Four Canals in one Day

After a week moored in Cambrian Wharf, Birmingham, we have to move today. Yesterday the winds were ferocious but they appear to have abated somewhat overnight.Still it is going  to be a bit hairy making the turn at The Mailbox

We will emerge from the canal on the left and turn into the one on the right, that is, from the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal into the Birmingham Main Line. With the strong winds I shall not be attempting the long route round the roundabout.

In Gas Street Basin we pass through the Worcester Bar and transit into the Worcester & Birmingham Canal. This used to be a stop lock to prevent water from one canal company being taken by the adjoining one.


That's three canals in ten minutes.

The safety railings have been installed since we were last here. There is a growing trend for "safety" measures to be installed on canals to protect the general public despite there having been no accidents in 200 years.

On our way to Birmingham we passed the former Cadbury's factory at Knighton and today we pass the extant factory at Bournville where the adjacent railway station is painted in Cadbury purple.

At the University of Birmingham the Hydrogen-powered trip boat is waiting for passengers.
I've never seen it operating in all the years we have been traveling this canal.

The boundary between the Worcester & Birmingham and the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal was achieved with a novel stop lock. At each end is a guillotine gate which was hoisted to allow the passage of boats.

That's the fourth canal today.,

This canal we always have to negotiate very slowly as it is very shallow so we are pleased to see that dredging is in progress.

Although by Lyons Boatyard this does cause some congestion.

Of course the best way to maintain an adequate water depth might be to stop pumping it into drains.

The wind did calm down in the afternoon but  we encountered evidence of its earlier fury several times.






24 miles /  1 guillotine lock