Curdworth to Birmingham (Birmingham& Fazeley Canal)

Friday 2nd October

Foggy Morning on the canal

We are off into Birmingham today, 27 locks and 9 miles!!  We wanted an early start but it was quite foggy when we got up, so we waited a bit and it got thinner so we set off at 8am.  There was still some fog lying on the canal but it wasn’t very thick so we could see okay, it actually looks very pretty hanging over the canal and in the bridge holes.

Under the buildings we go

Coming to Salford Junction

And onto the next lock

We chugged along and soon were at the first of the three Minworth locks, soon through them and on along the canal under a huge building, its more like a tunnel and not very nice, lots of rubbish and graffiti and then we were at Salford junction and we went off up the second arm which is still the Birmingham and Fazeley canal and started up the Aston flight of eleven locks.  Luckily they were all set for us, so we made good time going up there.  The locks are okay but the area is not the best.  We didn’t see any other boats at all, it was just us.

Heading to the Farmers Locks

Working up the Farmers Lock Flight

Almost at the top

We were then at Aston Junction and we went straight on under the bridge and along the canal and started up the Farmers locks of thirteen locks.  Unfortunately these were not set for us, so I had to empty the first five or so before we could go in them.  There were no boats coming down but there was one behind us.

At the Top, Hurray!!

When we were about half way up we met a volunteer lock keeper and he had got the next few locks ready for us and he helped us through, that was great as I was flagging a bit by then.  We worked up through the locks and before we knew it we were at the top at Cambrian Wharf.

We left the locks behind us and chugged on and moored at the visitor moorings on the Oozells Street Loop in the centre of Birmingham.

We had a walk around Brindley place which is on the canal and then just chilled out for the rest of the day. 

We are staying here now for a couple of days so will have a look around tomorrow.

Moored in Birmingham

Saturday 3^rd October

Birmingham Cathedral

Ingenious Device writing on the paths

We are staying here in Birmingham until Monday, so we had breakfast then went up to the markets by the Bull Ring where they sell everything and there is a great produce market.  We bought lots of fruit and vegetables, it is really cheap but very fresh.  We wandered around then walked back to the canal past Birmingham Cathedral, we haven’t seen that before.  We did look inside but unfortunately it is a bit of a building site at the moment as they are renovating it.  Next time we are here we will go there again as it looks a lovely building. 

There was some event on outside the Cathedral celebrating 300 years and there was a machine that someone had invented and it was writing on the paths, really ingenious!  We walked back to the canal and back to the boat.