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Cruising around the Birmingham Jewellery Quarter


Marjorie

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Hiya

 

Some of you know I'm a jeweller already, I have been trying to think of (practical) ways to keep working if I move onto a narrowboat. Pretty sure we'll go for the CC option, and I wondered what people's experience of the stretch of canal around Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter are - I'm thinking I could perhaps rent a bench there, and conveniently be slap bang in the middle of a canal-rich bit of the country.

 

Before I get told off for asking questions and not doing the legwork, we're going up there in a couple of weeks to look at a boat, but I wondered what your experiences were of the quality of cruising, services, spots to moor, how busy it is...

 

Here's a link to a map of where the Jewellery Quarter is in relation to the canals: https://goo.gl/maps/I5Rr8

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I would have thought that CCing anywhere around the Birmingham conurbation would put you within easy reach of the Jewellery Quarter.

There are also permanent moorings just off the loop around the prison to the North West. (as above!)

Edited by Graham Davis
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Presumably you realise that the stretch of canal to the south east of the jewellery quarter, up to the rail lines, is a flight of 13 closely spaced locks? After the railways is a pound down to the next junction but is a popular hang-out for drunks so not my idea of a good place to moor.

 

The mainline area to the southwest is a mixture of visitor moorings and areas "in the middle of no-where" so the suggestion of the soho loop / Hockley Port is the best one, but it is not really in the jewellery quarter (which is quite small).

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Presumably you realise that the stretch of canal to the south east of the jewellery quarter, up to the rail lines, is a flight of 13 closely spaced locks? After the railways is a pound down to the next junction but is a popular hang-out for drunks so not my idea of a good place to moor.

The mainline area to the southwest is a mixture of visitor moorings and areas "in the middle of no-where" so the suggestion of the soho loop / Hockley Port is the best one, but it is not really in the jewellery quarter (which is quite small).

Well, out the end of the access road, down the hill, up the other side and you are right in the jewellery quarter. A ten minute walk perhaps?

 

Richard

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I think I misread the OP slightly - I thought she was looking to place her boat in the jewellery quarter with a view to selling stuff from it, but that is not really what she is asking.

Edited by nicknorman
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Presumably you realise that the stretch of canal to the south east of the jewellery quarter, up to the rail lines, is a flight of 13 closely spaced locks? After the railways is a pound down to the next junction but is a popular hang-out for drunks so not my idea of a good place to moor.

The mainline area to the southwest is a mixture of visitor moorings and areas "in the middle of no-where" so the suggestion of the soho loop / Hockley Port is the best one, but it is not really in the jewellery quarter (which is quite small).

I didn't know any of that (I've never actually been there) - literally only thought of it as an option this afternoon, when I happened to be chatting to someone about Hatton Garden and the Birmingham JQ - so thanks :) (I didn't think to look at a sensible canal map as a start, rather than Google maps, which knows precious little about waterways). We'll go do a proper reccie in a couple of weeks, but as you say, I'm more interested in the possibility of a commute to the Quarter rather than necessarily being within spitting distance (I take it it's not as congested as the canals in London, despite being a city?). I've got my bike, as well as my feet... Although no sense of the scale f things north of the Watford Gap...

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If you are doing a recce, we are at Hockley Port ( though out cruising off and on till late July) and have been for over 10 yrs- happy to chat if you are in the are when we are

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Marjorie,

I suggest you do a search on here about mooring in Birmingham. Whilst there might be a lot of canals there aren't that many places suitable to moor and be within cycling distance of the JQ. Hockley Port would be very suitable as would The Old Engine Arm, plus Oozels St Loop. I can't think of anywhere else, but others may be able to help more.

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If you are doing a recce, we are at Hockley Port ( though out cruising off and on till late July) and have been for over 10 yrs- happy to chat if you are in the are when we are

 

That would be excellent, thank you :)

 

Marjorie,

I suggest you do a search on here about mooring in Birmingham. Whilst there might be a lot of canals there aren't that many places suitable to moor and be within cycling distance of the JQ. Hockley Port would be very suitable as would The Old Engine Arm, plus Oozels St Loop. I can't think of anywhere else, but others may be able to help more.

 

That's a good idea, that for some reason didn't occur to me. Doing it now (well, once the coffee's done).

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Marjorie,

I suggest you do a search on here about mooring in Birmingham. Whilst there might be a lot of canals there aren't that many places suitable to moor and be within cycling distance of the JQ. Hockley Port would be very suitable as would The Old Engine Arm, plus Oozels St Loop. I can't think of anywhere else, but others may be able to help more.

Plenty of places with good public transport easy to cc on BCN and get to JQ

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