Hopwood (Worcester & Birmingham Canal) to The Drawbridge, Shirley (Stratford Canal)

Our singing Blackbird

Approaching Wast Hills Tunnel

In Wast Hills Tunnel

Out we go

We had quite an early start today, we set off at 9am, that’s early for us!!  Along the canal we went and soon the mighty Wast Hills tunnel loomed.  This tunnel used to be referred to as King’s Norton Tunnel and it is 2726yds long and is one of the longest in the country.  A steam-powered and later, a diesel-powered tunnel tug service used to operate in the days of horse-drawn boats, as there is no towpath.  Yesterday evening when we were moored at Hopwood we were serenaded by a blackbird, it was lovely.

There was a boat in front of us but we kept our distance and today it was clear in the tunnel and you could just see the end.  We chugged on through and after about 30 minutes we came out into the sunshine.  On along the canal we went and soon we were at Kings Norton Junction where we turned right onto the Stratford Canal.

Turning onto the Stratford Canal

In the Guillotine Lock

At the start of this canal is a guillotine lock with two wooden gates mounted in iron frames balanced by chains and counterweights.  The machinery is not now used and you can pass under the two gates without stopping.

Soon we were at the next tunnel, Brandwood Tunnel which is 352yds long, a baby compared to Wast Hills.  We went through okay and was just coming out into the sunshine when we ground to a halt and was stuck fast, not sure why but no matter how much Kev revved it wouldn’t budge, we were stuck solid.

In Brandwood Tunnel

Coming out or so we thought!!

The front half of the boat was out of the tunnel and the back half was in the tunnel.  Luckily on the towpath side there was a handrail so Kev managed to lasso them, he thought he was Butch Cassidy, more like Wild Twerp!!  We then both pulled but to no avail.  Kev got the pole and poked around, still we were stuck so Kev had one more go at pulling and revving and slowly we moved and eventually we got going again, but of course we had to get the rope off the handrail, but Wild Twerp did his stuff and on we went along the canal, but we must have been stuck for well over twenty minutes or so.  Where were all the hire boats when we needed a pull, yesterday and the day before they were out in their droves and today not one in sight, typical!!  We think someone must have lobbed something over the tunnel into the entrance and we got stuck on it, aren’t people lovely!!

We went on along the canal and passed a hire boat who had stopped to get a pair of leather trousers off their prop so we told them about the obstruction in the entrance to the tunnel.

Shirley Lift Bridge

After a while we were at Shirley and we moored up just before the lift bridge which is by the Drawbridge pub.  Shortly after a boat came along and apparently they had come through Brandwood Tunnel and not got stuck.  The chap walked down to operate the bridge,  this is an electrically operated bridge which you work with a BW key.  He then shouted back to the lady on the boat that the key he had didn’t fit.  I went out and said you need a BW key and he said that they were on a share boat and all the keys were copies of BW keys.  I said he could borrow ours and when he compared it with the one he had, they were different.  I asked him if he wanted me to go with him to do the bridge and he said yes please.

I put in the key and opened up the bridge and said that he could hop on and I would close the bridge.  He said they were only going down the canal for a bit and would be back up with the next hour or so and could they use our key on the way back.  They went through the bridge and I shut it.

About an hour or so later, there was a tap on the window and it was them back up again so I went down to the control panel to open the bridge.  As I was doing this a boat came down the canal, so I told them once the other boat came through I would keep the bridge open for them, the lady on that boat said there was another boat coming behind them but I said I would close it after her if they were not coming around the bend as it is a surprisingly busy road and anyway I didn’t want to be there all day.  I opened the bridge and they both went through and then I closed it behind them.  That was my bridge duties done for the day!

We had lunch then walked up the road to Shirley Railway Station as we had some train tickets to pick up for a trip later in the year.  It is about a 10 to 15 minute walk from the canal. 

We walked back to the canal and as it was nice and sunny we stopped for a drink at the Drawbridge pub which is right next to the lift bridge.   We had been sat there for a while and it went black and started to rain so everyone headed inside.  It didn’t last long though and soon we all went back outside.  We had another drink then it went black again so we drank up and headed back to the boat.

We are staying here tonight and tomorrow as well.

Moored at the Drawbridge, Shirley