A 6 hour journey to Merryhill

Merryhill is a big shopping complex in the south of Birmingham which is where we are now moored. Not because I like big shopping complexes (though Denise does!), but rather because there are very good secure moorings here.

We had a relatively early breakfast as we knew the 24 locks and 5 miles of travel planned for the day would take some time. However our first job was to buy a new propane cylinder from the Navigation Trust chandlery. We use propane for cooking, a £25 cylinder lasting about 2-3 months.

We then set off back up the Stourbridge Arm to Wordsley Junction with the Stourbridge Canal where the flight of 16 closely spaced locks of the Stourbridge flight started almost immediately. These took us about 3.5 hours to complete with me steering and Denise doing all the hard work of filling the locks and opening and closing the gates. Normally we try to share the load, but the wind was very strong and Denise preferred to leave the task of controlling the boat to me.

Alongside the locks at various points are historic buildings, most notably a very large conical bottle oven known as the Glass Cone. Stourbridge was a major centre for glass making, this providing one of the reasons for the construction of the canal.

Halfway up the flight we met a hireboat coming down. The driver decided to pull into the side to let us pass and one of his crew, a woman of perhaps 60, jumped off the bow with a rope to help hold the boat steady. She then pushed the bow away from the side and fell into the canal. Excitement all round, especially as at one point the driver seemed to be moving the boat forward towards the splashing woman as he couldn't see what was happening. Anyway with the assistance of other crew members and Denise she managed to get back on shore, soaked but otherwise unharmed.

A rural scene ......

In the middle of Birmingham

After the top of the locks we passed along a very attractive stretch of canal, remarkably so for its location in the middle of industrial Birmingham. The circle on the map shows where the picture was taken.

It is worth mentioning in passing that the whole of the Stourbridge Canal is remarkably clear, just like a river. The bottom of the canal is clearly visible and you can often see fish in the water. I dont know the reason for the clarity as most other canals are very muddy with silt thrown up by the props of the boats.

We could not afford the time to stop for lunch so we heated and ate cornish pasties on the move. By early afternoon we had reached the next flight of 8 locks at Delph, near Dudley.

Densie at the start of the Delph flight

View from the top of the Delph flight

These locks really were a magnificent engineering achievement for their time - around 1790. They are also visually striking as they climb 85 feet straight up the side of a hill providing superb views over the south of Birmingham and beyond. Alongside the locks the bywashes which pass overflow water from one pound to the one below have been constructed as a series of cascading waterfalls.

Soon after finishing the Delph flight just as the rain was about to fall we arrived at the extensive Merryhill moorings where the canal is cut into the side of a hill overlooking the shops. These moorings are covered by CCTV cameras and are regarded as safe for overnight use.

In summary - a really interesting 6 hour journey, in my view one of the best of our holiday so far. The Stourbridge Canal isn't one of the best known waterways but I would recommend it to any boater.