Birmingham and Fazeley canal

[John C]

This years summer trip will take in the B and F. We will start at the Gas street end and cruise down Farmers Bridge and so on. My question is this, how far would we need to go to get to safe overnight moorings? Not looking for fantastic views, just somewhere the local idiots wont bother us.

 

Thanks

[IanM]

I think Curdworth is generally thought of as the place to reach for the first stop out of Brum.

[by'eck]

First stop if its not a full day could be the off-side gated moorings at Star City immediately before Salford Junction. Plenty of restaurants on site.

 

After that once on the B & F, there are mooring rings immediately outside The Boat pub by Dicken's bridge at Minworth. Big Asda close by.

 

Better still but further up are several good moorings close by the Dog & Doublet pub at Bodymoor Heath between locks 8 & 9. Only hassle here given the short pound, is that it can get a tad shallow for deep draught boats, during regular use. This necessitated in my case, stealing some water from the much larger pound above.

[OldGoat]

Although Curdworth is the minimum safe distance suggested, last year I had to stop some distance after Minworth bottom lock (just sort of a 'winding hole' ) and had no problems. Given that there's the A3x not very far away it was not overly noisy, either.

 

From the last two locks before Cuckoo basin to the top of Minworth is particularly dire, with the bottom near the top - so much so that you should put your crew out by the penultimate lock.

I'm usually content with grotty surroundings, but the black evil smelling stuff churned up when you move or go astern is really evil.

Next time we visit Brum, I will probably go down Aston and Garrison to avoid that lot.

 

 

 

[pearley]

I dont know why people are still saying that Curdworth is the first safe overnight stop. Its a miserable place in a cutting and overhung with trees which cut out the sun.

 

I'm with Richard but would add Cuckoo Wharf and the old Kingsley Pub.

 

Regards

Pete

[john6767]

I dont know why people are still saying that Curdworth is the first safe overnight stop. Its a miserable place in a cutting and overhung with trees which cut out the sun.

 

I'm with Richard but would add Cuckoo Wharf and the old Kingsley Pub.

 

Regards

Pete

I would say Curdworth is good as saying the first place to stop (but very gloomy), but I would personally go on to 1 or 2 pounds above the Dog and Doublet, much more pleasant.

 

If you go down Aston there is Cuckoo Wharf, or if you do down Ashted and Garrison there is Star City, if you don't want to do it all in a day. Gas St to Dog and Doublet is easily dooable in a day if you want to.

[pearley]

Although Curdworth is the minimum safe distance suggested, last year I had to stop some distance after Minworth bottom lock (just sort of a 'winding hole' ) and had no problems. Given that there's the A3x not very far away it was not overly noisy, either. From the last two locks before Cuckoo basin to the top of Minworth is particularly dire, with the bottom near the top - so much so that you should put your crew out by the penultimate lock.I'm usually content with grotty surroundings, but the black evil smelling stuff churned up when you move or go astern is really evil.Next time we visit Brum, I will probably go down Aston and Garrison to avoid that lot.

 

What makes you think that Garrison Locks are any better?

[AndrewIC]

Star City, if you go the Garrison route, pontoon beyond a locked gate (CRT key), popular food and entertainment in the centre if that's your thing, otherwise quiet. Down the Aston route Cuckoo Wharf looks safe, if a bit grim.

[muddywaters]

When we did the black country ring, we moored by the Dog & Doublet heading into Brum.

Then did the Aston and farmers bridge flights in one go the next day.

Oh yes and got a gorgeous steak and chips at the Dog & Doublet

[Dave_P]

If you're not stopping at cuckoo wharf or star city, then Curdworth is the minimum for safety. Minworth and The Kingsbury area looks ok but there's been a few incidents in the past there. Also when my friend moored there recently she had her diesel stolen from her tank! I personally quite like the Curdworth VMs but if it's too enclosed for you then moor just beyond the tunnel.

[Rob-M]

Last time I went that way I decided not to stop and kept going to Fazeley Junction, a long day but I like the chippy in Fazeley.

[matty40s]

What makes you think that Garrison Locks are any better?

The water is so clear, you can work out which retailers shopping bags are round your prop.

[pearley]

The water is so clear, you can work out which retailers shopping bags are round your prop.

Never really noticed the water being any clearer than other parts of the West Midlands. Collected a Thetford porta Potti - full! - at one lock a few years ago and a complete Mazda dashboard going up Camp Hill.

 

Never the less, I really like Birmingham.

[matty40s]

I got a christmas tree - complete with tinsel (in April) going up camp hill. It's probably still at Hatton Top long term moorings now :-)

[Proper Charlie]

A few weeks ago, we went all the way from Gas St to beyond Curdworth Bottom Lock. It was a long day but there are some really beautiful and safe rural moorings there, next to a nature reserve. There is some armco but not as much as it first seems - there are also lots of hessian bags to encourage reed/plant life and they're tied to the armco with metal hooks, which would scrape your paintwork if you tried to moor next to them.

[trackman]

Curdworth is fine but gloomy, we usually go through the tunnel & tie up just before the lock moorings at the top of the flight. Anywhere down the flight will be ok, and it's lovely below the locks(though less so now the new flood wall is there).

I would not moor in the Minworth area, though years ago on a hire boat we did stop by the Boat pub and some still do.

The (now long closed) pub between there and Curdworth gives a clue about the intervening area! Smashed laminated security glass windows still have a "security" firm's signs in them. What chance a boat with no security guards?

Beware Ashstead Tunnel if you go that way. If your cabin is is high as ours or higher, you will scrape your handrail on the offside on a bulge in the arch going down. The only way to avoid this is to deliberately drop the pound above the tunnel lock before entering. Otherwise you get jammed between towpath edge and tunnel arch. Our air draft is not large and our cabin has a good tumble home to it, and we've never had problems elsewhere.

[pearley]

The closed Kingsley Pub at Minworth is at present being rebuilt to add 36 bedrooms to become an hotel probably Travelodge/Premier Inn. So will probably be a better bet in future although there is always that single mooring on the other side of the bridge on the offside.

 

It has been said that Star City is a secure mooring. Whilst it is gated it is not secure. Any fit young man bent on wrong doing can climb over the gate and does as the boat moored in front of us there last month found out. You should also be aware that an organisation operates from there hiring out pedalos and canoes on Saturdays and Sundays plus weekdays during the school holidays. They use the short end of the pontoon to launch so if mooring there stay on the longer bit.

[nicknorman]

The closed Kingsley Pub at Minworth is at present being rebuilt to add 36 bedrooms to become an hotel probably Travelodge/Premier Inn. So will probably be a better bet in future although there is always that single mooring on the other side of the bridge on the offside.

It has been said that Star City is a secure mooring. Whilst it is gated it is not secure. Any fit young man bent on wrong doing can climb over the gate and does as the boat moored in front of us there last month found out. You should also be aware that an organisation operates from there hiring out pedalos and canoes on Saturdays and Sundays plus weekdays during the school holidays. They use the short end of the pontoon to launch so if mooring there stay on the longer bit.

It is true that star city moorings are not intruder-proof, but then surely virtually no-where is. It does however have a good security system comprising numerous cameras and security guards. When I visited by road during the middle of the day to check out the mooring potential, I was impressed to be challenge by security folk within moments of getting out of the car and walking up the side of the buildings alongside (but on the land-side of the fence) the mooring pontoon. They were friendly once they knew I was a boater and when asked, were very confident about their security and the safety of the moorings.

 

Therefore a bit surprise about your comment re "the boat moored in front of you" - what happened?

Edited July 9, 2014 by nicknorman

[OldGoat]

What makes you think that Garrison Locks are any better?

 

Solely on the basis that nothing could be worse.

 

It's a while since we did Garrison, but if my memory serves me well, you can at least pull into the side to the crew off and entering the locks have enough water.

 

That is my point about the main route: if there are a lot of boats coming up, the bottom pound(s) empty quickly, so the level is down and that's where the navigation problems occur.

As Garrison is not such a popular route, there's not so much of an issue with water levels.

[pearley]

Therefore a bit surprise about your comment re "the boat moored in front of you" - what happened?

It was a Sea Otter called 'Blue Horizons'. They were woken in the night by noise on the pontoon, opened the door to find two men unzipping the pram cover. After a shout they ran off.

 

I was really taking exception to others saying the moorings are 'secure'. I know it is semantics but perhaps we should say they are safe.

[nicknorman]

It was a Sea Otter called 'Blue Horizons'. They were woken in the night by noise on the pontoon, opened the door to find two men unzipping the pram cover. After a shout they ran off.

I was really taking exception to others saying the moorings are 'secure'. I know it is semantics but perhaps we should say they are safe.

I see. Yes, not somewhere I would want to leave the boat unattended for long periods but as non-city-centre Birmingham goes it is probably as safe as it gets.

 

Of course we once had a stone through the window when moored outside the NIA so no-where is totally safe.

[billS]

It was a Sea Otter

 

Ah - but that makes all the difference. Maybe they figured that as it was Sea Otter, it would probably filled with jewels and and stuff, and worth the effort to overcome the security. Even the gold anodes would make it worth their while

 

Probably still safe enough for ordinary boats...

[John C]

Many thanks for all the replies, useful info. We will see what the weather is like, a nice day and Curdworth, miserable then we will give Star City a go.

[junior]

Have I got my geography wrong is is Typhoo Basin in that neck of the woods? I seem to remember passing it not long before we got to Star City.

[nicknorman]

Typhoo basin is not on the "normal" route up the B&F into Brum, but you can turn 1st left at Salford, past Star City, right at Bordesley Jn and go up Ashtead to come out at Aston Jn. Before you get to Ashtead you get to another Jn where Typhoo is left and Brum is right. That Jn probably has a name but I don't recall it (cue BCN fanatics who will tell us!).

Edited July 12, 2014 by nicknorman