The Curly Wyrley and other Bits ...Ivan Cane



Fakenham College Canal Club Cruise October 2004

We were a group of 12, students and alumni from Fakenham College, age 16+ (and in my case - many +++). We camped and cruised on the c.1956 motor Admiral Class "Collingwood", and the GUCCC Erewash butty "Ash" c.1936, hired from Birmingham Canal Boat Services with Graham Wigley as steerer. This was our 13th long weekend cruise with Graham over the last 7 years.

Friday 8th October 2004

Friday we arrived at Gas Street at 9.30pm. - Spaghetti Junction was closed - so we spent an extra 30 minutes finding the way by road.

Unloading onto the "Collingwood"- we soon had the kettles on, and had our night time tour of Birmingham's canals. First we travelled up the Main Line to the Monument Lane Interchange Basin - which we entered as we winded - seemed plenty of water there - and must be worth a bomb to the owners for redevelopment! Then we returned along the Oozells Street Loop - unfortunately we were unable to gloat at the inmates of the Gym - as it was closed. On to Cambrian Wharf and another wind. Back along the Main Line, through the stop and down to the Mail Box for a final wind, then back to Gas Street, where we moored next to the "Ash" (unloading half of the crew's possessions there for the overnight stay). Lights out at midnight - but the nightlife around us continued noisily until 4am.

Saturday 9th October 2004

Saturday, 10.30 "Collingwood" left Gas Street with "Ash" in tow, stopping in Galton Cutting to rescue a drowning pigeon - and one of the College Crew - being a budding vet - took over its care. By 12.50 we had reached the top of Ryders Green 8. As usual the 8 were in good nick, with the last pound even full. For some of the crew - the first experience of bowhauling a butty - a task which they quikly learnt. Despite an inner tube on the prop, collected when the "Collingwood" backed to collect the "Ash" from the bottom lock, by 14.30 we had reached Tame Valley Junction and lunch appeared. The Tame Valley, bleak as ever along this stretch. Jones Bridge is very low, necessitating the removal of the butty's mast - and we also collected a foam mattress around the prop.

In March, we had reached the M5 aqueduct from the opposite direction - we had been stopped by the delayed "anti-terrorist" work on the stop gate there (BW forgot to put warning signs up at the time!), so this time we stopped to look at the new gate, to peer over at the M5, and to mend the boatshaft. This attracted attention from the Motorway Incident Range Rover that stopped on the hard shoulder beneath us until we moved on.

Rushall Locks (16.25) and bowhauling again. One family "were so excited - as they had only moved into their house yesterday - and there were boats at the bottom of the garden" 3 boats in fact as a cruiser heading for Norton Canes was close behind. Lock 5 bore the legend "Walls moving - If you have not used this lock in the last 12 months - phone 01..... for assistance". Although we didn't find trouble with the narrowing lock - the bottom gates were very difficlut to seal - despite kebbing the cill - whether the problem was caused by the wall movement we were unsure - so we left a party behind to assist the cruiser - and of course the gates fitted easily that time! Lock 6 had a similar legend tacked to its bottom gates.

Water and rubbish disposal at Longwood (18.00) - and local advice on the Curley Wyrley. One gentleman said it takes between 4 and 8 hours - and he travels it several times a year. Mooring (19.00) at the Manor Arms for the evening meal. And they did us pround - well recommended for lots of good pub food. Light out 11.15.

Sunday 10th October 2004

And when information was requested from the B.W. West Midlands Office - the response was "Wyrley and what? No that's not one of our canals! I'11 just check!" - Musak on hold - "Sorry - it is one of ours - I'ii get the canal supervisor to phone you with details" I'm still waiting for them (perhaps they haven't found a supervisor!!)

So Wyrley & Essington here we come - leaving the mooring at 9.00, with a superb "full English" breakfast as we cruised. The flats were still there at Catshill. This canal junction is close to my heart - for this was the first area that I used to takr kids on local history canal walks, when I taught at Walsakk Wood in thec early 70's.

The Brownhills Moorings were pleasant - well mown, and allowed us all to shop and use the facalities at Tesco's. Here we also released the pigeon - now restored to health. Around Brownhills there is considerable new building - well utilising the canal to booster their "value". The Royal Oak at Pelsall - with its "parkland" beside it - advertises meals - so maybe we will try it as a venue on another cruise. We decided against travelling to Norton Canes as we needed to reach the Pie Factory by 8pm.

As we approached Little Bloxwich, it was remarkably rural - cows grazing, farms, deep clear water with large pike and lots of other fish, walkers on the "Beacon Way" that accompanied the canal here. Local kids fishing and welcoming, and two fisherladies as well. The houses are now utilising the canal as part of their gardens - and much waving to us from windows.

We found the first evidence of weed in this area - the weed growth, from the bottom lifts the polythene towards the surface - and into propellers - although luckily not ours. Goscote appears tidier now than when we last passed 2 years ago - but still the pigeon lofts seem better regarded than some houses. At Coalpool Bridge a group of around 10 lads were clustered under the bridge - grappling rubbish out from the bridge hole. Again no animosity, but friendly chatty faces - keen to tell us their finds. At Pratt's Bridge - all that remains of Thomas' Basin there is a load of reeds - probably some boats underneath!

Approaching Birchills there is some extensive new factory buildings taking place. Green Lane Bridge at Birchills was apparently the last "manned" stop on the BCN, being manned into the 1060's.

At 14.20, into the W&E towards Sneyd - some 30 years since my last visit. At Stokes Bridge met an elderly man who stated that his son's father in law worked on the tugs at Birchills - including a steam tug? Close to here we did find rubbish at the former railway bridge - but it only slowed us down, scrapping our bottom as we did later at another bridge.

Sneyd was soon reached, and we were surprised to find some pleasant residential moorings, good water and Elsan disposal facalities - but no keys fitted to let us out of the yard to explore the Wyrley Branch. Instead we tackled our lunch. Leaving at 15.30.

By the M6 the canal widened, and there was a very attractive rural stretch by Bentley Wharf - much enjoyed by the local family groups - lots of waving once again - and dog walkers. Strangely few anglers. Again some attractive stretches at Lane Head.

At 16.12, we were dismayed to see a notice hanging over the canal bearing the legend - Canal Closed - but on closer inspection it was referring to the Hollybank basin - that was closed for investigation into weed control. Just after this we did encounter the worst weed of the journey between Knights and Perry Hall bridges - slowing but not stopping us. 30 years ago I remember this contoured loop around 3 sides of a field - now houses. Back to clear water - past a bridge bearing an old BW sign pointing the way to Walsall and Wolverhampton, Why here?

The approach to Wednesfield is through a pleasant small cutting - with visitor moorings at the end at Pinfold Bridge. And more to our surprise - a boat travelling in the opposite direction - a Canaltime at that. And they assured us that they hadn't taken a wrong turn.

The last time I had seen Bentley Junction - I had walked down the useable locks to the factory below, where pipes at waterlevel impeded navigation. It was also the same time that the canal at the Walsall end was dug out to provide a flood channel - but that's another story. Today it is a truncated basin serving the shopping complex for visitors - except no boats there.

By 18.05 - Horseley Fields Junction. 9 hours from the Manor Arms at Daw End, including a good hours shopping and services at Brownhills and Sneyd. Why is this canal berated by so many? OK there as weed, maybe by October it was dying down - but we encountered worse on the Chesterfield in 2003. No bladefuls along the whole lenght (unusual for the BCN) , no problems from the locals - but many waves, pleasant exchanges, chats with locals, families enjoying the towpaths, few anglers, the local lads all pleasant - some even clearing bridge holes of junk! It's a pretty canal in many places - in others being used for the centrepieces for developers, good BW facilities at Sneyd, easy Tesco moorings at Brownhills. There are BW visitor moorings - all unused - thankk goodness the Canaltimers are tackling it - even if the "hardened navigators" try to put one off. I would certainly like to spend longer exploring the W&E - and one day I will.

As for the rest of the day's journey to Tipton on the Main Line. Well a bladeful to be cleared before Deepfields, and another near Factory, pieces of wood thrown at us in Coseley Cutting - back to mainstream BCNing.

Mooring at the new facilities at the Black Country Museum - only to find a super block - but no tiolets!! The door that operated with a watermate key gave access to the Elsan Disposal.

But at least we made it to the Pie Factory at Tipton for our 8pm booking. Good as ever.

Monday.11 October 2004.

Lazy start, another huge cooked breakfast, then winded and back to the Old Line to Brades. Through the locks(lowering the pound as usual to get "Ash" under the bridge) Apparently the reason this bridge was not raised, when all others were - was that the pound could be lowered. On the Main Line, a fisherman shouted to us that there was a large hole in the embankment - perhaps dug by kids - and filling with water. With difficultly we notified the local BW office - who again seem to have little actual knowledge of their system.

Down to Pudding Green, then leaving the "Ash" tied to a workboat at the start of the Ridgeacre Branch (Old Wednesbury Canal), we set off in "Collingwood" to explore this branch - rather than passing it for once. No real problems to start - still industrialised( and very smelly from the gases from the canalside factory). The canal becomes increasingly whitish Green (with the black from the bottom pooling as the boat passes). Hadley Bridge was passed with no problems - but after the bend the reeds narrow the water to a boat's width. At the side there has been recent tree cutting. Progress slowed, but did not stop. At Swan Bridge we ground to a halt. The rear of "Collingwood" raised 6 inches out of the water. First all 12 bodies to the front did not help us to get over the obstruction. So rope on the front, no avail, pull back - no avail. Ropes at back end and the front - plus shaft - and eventually we slid over. We left the ropes to help with the shallow winding hole, and Graham's careful steering and boatmanship meant that we slid back through Swan Bridge without completely stopping.

No problems with the rest of the Branch. Collecting and winding "Ash" at the junction, we then had time to take a diersion around the Soho Loop, an arrive at Gas Street in time to meet our minibus at 3pm to wing us back to Norfolk - planning our March 2005 weekend on the way.

Thanks to everyone who gave us help planning this journey.

Give the W&E a better press - and stop at the Manor Arms on the way past.

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