StephenA Posted January 11, 2017 Report Share Posted January 11, 2017 Someone on Canalplan has posted a note on the page for the Wednesbury Old Canal stating: Due to the toxins in the silt, boats are requested not to cruise this water. Does anyone know if this is true, and if so where has the information come from? Cheers Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RLWP Posted January 11, 2017 Report Share Posted January 11, 2017 Someone on Canalplan has posted a note on the page for the Wednesbury Old Canal stating: Does anyone know if this is true, and if so where has the information come from? Cheers Steve Presumably the 'Ridgacre'. Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pearley Posted January 11, 2017 Report Share Posted January 11, 2017 There is a notice stuck on a pole at the entrance just above Ryders Green Top Lock requesting that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RLWP Posted January 11, 2017 Report Share Posted January 11, 2017 We barely got through the weeds in 2009. I wonder if any boats have been through since then Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pearley Posted January 11, 2017 Report Share Posted January 11, 2017 (edited) http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=22743 Not the same notice. Edited January 11, 2017 by pearley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RLWP Posted January 11, 2017 Report Share Posted January 11, 2017 http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=22743 Not the same notice. That particular notice was put up by the BCNS for the 2009 BCN Challenge. Hairy Neil took it down on our trip up the branch in 2009 Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pearley Posted January 11, 2017 Report Share Posted January 11, 2017 (edited) That particular notice was put up by the BCNS for the 2009 BCN Challenge. Hairy Neil took it down on our trip up the branch in 2009 Richard As I said, not the same notice that is there now. And this was posted a couple of years ago: The Canal and River Trust have asked that boats do not navigate the section of the Wendnesbury Old Canal from Ryders Green Junction towards the Ridgeacre Stub because of excessive pollution. At the time of revising these rules it is not possible to navigate to the winding hole. I recall the Waterways Manager as saying, when asked about dredging it that, if he actually had the funds to do it, then there were netter things he could spend the money on. The Canal and River Trust have asked that boats do not navigate the section of the Wendnesbury Old Canal from Ryders Green Junction towards the Ridgeacre Stub because of excessive pollution. At the time of revising these rules it is not possible to navigate to the winding hole. Edited January 11, 2017 by pearley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RLWP Posted January 11, 2017 Report Share Posted January 11, 2017 As I said, not the same notice that is there now. I think Hairy Neil still has that sign if you would like it Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pearley Posted January 11, 2017 Report Share Posted January 11, 2017 I think Hairy Neil still has that sign if you would like it Richard Well it probably has larger text than the current one. You need to walk along the towpath to read it or get the binoculars out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Mack Posted January 11, 2017 Report Share Posted January 11, 2017 The BCN Challenge was first initiated in response to BW allowing the Ridgeacre Branch to be cut off for the building of the Black Country Spine Road. So it is rather ironic that an event predicated on the basis of use-it-or-lose-it has cooperated in rendering the remaining accessible section of the Wednesbury Old Canal effectively unnavigable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephenA Posted January 11, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2017 There is a notice stuck on a pole at the entrance just above Ryders Green Top Lock requesting that. So is Pudding Green to Ryders Green still navigable? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john6767 Posted January 11, 2017 Report Share Posted January 11, 2017 So is Pudding Green to Ryders Green still navigable? Yes that is the through route, no issue there other than it is slow going. The only bit that is not really nivigable is the section that now effectively is an arm off at the top of Ryders Green locks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephenA Posted January 11, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2017 Yes that is the through route, no issue there other than it is slow going. The only bit that is not really nivigable is the section that now effectively is an arm off at the top of Ryders Green locks. Thanks - we'll do some work on Canalplan to basically split the canal up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Mac Posted January 11, 2017 Report Share Posted January 11, 2017 There is more than an element of truth in the statement. There were many sources of pollution from factories along this length and then there was the gas works at the far end, just beyond the spine Rd which now stops it dead. We last took our boat up there in 2001 and got well stuck in the final bridge hole, late at night. We stirred up a great deal of black nasties and the smell was as our tanks use to smell. We eventually got off, winded at then end and returned to the top of Ryders Green to drink in the pub there. We did try the pub across the spine road but it was awful!. I believe the following day there were a good number of dead fish on that length.As a consequence of this and other incidents its use has been banned from use in the BCN Challenge.There is no official statement, which says it is closed, but you may be the first boat in a long long time to use it.I can remember it being dredged in the mid 1980's and it was great fun to zoom up and down it then, and in fact when we did it on 2001 the only place we stuck was that horrid final bridge - we ended up removing over twenty trolleys to get through. We draw well over 3ft at the backend. We went up as far as the first bend a couple of years ago, but as we were not mob handed we chickened out of going further. The weed and sedge is now nearly full across the canal. I believe it is still an unadopted remainder waterway, so C&RT will not be spending any money on it as the council (who will have none) should be paying for it to be sorted - either abandoned or dredged.-- cheers Ian Mac Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RLWP Posted January 11, 2017 Report Share Posted January 11, 2017 You will be the boat I remember heading up that way a couple of years back, Ian. I did wonder if you got through Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tacet Posted January 12, 2017 Report Share Posted January 12, 2017 (edited) We had a run at it in 2012: http://narrowboattacet.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/finding-another-challenge.html and got about half-way to the spine road before coming to a firm halt. It's not just a matter of weed, the canal is silted-up to the extent that there is little depth avaialble. We went in ignorance of the pollutants and have to admit to turning-up some rather foul muck. Some nasty silt can be stirred-up on the Fens Branch of the Storubridge Canal too - but the Swan Arm of the Ridgacre branch was more revolting. Don't fall-in. Edited January 12, 2017 by Tacet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanM Posted January 12, 2017 Report Share Posted January 12, 2017 We did it in 2004 and like others, stirred up a lot of horrible muck and got stuck under the last bridge in both directions. DSCI0025 by Ian, on Flickr Wednesbury Old Canal, Birmingham Canal Navigations by Ian, on Flickr DSCI0031 by Ian, on Flickr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephenA Posted January 20, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2017 We've now split the canal into two on Canalplan and marked part of it as closed..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave_P Posted January 20, 2017 Report Share Posted January 20, 2017 We did it in 2004 and like others, stirred up a lot of horrible muck and got stuck under the last bridge in both directions. DSCI0025 by Ian, on Flickr Wednesbury Old Canal, Birmingham Canal Navigations by Ian, on Flickr DSCI0031 by Ian, on Flickr Is that Collingwood? Either way, that's a deep drafted boat. I'm not surprised you got stuck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanM Posted January 20, 2017 Report Share Posted January 20, 2017 Is that Collingwood? Either way, that's a deep drafted boat. I'm not surprised you got stuck. Yes that is Collingwood. Having done the whole of the BCN in it (aside from the Engine Arm and Cannock Extension) I think that's the only time we got well and truly stuck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom and Bex Posted January 20, 2017 Report Share Posted January 20, 2017 We had a failed attempt in 2013, photos of us stuck in the reeds about half way along are on here somewhere. The only bit we've failed to get through so far - although Bumblehole came close! Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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