Caxton heading out of Birmingham on the New Main Line
The last two nights we have moored in Birmingham where availed ourselves of the Away2Service boat and filled with diesel - we used Away2 all the time we were stuck in Brum and they were very good so we opted to use them again. It was Away2Service that changed Caxton's engine oil in January - Joe usually does it himself but we already had ten litres of waste oil from the previous service so we didn't want to add to it - and they only charged us £12.50 labour! We were going to leave on Sunday but it was raining and we took one look and pulled the duvet over our heads again, sod that, tomorrow will do nicely...
See, why travel in the rain when you can travel when the sun comes out?
A lovely bridge over the cut to nowhere - formally this would have led to a loop or wharves but now the canal beneath the bridge has been truncated and it destination lost to time.
You pass a lot of industrial heritage along the Main Line
It took me a few minutes to realise that the items hanging in that elevated cage type thing were moving, moving very slowly but moving; it took another moment to recognise them as newly cast cranks. Nice to see we still have some industry in these parts..
Caxton skuttles past Smethwick Junction
There is the North Portal of the tunnel just ahead through the bridge
See that pinprick of light in the middle of the tunnel, that is over 3027 yards away
Caxton moored at the Bumble Hole on the Dudley No.2 Canal
Look what came out to greet us..
5 comments:
We are so looking forward to the BCN challenge - your posts are making me nostalgic for Brum - and the Bumblehole is the best for hounds!
Sue, nb Indigo Dream
Hi Sue
I so wish we were able to do the BCN challenge but maybe next year. I can't believe that the epicentre of the canal network has so few boats moving about, we have the BCN to ourselves almost and it is magic!
Lesley
Lesley
You can go down Bumblehole itself and wind beyond the boom if the urge takes you. But dont miss the Dudley No2 through Gosty Hill Tunnel
to Combswood = its a gem of a destination.
Hi Andy
I understand that there is nowhere to moor at Coombswood due to winter moorers so we may have to leave that until we come back - or I could walk it perhaps...
Lesley
Lesley
The section beyond Gosty Hill goes through the old tune works and is devoid of a towpath as I recall. There is so little traffic up there you could either make a "creative" mooring or just journey up and back. A while ago a bloke got jammed in the tunnel and had to wait 24 hours till someone came through and rescued him!
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