The Nickelodeon, Wednesfield (Wyrley & Essington Canal) to Cross Green (Staffordshire & Worcester Canal)

Passing the Old Bentley Canal

We are getting off the Birmingham canals today and heading into the countryside on the Staffordshire and Worcester canal.  Cruising the lesser used canals around Birmingham has been good, it has been hard in places sometimes because it has been shallow and sometimes because of rubbish and weed in the canal, also the state of some of the locks has not been good and they have been hard to operate but also we have found some lovely places like Pelsall Common, they say it is the jewel in the BCN’s crown and they aren’t wrong, also around Rushall was nice and the Tame Valley Canal was nice.  It was a really good experience, we hardly saw any boats moored or moving all week but we have enjoyed it and would do some of it again in the future, but not for a few years! 

Approaching Horseley Fields Junction

Turning onto the Wolverhampton Level

We started off bright and early this morning, about 8.15am as we have 21 locks to do!  

We left our mooring and went past the Old Bentley Canal which is now moorings and on down towards the junction we went.  

Soon we were at Horseley Fields Junction which joins this canal with the Wolverhampton level which is part of the Birmingham Main Line.

In Wolverhampton Top Lock

In lock with train passing by

We chugged on along there and were soon at the start of the Wolverhampton flight of 21 locks.  These locks are not very deep so we put our routine into action where Kev does the towpath side and I do the off side, he takes the boat down on the rope and pulls it out.  Unfortunately all the locks were against us so Kev walked to the next lock every time, while the lock we were in was emptying, to raise the paddle so that when we got there the lock was nearly full, it saved a lot of time.

Not many to go now

Heave Ho, Here We Go!

We worked on through the locks.  At one lock there was an old railway bridge or something by the lock and a group of teenagers were on it and climbed down the side and onto the towpath, it was quite a height. They said it was a shortcut from wherever they had come from.  They went off down the towpath, no trouble to us.

In Wolverhampton Bottom Lock

Onto the Staffs & Worcs we go

Our routine worked really well and we made good time down the locks.   We had help at the last few locks by a couple of chaps who were walking down the locks, so they helped with the gates which was good and finally after a few hours we were at the bottom of the flight at Aldersley Junction and out we went onto the Staffordshire and Worcester Canal.  We turned right here and then moored up for lunch which was lucky as it started raining as we came out the last lock, it didn’t last for very long.  It was funny we saw more boats in the hour we were moored up than the five days we spent on the Birmingham canals, back to reality!

Cruising the Staffs & Worcs

After lunch we set off again and thankfully the rain had stopped and it was dry again. 

Going through the narrow cutting

Leaving the narrow cutting behind

On we went and soon we were passing Autherley Junction which is the junction with the Shropshire Union Canal where a boat nearly pulled out in front of us, back to the real world!!  We went on past there and soon you come to a very narrow cutting in rock, once knows as ‘Pendeford Rockin’, after a local farm, there is only room for one boat to pass in designated places, but we were lucky as there was a boat coming down just as we got to this narrow bit so we waited for them to come through before we entered and we didn’t pass any more boats, so that was good.

Soon through there and along the canal we went past Coven Heath and moored at Cross Green just before the Fox & Anchor pub.  There was another shower just as we were mooring up, but it didn’t last long.

We are staying here tonight and also tomorrow having a rest after all these long days we keep having, now we are in the country again we will be back to our usual cruising routine, hurray!

Moored at Cross Green