Droitwich Double 3 - Into Droitwich

Droitwich Double

Tardebigge to Droitwich

5th July 2011

7 miles - 19 locks - 5 hours

This was a real red letter day for boating. Not only is it new water to travel on, but its also a new canal and therefore something of an unknown quantity - very exciting! Our aim is to reach Droitwich today so we will cover just the narrow Droitwich Junction Canal, leaving the wide Barge Canal for tomorrow.

Netherfield Basin, Droitwich from St Augustines

Having seen the multitudes flocking away from Droitwich yesterday we felt a bit like the Biblical foolish virgins who arrived at the wedding after the feasting had ended. The party may have finished but the locals were still coming to terms with the changes they had wrought. Anyway, I am getting ahead of myself.

We were up and away by 9.00am, marching down to Stoke Prior (6 locks) and then the Astwood flight (6 locks). I always find it difficult to say where Tardebigge ends. Technically I know its at the Queens Head but the short pound feels like an interruption in a greater descent - a bit like a ledge on the face of the Eiger, just big enough for a handful boats to rest on their way up or down.

A helping hand from BW

BW were hard at work by Black Prince, also catching up after the Droitwich opening. They set the lock for us and shared inside observations about the new canal and were rewarded with slices of Belle's Rose Hip Bread. 

The garden at Astwood Bottom Lock was its usual glorious self and the offer to buy six duck eggs was an opportunity too good to miss. Huge yokes and full of flavour.

Side pounds in use at the top locks

Finally, we reached Hanbury Junction with rain clouds building over our heads. All morning the hay bailers have been dashing round the fields but this all has to come to an end. Its just a shame it ended at the exact moment we started down the new canal. I tried to grab some photos but keeping the camera dry was a major headache. No matter - we will be going down again in a couple of days - this is the Droitwich Double after all!

Map of the Droitwich Canals

It was like Paddys Market at the junction, two boats emerged and one of the on line moorers, his boat fendered to the hilt, was repositioning his craft, plus BW were moving a dumb barge and tug down the first three locks. These first few days have been a baptism of fire for the canal, probably carrying more concentrated traffic than it will for many years to come. As a result they are juggling water levels and ironing out the teething troubles. 

New section at the Rugby Club

The top three locks are very deep at nearly 13 feet each, comsuming copious quantities of water. To help contain this pressure on the Worcester Birmingham Canal the side pounds are being used, which is something of a novelty and found only on the Foxton Staircase to the best of my knowledge. A volunteer lock keeper was also on duty, keeping an eye on things - a resource soon to be withdrawn.

There was quite a crowd at the restored top locks, we passed Martin Ludgate on a Viking afloat boat -  he seemed familiar but I couldn't place him as I dashed down the towpath shrouded in my waterproofs - but he recognised Wand'ring Bark and Belle at the tiller. Then Vaughan Welch (Deputy National Chairman of the IWA and Vice Chair of the Droitwich Canal Trust) came up making his acquainatance. Awareness of Captain Ahab spreads far afield it seems.

The staircase pair on the Droitwich Junction Canal

And of the canal itself? Well, the first section comprises the original three locks restored several years ago. In the intervening years the entrance of one has moved in to less than 7ft, and this issue was only discovered at the 11th hour. The offending stones were removed and await a permanent repair.Then the course of the canal is lost beneath the gardens of some houses to the south, so a diversion takes place pretty much all the way into Droitwich. This is effectively a brand new line, set maybe 100 yards to the north of the old.

First there is a shallow stretch past the Rugby club, site of a soon to be built 200 berth marina, and then on to the new staircase pair - all clinically white in fresh concrete. The top paddles were built with an over generous capacity, causing a huge surge in the lock below. It seems that some principles of lock design have been lost in 200 years! The solution is to peg the paddle gear to allow them to be only 1/3rd lifted.

That low M5 culvert

Then it's another short pound to the new single lock which drops the canal into the stream which is used as the means of getting under the M5. This box culvert is tight, there is no contesting the fact. Because you are on a stream the water level fluctuates and this can render the tunnel either too shallow for beep drafted boats (as Barnet discovered) or with too little air draft. There is very little margin for error. The good thing is that the height warning bars are 100% accurate - not like the noddy guide at Froghall which is 1.5 inches pessimistic. If you can get under the bar you can pass through the tunnel - unless someone draws a lock above or below you, and then all bets are off. I can see this tunnel being a talking point for years.

Then you burst out into a beautiful winding river section before dropping through yet another new concrete lock into the canalised River Salwarpe. In time this area will soften I am sure, but at present I can only describe it at utilitarian. Lots of steel piling and concrete capping, the banks are bare earth as work only finshed a couple of weeks ago. Nature is good at healing such scars but for now it does the job without a lot of concession to beauty.

The last narrow lock

Then its into the Barge Lock - a wide lock but still part of the Droitwich Junction Canal and gateway to Vine Park. At the time of our visit it was merely a flood lock with a fall of maybe  an inch, so having moved the swing bridge we sluiced through with both gates open. 

Vine Park, Droitwich

The park itself is beautiful, with three swing bridges carrying footpaths from one side to the other. Luckily, one is chained open but that still leaves the shore based crew member dashing like a mad thing through the park to unlock the other two (BW key needed) and swing them out of the way before the boat arrives.  You are not left with much time to stand and admire the view.

The new Droitwich pass time - boat spotting!

Then there is Netherwich Basin, a truly great mooring ringed with reeds and room for about 30 boats hanging off finger pontoons. Its quiet and secure, all protected by a locked gate and a moat like surround of water behind the reeds. The town is a real delight too, but more of that tomorrow. I have bored you enough for one day!

Droitwich Double 2 - Birmingham to Tardebigge Bottom Lock

Droitwich Double

Birmingham to Tardebigge Bottom Lock

4th July 2011

16 miles - 30 locks - 8 hours

Today was one of those great boating mornings. We were up and away by 9.00am, passing Aquarius and Ilford moored beside Birmingham's futuristic Cube and then we travelled along mile after mile of tree lined waterway, the mirror like surface of the cut only disturbed by our wash and the occasional ripples from the resident ducks.

Birmingham's Cube

Aquarius and Ilford opposite the Cube

Given the lack of traffic I stopped at the new aqueduct by the hospital, scrambling down the bank to get a better view. Modern concrete it may be, but its still an impressive addition to the waterway.

Selly Oak Aqueduct, Birmingham

We passed a particularly smoky boat as we approached Wast Hill tunnel,  but thought no more about it till we saw the northern portal with diesel fumes still rolling out in great plumes of blue. I know the sign says extinguish all open fires, but maybe that should extend to smoky vintage engines too!. The tunnel was freezing in tee shirts and shorts but a few slices of Belle's freshly baked Rose Hip Bread soon put us right again.

Wast Hill Tunnel - north portal

Inside the Wast Hill Tunnel

Shortwood Tunnel

We arrived at Tardebigge top at 3.00pm, completing the flight in three hours ten minutes and  passing a fair contingent of Birmingham boating's great and good along the way - all returning from the festivities at Droitwich. 

Barnet at Tardebigge

First up was Barnet, streered by Laurence Hogg and crewed by Dave Williams of Lichfield and Hatherton Restoration Trust - who recognised me as a an honorary lifetime member (long story). Then along came Phil Clayton in Marsh Harrier (Birmingham Canal Navigations Society) chased by Tony Phillips steering his recently repainted Trent 2. Belle described this bunch of canal desperado's as hardcore canal nerds - pigeon holing me as a soft core nerd I guess!

Messrs Hogg and Williams

Between them they described their exploits in Droitwich and in particular, Barnet's unexpected 35 min delay in the notorious M5 culvert. More of that in a future post in this series.

Tardebigge bottom lock house

We moored near the Queens Head but to our disappointment it was closed for staff interviews, the only day of the year it is closed. As a consolation we broke out our the bank side BBQ and washed the end result down with a few pints of home brew.

Droitwich Double 1 - to Gas Street Basin

Droitwich Double

Calf Heath to Birmingham City Centre

3rd July 2011

24 miles - 24 locks - 10 hours

Index of posts in this series:


1. Wolverhampton to Birmingham - this post
2. Birmingham to Tardebigge
3. Tardebigge to Droitwich
4. Droitwich town
5. Droitwich to Worcester
6. Worcester to Droitwich
7. Droitwich to Wolverley
8. Wolverley
9. Wolverley to Dimmingsdale
10. Wolverhampton

Why the Droitwich Double? Well, as its the first official week of the newly reopened Droitwich Canal as a through route we thought we would vary the regular Stourport Ring and do a grand figure of eight, descending the Droitwich not once, but twice. Nearly 40 years in the remaking and the first complete reopening of a midlands canal since the Caldon in the early 1970's. Whilst we couldn't be there for the opening ceremony the least we could do was to be one of the first 'regular punters' to make our way along it.

Narrowboat Aquarius

Maybe four passages through the Wolverhampton 21 in as many weeks had sapped my enthusiasm, but I awoke with a heavy heart knowing that the flight wont do itself. I know I shouldn't complain, but it was sunny, you know, really sunny with a scorching sun blasting down out of a clear blue sky and whilst this is nice on the flat, its not so good for working locks!

Wand'ring Bark on the Wolverhampton 21

Spirits were buoyed at the start where we bumped into Aquarius, a beautifully restored working boat awaiting the delivery of the butty Ilford, which they were towing to Gloucester. Aquarius is a regular on the Staffs and Worcester, being owned by the same couple for 40 years and based in the arm above Dimmingsdale Lock. In fact, we saw her paired with Ilford a couple of years, all loaded down with logs from the Shugborough Estate. By a curious twist of fate as we both sat jawing at Wolverhampton bottom lock we were told that the junction post behind us was made from old lock gates and was transported into position by Aquarius 30 years ago.

William Perry - Tipton's Pugelist

The Wolverhampton 21 has become one of Belle's favourite foraging areas so she scuttled off into the undergrowth in search of wild rasberries, rose hips and blackberries, whilst Tilly and I plodded up the hill. The set of the locks did us as few favours as the weather and the ascent dragged on for 3.5 hours - its had to believe that sub two hour runs were routine when the top gate paddles existed.

Oldbury Arches

The weed between Wolverhampton and Coseley is getting thick, not prop clogging thick but instead is so restricts the channel that progress is slowed to a crawl. Things looked up beyond Bloomfield Junction and we opted to take the Old Main Line - the scenic route descending at Smethwick. The depth of the OML at Tipton puzzles me - I suspect the whole area has subsided with mining and resulted in an over deep channel as also exists at Walsall Wood.

Smethwick Top Lock

We arrived in Sherborne Wharf at 7.15, pausing to chew the cud with Paul of Waterway Routes. Both Aquarius and Waterway Routes are making their slow pilgrimages to Droitwich so we won't be short of company when we get there. We moored just behind Star Polisher and enjoyed some drinks with Nick and Victoria before hitting the sack for an early night.

The modern face of Sherborne Wharf

Bread upon the Waters - book review

Bread upon the Waters
by David Blagrove


I am so indebted to Chris and Maralyn on nb Nebulea for introducing me to the works of David Blagrove. I arrived at Wand'ring Bark the other day to discover two of David's books carefully wrapped and ready to read. Its like my birthday every time I go there!

This book is unique in a number of ways, set as it is at the balancing point when commercial trade came to an effective end amid the ice and  snow of 1962 / 63, a decline spurred on by the indifference of the authorities and the structural shift from water to road.


There are other books from this period, books like 'Hold on a Minute' and 'The Last Number Ones' which record the latter days of narrowboat trading, but none which approach the subject with Blagrove's eloquence and eye for detail. Blagrove is a natural storyteller, a peoples person who appears universally well liked and able to draw illuminating first hand accounts from those he encounters.


But what of the book? 


Well, its an autobiographical account of a young Bragrove aged about 20 whose passion for narrowboats sat uncomfortably with his city office job. He ran a summer trip boat on the River  Kennet in Reading, and when he was sacked he expanded his passion for boating into full time winter work with Willow Wren. 


Willow Wren's contracts took him up and down the Grand Union, rubbing shoulders with the last of the working boatmen and their families, who accepted this enthusiastic young man into their community. By the time he plied the route between London, Birmingham and the Northamptonshire coalfields there were less than 100 pairs working the whole system, but he made the most of the meetings he had.  He listened to their stories and retells them in his book, woven into the tales of his own travels. 


The result is a book rich in atmosphere and history. I am sure that the technical descriptions are accurate, but its the people stories which bring it all to life. Its an age just after my birth and maybe six years before I started to travel the same waters, but not as one of his beloved boatmen but rather as part of a body tourist boaters who ultimately offered a new lease of life to a canal network, which appeared in terminal decline.


If you love the canals but want to get a real feel for how it was when working boats were for work and not for play, read on. 


The book was written in the mid 1980's and its sobering to realise that such is the passage of time that working boaters are passing out of living memory. David Blagroves account therefore represents one of the very last first hand accounts of this significant period, and is one to read and savour.


Read this book and you will emerge educated, amused and enriched - not bad for a book written 25 years ago.


Chris, Marlyn and especially David - thank you.

Stratford 2011 - Camp Hill to Tipton

Stratford 2011

Camp Hill to Tipton

21 May 2011

11 Miles - 28 Locks - 8 hours

Camp Hill moorings are as fine as they come in an urban area. Quiet, secure and with incredibly clean showers as a bonus. This is a great staging post for a full frontal assault on the BCN.

Birmingham New Main Line

Edu's Emigma was off before us, leaving me to turn the locks. Given the remoteness of the location this is one of the few places where I feel comfortable lock wheeling way ahead - right down to the bottom lock. But not everything went my way, far from it. As I puffed and panted my way back up beside the deserted pound my pedal fell off. Chinese bikes!

If that wasn't enough I got myself in a right muddle in the penultimate lock. Belle was off foraging and I was working solo. Because the pound below was low I decided to bow haul the boat out of the lock, but forgot that in doing so I would pull the boat onto an underwater shoal. Lo and behold my reward for a momentary lapse of sanity was a boat stranded about four feet out and way down below a brick retaining wall. In desperation I managed to flick the mop off the cabin roof and into my outstretched hands allowing me to push the bows out and get her moving just enough to leap aboard.

That troublesome tyre

Bad news tends to come  in threes and this was no exception. Belle had set the last lock but the top gate wasn't fully open. I urged her to get off the gate on which she was sitting and indicated my intention to give it a bit of a shove, squashing the rubbish behind. What I didn't realise was that behind that gate lurked a car wheel complete with hub and tyre. I gave it some welly and ground to a stop, stuck fast in the jaws, I couldn't go forward and I couldn't go back no matter how hard we revved or pulled.

Oldbury's tinny sculpture

Nerves turned to a cold sweat and thoughts turned to a BW rescue squad. Oh the embarrassment. In all my travels I have never, never ever resorted to calling in the troops. I mulled it over - the boat couldn't get narrower and the gate wouldn't open wider so the obstruction had to move. I tried it with a shaft and a mallet but that simply splintered my prize handspike. More thought - then a eureka  moment.. the tyre was inflated so a minute of two with a hacksaw on the carcass and the water erupted  if a flurry of pressurised air - and the boat drifted free.

Birmingham's BT Tower

Then it was up the Ashted flight in 45 mins before setting about the Farmers Bridge 13, passing an Anglo Welsh boat on the way down who promptly winded and did their up most to catch us up. With an empty gas tank and getting low on diesel I was pleased to see Away to Serve's service boat laying beside the National Sea Life Centre. This is a great facility in an area with very limited service options. As we took on diesel Belle produced a steaming bowl of nettle soup, made from fresh nettles picked from Camp Hill Locks accompanied by home made bread. All very tasty, winning the approval of a sceptical Away engineer.

Nettle picking in Digbeth

Our passage to Tipton included the loops and the Old Main Line via Smethwick- always our preferred route across the Birmingham plateau. Its really good to see the toll office at the top of the Smethwick flight all fixed up. Lets hope that the new roof is both secure and fireproof.  

Smethwick's refubished toll house (again)

The Old Main Line offered loads of scope for foraging for Japanese Rose, today's target plant. All this stop and start through the lillypads was a bit of a nightmare and resulted in several trips down the weed hatch.

Foraging for Japanese Rose at Oldbury

We used the Black Country Museum as a mooring, squeezing in among a plethora of workboats which were using most of the space before making a pilgrimage to Mad O'Rurkes, home of the splendid Black Country Lumphammer.