I reached the centre of Birmingham not through the Grand Union Canal but through the Worcester & Birmingham Canal, which ends at the Worcester Bar right in the centre of the canal development in the city centre. I got the recommendation to do that as a single-hander as it means less double locks and a nicer cruise. I think it also means more locks, but that was fine as they are all but forgotten by the time you reach Birmingham.
The arrival in Birmingham was challenging as it was very windy. The turn into the central area of the canal system is a 90 degree left turn to the stretch that is the new development with lots of bars and restaurants near Gas Street Basin. The turn was fine, but as soon as I came round the corner the wind hit the boat from the side and pushed it into the bank.
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| Approach of Birmingham Centre |
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| Stuck near Gas Street Basin |
I was stuck there as it was impossible to push the boat off the wall enough to actually get off the wall. It doesn't look like it in the picture, as it was daytime, but this place is extremely busy in the evening. Not a great place to stay.
After a very mediocre dinner in Chinatown I returned to find the wind was much less, so I was able to move on the mooring spot I was headed for in Cambrian Wharf. This area was recommended to me, but what I didn't realise when I arrived was that the pub under which I was moored was a live rock venue. Lots of punk music and screaming, but the patrons were surprisingly well behaved.
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| Willum under The Flapper rock club |
Then I explored Birmingham, partially together with my German friend Carsten, who joined me for a couple of weeks. It was my first proper visit to Birmingham and all I knew was that it used to be the centre of the canal system with allegedly more canals than Venice. I am focussing here on the canal related stuff, but I have created a separate page for
Birmingham sightseeing.
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| Nice to watch other boats locking over breakfast |
The canal where the boats from the Grand Union Canal come in (Birmingham & Fazeley Canal) ended right near our mooring. This canal used to be called the Bottom Road by the working boaters. It was unpopular, because it was very dirty, dark and shabby at the time. We walked down this stretch as it is a fascinating navigation with locks under houses and in tunnels. Today it doesn't look so terrible.
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| Lock in a street tunnel on the Bottom Road |
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| Lock under a building |
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| Another lock in a tunnel |
After the sightseeing we moved on west through Birmingham toward the Black Country Museum. There is a "main line" canal going from Birmingham centre north-west to Wolverhampton. There is an old line and a new line running mostly in parallel, the old line being higher up and slightly more winding. We chose the old line as it brought us more directly to the museum, but also because the new line is straight like a canal motorway and a bit boring. The old line, however, winds under the M5 motorway for a long stretch.
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| Under the motorway ... |
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| Still under the motorway .... |
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| The old line crosses the new line |
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| Motorway built into the canal |
Out west of Birmingham we arrived at the Black Country Museum located between Dudley and Tipton. As it is directly on the canal, we could moor directly at the museum. Here are some pictures of the
Black Country Museum and the Dudley tunnel, they are both well worth a visit.
The Black Country has been a location for making iron things for a long time due to the combination of iron ore, coal and limestone (required to remove impurities) for centuries. However, only the building of the canals and the connection to Birmingham via the Dudley tunnel made production and trade on a large scale possible. Hence, the canals are a crucial enabler for the industrial revolution here.
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