team. :-)

[Mrs Trackman]

Does anyone ever moor between locks 8 and 9 on Aston locks? There's some offices and maybe a restaurant on the offside and mooring rings or bollards. Pearson shows nearby shops and restaurants. I've never seen anyone moor there but it strikes me it would be a useful alternative to Cuckoo wharf which can be busy.

[RLWP]

Does anyone ever moor between locks 8 and 9 on Aston locks? There's some offices and maybe a restaurant on the offside and mooring rings or bollards. Pearson shows nearby shops and restaurants. I've never seen anyone moor there but it strikes me it would be a useful alternative to Cuckoo wharf which can be busy.

 

Yes. We overnighted there several years ago. It's an offside mooring next to a small office development (Dollond and Aitchison?) with a gate and a security guard. It was totally safe and very quiet

 

Richard

[nicknorman]

We have only stopped there for lunch and to go to Screwfix, however although it is a bit of a ghost town, boaters are welcome and its secure. There is only one way in and out via the gatehouse (the gate leading to Screwfix always seems to be locked when I go there, so have to walk round!). We were there last week and one of the gardeners told me that the rather anonymous and faceless building we were moored in front of was in the fact the W Midlands Counter Terrorism headquarters. Whether that's true or not I don't know!

 

Its called Crystal Wharf IIRC. Ed: Or is it Crystal Court?

Edited October 3, 2013 by nicknorman

[adam1uk]

one of the gardeners told me that the rather anonymous and faceless building we were moored in front of was in the fact the W Midlands Counter Terrorism headquarters. Whether that's true or not I don't know!

 

Who cares whether it's true or not, it's a fantastic rumour to spread around! Should make it a very safe place to stay.

[Mrs Trackman]

Thanks for replies, will add to list of possible mooring spots, though by the time we get that far I'm usually keen to head into the centre.

I love this forum, someone nearly always comes along with an answer, and it's good that I can now put a few more faces to names after last weekend.

[Keeping Up]

Many years ago we ran out of daylight going up Perry Barr and decided to moor at the top, although this was long before it was a "recommended" mooring spot. There was a rather scary rough-looking guy sitting under the bridge, and as we moored up he approached us and asked if we were buying; he said he had a good range of nearly everything with him. We politely declined, and he said that he would be dealing under the bridge all evening until the small hours, but that he and his friends would happily keep an eye on the boat for us and make sure that none of his customers touched anything. We thanked hm and offered to bring him back some beer from the pub but he said he didn't drink.

 

Rather warily we left the dogs on the boat and went to the pub for a meal with our two children. When we got back to the boat he came back out from under the bridge to assure us that nobody had tried to touch the boat, and wished us a good night - hoping that some of his noisier customers later that night wouldn't disturb us too much. We had a peaceful night's sleep.

 

We've moored there a couple of times since then.

[RLWP]

Birmingham is famous for it's small entrepreneurs and their creative customer service

 

 

Richard

[comfortably numb]

Many thanks for the usual great advice. Just had a peaceful and undisturbed Saturday night outside Star City. Made it to the match yesterday (we lost again) but with only minutes to spare due to a hold up in the Farmers Bridge flight while the police recovered an unfortunate deceased person from the Snow Hill section.

 

Next overnight stops will probably be Ocker Hill, Hawne Basin, then The Waterfront, Brierley Hill although I've heard this has gone downhill since we were last there 10 years ago so might be dodgy.

[john6767]

Many thanks for the usual great advice. Just had a peaceful and undisturbed Saturday night outside Star City. Made it to the match yesterday (we lost again) but with only minutes to spare due to a hold up in the Farmers Bridge flight while the police recovered an unfortunate deceased person from the Snow Hill section.

 

Next overnight stops will probably be Ocker Hill, Hawne Basin, then The Waterfront, Brierley Hill although I've heard this has gone downhill since we were last there 10 years ago so might be dodgy.

We stayed overnight at the Waterfront in the summer. I would not say it was dodgy at all, but very quiet as most of the bars have closed down. Weatherspoons is still open though, and provided a very good cheap cooked breakfast, but be aware that they don't sell alcohol until 9am (they open at 8am), which they thought would be a bit of an issue to us, it was not!

[AndrewIC]

A few years back we stopped at Windmill End, opposite the visitor centre, which was quiet. Gosty Hill Tunnel is a bit interesting!

 

(Do the crew of Firefly look as though they need a stiff drink with breakfast ??)

[john6767]

A few years back we stopped at Windmill End, opposite the visitor centre, which was quiet. Gosty Hill Tunnel is a bit interesting!

 

(Do the crew of Firefly look as though they need a stiff drink with breakfast ??)

Not sure about that perhaps we do, but there were plenty of people coming in post 9am for breakfast accompanied with a drink. As we had 30+ locks to do that day so I think a drink with breakfast would have been a mistake.

[nicknorman]

Many thanks for the usual great advice. Just had a peaceful and undisturbed Saturday night outside Star City. Made it to the match yesterday (we lost again) but with only minutes to spare due to a hold up in the Farmers Bridge flight while the police recovered an unfortunate deceased person from the Snow Hill section.

 

Next overnight stops will probably be Ocker Hill, Hawne Basin, then The Waterfront, Brierley Hill although I've heard this has gone downhill since we were last there 10 years ago so might be dodgy.

An alternative to the waterfront is the embankment overlooking the shopping centre just a hundred yards or so further on. Lots of bollards there and quite a few boats when we passed last month.

[Mac of Cygnet]

An alternative to the waterfront is the embankment overlooking the shopping centre just a hundred yards or so further on. Lots of bollards there and quite a few boats when we passed last month.

 

We were so appalled by the developments there (although I'm sure they are perfectly good moorings - everyone we met told us that was the place to stop) that we went on to Windmill End, from where one can walk up to Ma Pardoes (The Old Swan), a shrine if ever there was one.