Birmingham (Birmingham Main Line) to Bumble Hole (Dudley No. 2 Canal)

Baby Geese

Navigating the narrow bits

Galton Tunnel

Going under the M5

We are on the move today and to pastures new.  We are going down the Netherton Tunnel Branch and through Netherton Tunnel which will take us onto the Dudley No. 2 Canal and then onto the Dudley No. 1 Canal which in turn goes into the Stourbridge Canal and eventually onto the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal.  We haven’t gone this way before out of Birmingham so exciting.

Heron on towpath

We set off along the canal leaving the mailbox behind us.  It was a lovely sunny morning and much warmer today, thank goodness as it has been very chilly the last couple of days.

Onto the Netherton Tunnel Branch we go

We saw some baby geese, the first we have seen this year and there was quite a few herons around as well.  We chugged on and in places the canal gets very narrow and you have to squeeze through.

In Netherton Tunnel

We came to Galton Tunnel, it is only 122 yards but quite an impressive tunnel.  Through there and after a while we went under the M5 and before we knew it, we were turning down the Netherton Tunnel Branch which leads to the tunnel.

Not far to go now

Cobbs Engine House

Netherton Tunnel is 3,028yds long and is a huge tall tunnel, about 27 ft wide and has a towpath each side and built of brick, it is really impressive.  We chugged through there and came out into glorious sunshine and moored just up from the tunnel opposite the Visitor’s Centre.

This area is Bumble Hole Nature Reserve and is really nice.  We had lunch then went for a lovely walk along the canal and into the reserve and up to Cobbs Engine House.

Top Pool

Swan on nest

Swan Pool & Engine House

This Engine House was named after the local farmer.   The engines have been removed but in its heyday water was pumped out of the nearby Windmill End Colliery into the canal.  The stationery steam pump, built around 1831, its shaft 525 feet deep, pumped 367,000 gallons of water a day for over 100 years.  It is now a Scheduled Ancient Monument and part of the nature reserve and is the earliest surviving example of its type.

We walked up to the top of the hill where there was a lovely pond and a swan sitting on a nest, then back down the hill to Bumble Hole pond.  It is such a lovely area.  We had a walk out onto the road and managed to find a shop to get an ice-cream then we headed back to the boat.

We are staying here tonight then off a bit further tomorrow.

Moored at Bumble Hole

A Couple of Days in Birmingham

Monday Afternoon 8^th and Tuesday 9^th May

Our Purchases

We went out for a walk in the afternoon and had a look in the Mailbox as it last time we were here it was all being done up, it is really nice very classy.  We had a look around and went into Harvey Nicks and somehow found the alcohol and a very fine selection of gins!

Our Gins - mine is blue!

We were just browsing and a sales assistant came over and she was very knowledgeable about all the gins.  There was one that was called Masons Yorkshire Tea Gin and she asked if we wanted to try some so we did and very nice it was too and tasted of tea.  There was another one which caught our eye and it was called Jam Jar gin and why … because it was in a jam jar so we tried that as well and that was good too.  We bought a couple of minatures to try and a couple of tonics and we even got a Harvey Nicks bag to put them in!  Kev also bought a tin of Birmingham lager!

And now it is pink!

The Gin Vault

We then made our way back to the boat but on the way, we passed The Gin Vault so of course we had to go in and see what it was all about.  They had a very large selection of gins about 100+ and a list telling you about each one.  It took us about 10 minutes to decide what to have, I had one called Sharish Blue Magic Gin which starts off as blue and changes to pale pink when tonic is added, it is from Portugal.  Kev chose Fifth Spire from Litchfield but unfortunately they didn’t have it as it is only made in small batches and is hard to get so he went for a gin from Wolverhampton called Crazy, perhaps that gin is more suited to me!

They were both really nice.  We then went back to the boat and just chilled out for the rest of the evening after a gin lesson with tasting at Harvey Nicks and gins at the Gin Vault, what a nice way to spend an afternoon!

Tuesday – We went for a walk up into the shops.  We saw Bully and then had a stroll around the Bullring shopping centre and to my delight they had a Hotel Chocolat so needless to say we went in there and got a few goodies.

Fruit & Veg Market

We also went to the fruit and veg market which is great.  The fruit and veg is in bowls for a £1 each so we got some lovely fresh stuff, that will keep us going for a while.

St Thomas Church

There was a cache not too far away so we went to see if we could find it.  

It took us to the Peace Garden which is near St. Thomas Church which was bombed in the war and only the tower is left. The garden is a public garden designated as a monument to peace and a memorial to all those killed in armed conflict.  It is a lovely place. We had to find some clues on the various plaques in the garden which would give us the coordinates to find the cache.  We found all the information then walked to where the cache was, but there was too many people about to be rooting round looking for it, so we didn't bother.

Peace Garden

We then went for lunch at Rodizio Rico, a Brazilian restaurant in the Cube.  

Our Passador!

It is a set price and you help yourself to the buffet bar which has a selection of hot and cold foods, including Vegetable Lasagne and Cauliflower Cheese and Brazilian side dishes.  

The Passadors then come to your table with endless Beef, Pork, Lamb and Chicken, some of it on trays and some on large skewers and they slice off as much as you want.  It is a fantastic place and we really enjoyed our lunch, we must have eaten at least a pound of meat each!

Lovely view from here

Rodizio Rico

Needless to say we waddled back to the boat and are just chilling out for the rest of the day.  We are on the move again tomorrow.

Alvechurch (Worcester & Birmingham Canal) to Birmingham (Birmingham Main Line)

Monday 8th May

Approaching Wast Hills Tunnel

We are on the move today after a couple of days in Weston-Super-Mare visiting family and friends and going to the hospital to see the consultant which I am pleased to say was good news and I am all clear for another year so that is good.  We left the boat in Alvechurch marina while we were away and when we came back on Saturday we moved out onto the towpath.  On Sunday we got the train to Redditch to get some food shopping and it is only a 7 minute train journey so really good.

There is light at the end of the tunnel!

The sun was shining as we set off along the canal but very chilly.  We chugged back past Lower Bittell Reservoir and stopped at Hopwood to fill up with water. Then on we went again and soon we were at the entrance to Wast Hills Tunnel.

Passing Bourneville Station

Edgebaston Tunnel

Wast Hills Tunnel used to be called King’s Norton Tunnel.  It is 2,726yds long and there are plenty of drips from the roof as Kev found out while steering through!  There is no towpath and therefore a steam-powered – and later a diesel-powered tunnel tug service used to operate in the day of horse-drawn boats.

That's better than a drive-thru!

We could just see the end as we entered the tunnel and we chugged into the darkness and on we went until after about 30 minutes we were back out into the daylight.  A boat was coming the other way and we met him just as we were coming out, but the tunnel is wide enough for two boats to pass.

Passing the Mailbox

We chugged on and now we were on the outskirts of Birmingham, we went past Bournville where the train station is right on the canal and under a few bridges and through Edgbaston tunnel which is only 105yds long and eventually we were going past the Mailbox and we were in Central Birmingham. 

Going through the Worcester Bar

The Barclaycard Arean

Roundabout on the canal

We chugged on through and into Gas Street Basin.  The terminus of the Worcester & Birmingham canal is here and is the former stop lock, it is known as the Worcester Bar, originally there was a physical barrier here between the Worcester & Birmingham canal and the much older Birmingham canal.  The latter refused to allow a junction and for several years goods had to be transhipped at this point from one canal to the other. This absurd situation was remedied by an Act of Parliament in 1815, by which a stop lock was allowed to be inserted  to connect the two canals.  Nowadays the stop gates are kept open and one can pass straight through onto the Birmingham  canal.

We chugged on and then the Barclaycard Arena was in front of us with a roundabout in the middle of the canal.  We moored in the visitor moorings just along from there.

We are staying here for a couple of days now. 

Moored in Birmingham

Hopwood to Alvechurch (Worcester& Birmingham Canal)

Smuggs with John & Sharon

I can fit on here!!

Smuggler is going home later this morning so we had breakfast and then went for one last walk as the sun was shining.  We walked down past the garden centre and along the lane to the Sports club and the Rugby ground was opposite and there was a cache there so we had a look around and we were lucky today, we found it.  We then walked around the sports field on the footpath and back to the road.

Chugging past Hopwood House pub

We went back to the boat and about mid-morning John and Sharon arrived.  Smuggler was very pleased to see them and he even wanted to sit with them, so he climbed up on the very small drawer unit which was between where John and Sharon was sitting and sat in the middle of them, he looked so funny as it is a really tiny unit but obviously he had missed them and wanted to be with them, so sweet.

Passing Fishery by the reservoir

We had a coffee and a chat and then they left to drive home.  It has been lovely looking after Smuggler and John and Sharon had a lovely holiday so that was good.  We will see them again in a couple of months as they will be out on their boat for their summer trip and going the same way as us so we will look forward to that.

We then went to the pub which is just by the moorings, Hopwood House for lunch.  It was really nice, it is a Marstons cheap and cheerful but good and all the staff were really friendly.

Back past Lower Bittell Reservoir

After lunch we chugged back to Alvechurch, back past Lower Bittell Reservoir and after a couple of miles we were there and went to the marina.  I got off and found out which space they wanted us to go in and Kev reversed the boat into the space without too much trouble.

We walked up to the co-op in the village to get a couple of things then back round by  the canal and back to the boat.  We are going back to Weston-Super-Mare  tomorrow for a couple of days as I am seeing the Consultant but it is good news, I had a letter from him a couple of days ago to say I am all clear for another year but he just likes to see me and do an examination as well which is really good.  We are leaving the boat here in Alvechurch marina while we are away and will be back on Saturday.

Moored at Alvechurch Marina

Smuggler's Last Day with Us

This is Smuggler’s last day with us as he is going home tomorrow.  He has been with us for two weeks and it has flown by, it has been lovely having him to stay.  We woke to lovely sunshine this morning, such a different day to yesterday.

Kev & Smugs by the tunnel

We had breakfast then we went out for our usual morning walk.  We went back along the canal to Wast Hills tunnel to have another look for the cache there but we still couldn’t find it.  You get clues to tell you where to look and one said that the container was tied on by cable ties and we found a broken cable tie so we think that the cache is no longer there which is a pity.

We walked back around the lane and road again and back to the boat, it is a nice circular walk.

Lower Bittell Reservoir

We had lunch and chilled out for a bit.  Smugs was asleep on the dinette and Kev saw a little face at the window and it was a cat.  Luckily it wasn’t the window near Smugs and he didn’t see it, as if he had then all hell would have broke loose, he hates cats and sees red if he sees one!  We then went out for our afternoon walk.  This time we walked down the canal to Lower Bittell reservoir, this is such a lovely area and we have never walked here before, also the sun was shining so that was good.  There was a cache there as well and after a bit of searching we found it.

He's down there somewhere!

We then walked on along the towpath picking up another cache on the way and walked to the aqueduct and went down the steps and found another cache then walked up the lane and onto the road.  This took us past a Cat Sanctuary, Smuggler’s favourite place, I think not!  He had a look down the drive but luckily there were no cats in sight.

We then walked back up the main road and back to the boat, another nice circular walk.

John and Sharon are coming here tomorrow to fetch Smuggler, then we are chugging back down to Alvechurch to go in the marina.

Cats - Let me at them!!

Alvechurch to Hopwood (Worcester & Birmingham Canal)

Leaving Alvechurch

Smugs in the dry before the rain!

We are on the move today and guess what it’s raining, but not very much, although it was quite heavy in the night.  When we set off it had stopped so that was good and it was quite bright but it didn’t last for long and it started raining, not heavy but Smuggler who was outside with Kev asked to come in, he didn’t want to get wet!

We chugged on from Alvechurch, past the Crown Meadow Arm which branches to the east – no boats are allowed to enter and it remains a quiet haven for wildlife.

Passing the Crown Meadow Arm

We then came to Lower Bittell Reservoir which is a lovely spot but unfortunately there are only long term moorings so no place to stop.  The reservoir looked quite low.

Passing the Reservoir

We chugged on past there and soon we were coming into Hopwood, we went under the bridge and turned around as we are going back to Alvechurch on Wednesday to go back to Weston on Thursday and then moored up in the visitor moorings.

Lower Bittell Reservoir

The last part of our journey had been dry but shortly after we moored up, it rained again so that was lucky.

All storks should bring these!

Wast Hills Tunnel

We had lunch, waited for the rain to pass then went for a walk along the canal to Wast Hills Tunnel as there was a cache near the entrance.  Kev went down the steps to have a look but no luck so we walked on up to the road.  We might have another look tomorrow weather permitting.

We walked along the lane and had a good view of the tunnel from the bridge, it was good to see it from here as usually we only see it from the canal.  The lane led us to the main road and we walked down there and was soon back at the canal and the boat.

We are now staying here until Wednesday as Smugger is going back home then and John and Sharon are coming here to fetch him and then we are off back to Alvechurch marina to leave the boat there for a couple of days while we go back to Weston for my consultant appointment.

Moored at Hopwood