The entrance to the Titford Canal: Oldbury Junction, sits under the supports of the motorway on the Old Main Line at Oldbury. This used to be a very busy place with Thomas Clayton's Wharf being just around the corner by the bottom lock. In this view numerous boats are seen making their way from the direction of Tipton, turning into the Titford Canal on their way up to the Titford pump house in 2002 for the opening Rally.

Bottom lock Oldbury Locks: Titford Canal. Again boats waiting to ascend the locks on the way to the opening rally. This area on the far side was once the wharf belonging to Thomas Clayton and the area where all the tar boats used to load and unload. To this day disturb the water here and a strong smell of tar fills the air.

This picture shows the BCN cottage along side the lock. No longer unfortunatly the home of the BW staff responsible for the locks. The staff now to be found possibly in the crew room up at the pumphouse but more likely to respond to a telephone call.

"The Crow" View from Engine street bridge just below the pumphouse, looking down the locks towards the motorway and Oldbury Junction. The flight of locks are called the Oldbury Locks, but the term "The Crow" is the local name for the locks and the level above the top lock. The Jim Crow Arm was an Arm that went into the Albright & Wilson Works. Most of it today is filled in but the entrance is still in existance between locks 3 & 4, with a roving bridge taking the towpath over the canal, a railway bridge just inside the arm is also still there.

A view of the pump house as it is today. Fully restored the ground floor being shared between the BCNS meeting room and the BW section, consisting of a staff room for the lenghtsman and a full amenity block for boaters. A BCNS office and store room are on the second floor along with the entrance to the flat that takes up all of the top floor. Outside the Tatbank Branch know has pontoons, and will soon be full of boats, the work to fit the pumps are complete, the new fence erected and the whole area tidied. Safe secure visiter moorings are to be found beside the pump house on the Tatbank a BW key is required to leave or enter the area. On the question of the name Tatbank Branch, in some journals the name given is the Spon Lane Branch, whereas the BCN distance tables simply refer to it as a feeder. Does the junction formed by the Branch and the Titford Canal deserve a BCNS signpost: "Spon Lane Branch Junction". More research needed but it sounds good.

View from the old railway bridge just up from the pumphouse, of the "Maltings". A restored malting house that once belonged to Showells Brewery. Still used by a brewery as a warehouse, has mooring rings still on its canal side walls where once boats delivered to the brewery. Opposite the buildings are mooring rings, the area being safe and quiet to moor.

Langley Green Bridge is just after the Brewery with the Firkin pub right on the bridge. This pub was previously known as the Holt Brewery Inn, and had its brewing equipment on view in the back room of the building. The tow path on the run up to the bridge and pub has been planted so as to form a small nature area, with benchs. During many of our rallies visiting boats have found this section opposite the Maltings to be a pleasant and quiet mooring, handy for the shops in Langley.

On the left after the bridge are old industrail buildings, this is Langley Forge, next are more modern factory units. Just before the next bridge on the left is an old coal wharf, now badly silted up, but crying out for a small community of boats. Under the bridge and a small court yard of houses gives access to Langley High Street, where all types of shops can be found. A long straight section know takes us up to the Pools

Titford Pools at the top of the Titford canal where the Motorway crosses the pools on stilts. An area where once hundreds of boats attended National Rallies in the 70's. Boats moored all along the canal and pontoons were placed in the pools even under the motorway to take the number of boats.

During the various rallies held in the pools in the 70's and 80's, a series of scaffold based pontoons were built to accomodate the boats. Any one who used them will tell you that the motorway never sleeps and the then joints on the elevated section caused a noise similar to a train travelling over a set of points. Second photo of pool under the motorway during a work party with Kevin our youth officer trying to hog the camera.

The pools today are badly silted up from the waste water from the motorway above. Many of the trees planted as a nature conservation area project started to fall into the water, endangering the very existance of the pools. The trees had matured and had started to fall into the pools and throw down roots. Once boats could navigate the two pools but the silt and trees blocked the path for a number of years. However in 2004 the trees have been cleared from the water and the rest cut back, thus opening up the route.

The 2nd pool especially is badly silted, even a shallow drafted boat like Pheonix, can go aground only a few yards into the pool. So it is advised that you do not venture under the section by the motorway that leads to the second pool, if your boat has any more than about eighteen inchs (18") of draft. Full lenght boats will fing it difficult to wind, the towpath side of the pool being shallow in places. Second photograph shows that it is possible with Pheonix in the middle of the pool, taken summer 2004 during a work party.

The silt is a much more longer term problem, that will require some major finacing. It is possible to cruise the Causeway Branch and enter the main pool, now that all of the trees have been removed. Cross the pool and enter the Portway Branch to return to the canal entrance, the second pool is not able to be entered. Please if in the area visit this area especially by boat to keep the channel open. Visit the Navigation Pub, mention your on a boat and you may come away with a plaque to mark your visit.

View from top lock towards Old Turn Junction just beyond the bridge by the NIA, the junction of the Main line (turn right at the junction) and the Birmingham & Fazeley canals. With the connection to the Worc's and B'ham canal to the left . Cambrian Wharf is to the left of the lock.

As one descends the Farmers flight locks the buildings crowd in. Here the scene is near to Newhall Street, the walls that know surround the canal once used to be the sides of buildings that crowded in even more. Always a busy flight in summer with both boats and/or pedestrain traffic.

The photograph of the area around the old Science Musuem, during the construction in 2003 of buildings, that will virtually hang over the canal. This area is constantly changing due to the many developments taking place along the canal corridor. To many it has lost its charactor for when the musuem was open poeple visiting used to over look the canal and always seemed to be drawn to the locks as if they were an exhibit.

Final photo of nearly the same area but from one lock back up the flight early summer 2004. The new white tubular bridge had just been lifted into place over the canal. Work men having to keep the pound between to two adjoining locks low as the supports to the bridge had been built it was believed to low. Boats at normal wier water levels could not get under the bridge, which has since been jacked up with spacers solving the problem.

Below Newhall Street the canal descends thro locks beneath the GPO tower, the supporting pillars to which straddle the canal. Side pounds to the locks disappear under the buildings and boats can only pass slowly in the pounds. Much of the flight in days gone by where straddled by buildings long gone, creating a tunnel effect.

View of the same lock looking down hill summer 2004. The tow path this area is always popular with many poeple walking up and down the flight. Be careful when the crew on a boat, as the tow path in places is steep and cobbled, short tunnels passing under buildings restricted your view. The tow path is used by many cyclists who even when being careful sometimes find the gradient and orginal cobbles increases their speed and reduces the stopping distance. Be careful also of steep drops on the lock landings especially when opening lock gates, some of the beams can push you over an edge.

Today many of the buildings have been converted or replaced by apartment blocks. Here in the area of Ludgate Hill the old and the new create a new smart enviroment.

In the livery Street area the locks fall beneath the railway lines of Snow Hill Station. This creates a dark eerie atomsphere before opening out at the bottom lock.

At the bottom lock a giant painting covers the side of a building next to the lock. The road above is Constitution Hill, access off the towpath can be gained either below the lock or just at the entrance to the railway bridge now behind us. Fish and chips and other eating places can be found on the hill. Mooring below the lock is fine for a short time but the noise of the city traffic will soon force you away. This area is popular with men drinking from the nearby hostel, they are used to boats and usually give no trouble to anybody.

Below the bottom lock of the Farmers Bridge flight is a pound known locally as the hospital pound. In the centre of the pound is an attractive bridge "Barkers Bridge" that carries Loveday Street over the canal. In the bridge wall you will see small locked red doors over the water, these are common on BCN bridges and are "Fire Doors". Keys to these doors are held by the Fire Brigade so that hoses can be lowered into the water with a snorkall end to pump out water to fight any fires in the area. This pound enters a dark narrow section that carries the canal beneath the A38M before reaching Aston Junction.

Aston Junction and the top lock of the Aston Flight, with a busy road junction and island just feet away. The canal starts its drop down the eleven Aston locks towards Salford junction. In this view looking back towards the city the Digbeth Branch Canal that links to the Grand Union Canal comes in from the left. The tunnel like entrance is the bridge under the A38M that leads to the bottom lock of the Farmers flight.

The busy A38M fills the area with plenty of noise but the canal corridor soon begins to drop away from the noise as we drop between factories and beside a hotel and warehouse units. The corridor has changed greatly with many of the factories having gone. The New World cooker factory once used to tower above the canal as if a canyon just beyond Rocky Lane, with a bridge across the canal joining the two buildings. When it closed it to, was to be a hotel but burn'nt down one weekend and was demolished.

As the locks descend towards Salford you will start to see reference to the "Heartlands" this refers to the re generation of the canal corridor. You will have passed hotels and other new buildings and have noticed that the tow path and bridges are in good order. Just after one bridge about half way down you will come to a new office development with shops and restaurants plus a Post Office. The center feature of which running at ninety degrees to the canal is a water feature with a suedo lock at its heart. Mooring rings are everywhere, moor here to use the factilaties but over night mooring is not allowed?

A few locks further down and we come to a fine example of a local business being proud of the canal. G.F Compressers, (Wainwright Street, Aston.)backs onto the canal and has re built its boundary wall to enhance the canal. A canal boat in bricks with a welcoming message shows just what can be done with the back wall of an industrail premises.

We contiune to descend down the locks the last few being more spread out until we finally arrive at the bottom lock. Once thro and the crew can relax, for we now have a good run to the next lock on this canal. Cuckoo Wharf appears with full BW services, with the Lichfield Road nearby.

Ahead and above us is Salford Motorway interchange: Gravelly Hill or Spaghette Junction, the noise of the traffic becomes louder. As we near the canal junction the canal narrows and we cross over a river on an aqueduct, river crossed by canal crossed by one road then a motorway. The canal junction appears, the Tame Valley Canal comes in from the left with a ninety degree turn to the right to stay on the Fazeley section, and a sharper turn still to enter the Birmingham & Warwick Junction Canal.

The B'ham & Fazeley canal know travels alongside the elevated motorway passed an electric sub station that once used to be just a part of the old Nechells Power station, long since gone. New buildings with various coloured lights attached, herald the new development that has replaced the power station "Star City" a complex of restaurants and cinema's. Nothing much changes as we are passing across the back of the complex, it fronts more onto the Birmingham & Warwick Junction Canal were someone has built a mooring area for boat access. However we press on passing the backs of factories of all descriptions, a main road keeps contact with us as we pass under bridges each one with a nameplate.

We come to a factory that is built over the canal, disappearing under it for about 150 yards we emerge at Erdington Hall Bridge. This is yet another unique industrail structure that gives the canal traveller variety of canal side structures in an world that tends to make everywhere look the same.

After Erdington Hall Bridge the canal follows a straight course with factories each side until we arrive at Tyburn Bridge where the canal runs next to a main road. The top lock at Minworth arrives with a BCN cottage No 251 that in summer has many hanging baskets and flowers boxs in its front garden. A busy dual carriage way is just yards away, in front we see the landscaped gardens of the Cincinnati Works. The gardens are now well established but for years before canals became popular, these gardens showed just what could be done with a factory frontage. Just below the lock is a BW block, housing all services and just before the next lock is a cafe, next to the canal and the road, with the strong smell of bacon/eggs and chips to tempt you to stop.

The three Minworth locks take us out of the industrail scene and into an area of housing before passing under a road junction. After the junction we are in open country but with a busy road to our right. The West Midlands finishs at Wiggins Hill Road Bridge and we enter Warwickshire. Curdworth village is just before Curdworth Tunnel, moorings being available. Shops, a pub and a post office being nearby next to or on the other side of a busy road.

After the tunnel is a cutting that once used to have boats moored alongside that finished at Curdworth Top Lock with its BCN cottage by its side. The cottage and boats have know all gone with a new lock in their place.

The new lock is nearer to Birmingham and has been built to lower the canal so that the M6 Toll Road can thunder past over head where once the cottages and old top lock once stood. A new winding hole is just before the new lock, the area is now dominated by the new road.

Once through the top lock we start the descent down the Curdworth Flight. The top lock is some distance from the second, when reached we are into a group of locks that pass between a cottage and out buildings used by BW. The locks then fall through open country that can be very bleak in bad weather. You feel very remote from the rest of the world and would be, but for the constant roar of a nearby motorway that is just out of sight. Aircraft flying over head making their way in and out of Birmingham Airport, also spoil the illusion. The locks become strung out finally grouping together again to pass the popular pub the "Dog & Doublet" a popular overnight stop, there also being a hotel with a restaurant that welcomes boaters nearby.

The Water park at Kingsbury is worth a visit but give yourself plenty of time as its huge, access can be made off the canal before the bottom lock. Curdworth Bottom Lock arrives with a cottage no 257 and swing bridge that is usually open. After the locks the canal becomes very straight passing thro quarry workings before arriving at a bridge that is like no other. Drayton Manor Swing and foot Bridge appear as one structure the foot bridge having castle like turrets either side of the canal. At Drayton Manor Bridge, just before the bridge on either side of the canal are the nearest moorings for a visit to Drayton Manor Park and Zoo, a good day out. The entrance to the park is about 200 yards along the busy main road to your right if travelling to Fazeley.

On leaving the moorings for Drayton the canal passes moored boats and a boat yard, thro a tight bridge hole and bend. A marina is at the beginning of the straight that leads to Fazeley Junction. We pass the backs of houses that cluster around the canal, whilst on the right a tall warehouse with a clock tower dominates the canal.

A bridge takes us to Fazeley Junction where the canal ends, joining the Coventry Canal. An attractive house sits on the junction with full services available at Peel Wharf to our left, whilst water points can also be found in front of the house on the junction.

Turn left towards Fradley Junction and you are on the Coventry Canal. This section was orginally built by the BCN Company and is considered by many as part of the BCN. To confuse this fact a plate on the junction bridge states that the BCN starts at Watling Street Bridge.