We often hear complaints about travelling around the canals of the BCN so it's refreshing to hear such positive comments in the form of a diary from David Kennedy.
My wife and I own a narrow boat and in the spring this year(2006) we thought we would tackle the BCN properly, only ever having traversed the main line previously
I thought that you and your BCNS colleagues might be interested in our experience. I kept a diary and the following is a summary of it. Before we set off I had contacted BW who had given me advice as to where to safely stay overnight. We travelled on our own (just my wife and I) for the whole time we were on the BCN.
April 23rd: Arrived at Cuckoo Wharf, Aston. A good safe and quiet mooring, but badly marked as to which part was for visitors. FA Cup semi-final weekend so lots of boisterous fans around but no problems.
April 24th: Up the Perry Barr flight, pleasantly surprised to see it so clean and with easily worked locks. Met the local BW man at the top lock who recommended mooring for the night outside the facility block on the offside. "Knock on my door if you have any problems". Although kids did come down to the canal at one point they caused no problem and soon left.
April 26th: On to Rushall Junction (lots of rubbish) and a right turn to Ogley Junction and an overnight mooring at Anglesey Basin, where the nearby house owner recommended the mooring spot not directly on the footpath. A wonderful peaceful place. We left the boat and walked around the reservoir. No other boats for company but no problems overnight.
April 27th: Retraced our steps to Catshill, then onto the "Curly Wurley" and to Brownhills where the local Tesco's prompted a stop. We stayed there overnight, impressed by the obviously recent improvements to the mooring. The next day we decided to stay longer and caught up with various chores on the boat. Later we were joined by another narrow boat (the first we had seen on the move since we had left Cuckoo Wharf).
April 28th: Detour to Cannock Transport Services for boat work, then back to Brownhills where we caught the bus to Walsall to look around the leather museum and the restored canal basin there. We had thought of bringing our boat there but a basin-side pub with a late licence made us change our mind.
April 29th & 30th: Moored at Brownhills. No problems day or night.
May 1st: Back to Cannock Extension and Canal Transport Services for more work. On 2nd May rang BW to check if stretch between there and Sneyd Wharf was OK. "Yes, its fine".
May 3rd: CTS recommended a 6am departure to get through Goscote & Birchills "bandit country" section. Just as well we left early as we were stopped at Goscote Works Bridge by scaffolding erected across the canal and workmen about to put on lining preparatory to draining the canal for installation of new sewer pipes! An emergency stoppage we had not been told about. Phone calls to BW resulted in an apology and an 8ft gap being opened for us to get through. Any later and that section would have been drained! That whole section, however, was full of rubbish and worse, needing many visits to the weed hatch. A warm welcome from the boaters at Sneyd Wharf, however, and a relaxing night.
May 4th: On to Wolverhampton with no problems and a mooring on the offside above the flight. The whole of the northern section of the BCN had been a revelation to us, We expected dirt, smoke filled stacks and coal mines. Shows how little us southerners knew! Now it was nature reserves and grass fields and interesting places to explore.
May 5th - 13th: In this period we went to the Black Country Museum and from there to Oldbury Boat Services for diesel. We had intended to go up to your HQ at Titford Pool. I walked up the flight to check it out and fishermen at the top said the flight was closed due to pollution. I tried to gain access to your HQ to check but the gate was locked and no-one was around and with no phone number to ring I decided discretion was better than upsetting the fishermen, particularly as we had intended to stay overnight. Walking back down to our boat at Oldbury Boat Services I was told that the fishermen were lying and did not want their fishing disturbed! Instead we cruised to Netherton Tunnel, Windmill End, Merry Hill and, on the way back to Brum (with a 40 minute stop on the way to clear a nylon builders sack from the propeller), we visited Hawne Basin where we stayed overnight in friendly company.
Then back to Smethwick Junction, left, up three locks and on to the Engine Arm and an overnight mooring at the end of the arm, again among friendly long term moores, but we were the only boat on the visitors mooring and the area outside the basin did not seem very inviting. From there we went to Brum for a few days, then explored the Oozells Street, Icknield Port and Soho loops before finally heading down the Stourbridge Canal (now in company with another boat) to the Staffs & Worcs.
My wife and I greatly enjoyed our exploration of the BCN. Nowhere did we have any trouble with kids or adults although admittedly it was term time. At times we were the only ones exploring the area, as days passed with no other boat on the move. We only moored overnight where BW had recommended but at some overnight moorings we were the only boat there. The real revelation to us was the "countryside" we passed through. The end of the Anglesey Arm, moored under Chasewater reservoir was a particular joy.
I am sure your society has been responsible for a lot of the clean-up work on the BCN. I congrtatulate you. More boats should explore the area, but I expect BW will try to shut down a lot of it because of the Defra cuts. I am joining demo's in the London area protesting at the cuts and I wish your Society luck in your efforts.
WE WILL RETURN TO THE BCN.
