Goodbye Birmingham

With our taste of urban life over we departed early for quieter pastures.   Although Birmingham cannot to be said to have been noisy.  Yes there were lots of people around but we were round the corner from any night clubs and we did not encounter any problems at all.   Maybe we have just been lucky but we have never had any trouble in Birmingham and it is a great place to moor for a few days....well 48 hours really  which is what the majority of the central moorings are.  There are some 14 days a bit further down and in Cambrian Wharf (if you can ever get in there)

This next stretch cannot be said to be scenic and interesting, although they are steeped in history. For today's travellers they are long straight stretches interspersed with several of these obstacles...

Originally I believe these were where the toll houses stood

There are many sites on the internet that tell the history of the Birmingham Canal Navigations and this link is but one of them.

The lower of these is an aqueduct carrying the old main line canal and the higher is the M5

We've seen more herons along this stretch than anywhere else this year.  Some of them, unlike this one, haven't even flown off as we approached.

At Dudley Port Junction we turned sharp left heading for the Netherton tunnel.  Our Pearsons Guide shows a water point together with loo emptying and rubbish but we could find no trace.   It was supposed to be on the right hand side just before the tunnel but we couldn't see anything that might at one time have been a water point, although there was what looked like a derelict loo place.  Luckily it was not that necessary, we had just intended to top up the water.  Maybe we need to update our Pearsons guide.  

The Netherton tunnel seemed to take forever.  Barney and I were in our normal place down below and he was not a happy dog.  He does not like being down below when the boat is underway in normal circumstances.  However from the safety point of view he is always below in tunnels. The fact that he has me for company does not seem to be any solace!

We moored in Bumble hole just after the tunnel.  We had moored here last year and it is very congenial apart from one thing.   CANADA GEESE!!!  It is not the geese themselves but the mess they leave on the towpath and the surrounding grass.  Horrible.

Good TV so we could watch the Ladies Finals.   What will I do next week with no tennis to watch.

Total distance:8.96 miles 

Elapsed time:3h6m42s 

Locks:0

Bridges:33 
Average speed:2.88 mph (2.88 lock/mph) (Positively speeding!)