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Published: June 22nd 2013
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Sherborne Wharf
Yesterday evening - intrepid cat. 1 lock, 201 in total.
The original Brindley canal is a contour canal and it is fairly winding. Telford was commissioned to sort this out and built a very straight canal which cuts through all the old loops, often in cuttings so that there would be no need for locks. Apparently the old cut, now called the Wolverhampton Level, is much more interesting but we had to leave Birmingham on the Main Line, which is the route with access to the Netherton Tunnel. The cuttings were like wild nature reserves with plenty of flowers, mainly foxgloves but some orchids. We encountered several concrete islands on our route which left very narrow channels for navigation – these were the old toll booths where boats would be charged by how low in the water they were riding. The Wolverhampton Level crossed the Main Line on aqueducts twice. On the second occasion there were actually 3 levels of transport – our line was at the bottom, the Wolverhampton crossed us at right angles and went under a railway bridge parallel to us but at right angles to the Wolverhampton – hope you understand this but as I
was helming in very gusty conditions I didn't dare take time out for a photo.
In theory we could choose either the Dudley 1 canal through Dudley Tunnel or Dudley 2 canal through Netherton Tunnel. In fact Dudley Tunnel is now closed to diesel craft – there is not enough ventilation in these times of health and safety. I'm not sure I would have wanted to go through it though as it has been affected by subsidence from old coal mine workings over the years. The mines were the reason for the Dudley Canal in the first place. So Dudley 2 and Netherton it was, all 2 miles of it with many drippy sections. Surprisingly, even as you entered, you could see the light at the end of the tunnel and this makes steering so much easier. We emerged from the tunnel to a little oasis called Bumblehole Nature Reserve, so we stopped for lunch and gave Hattie a reminder of what grass feels like! Afterwards we took a circuitous route, eventually joining the Dudley 1 at Park Head Junction, where the turn took us almost back on ourselves (with some difficulty) and
Building at junction of Oozels Loop...
... where Sherborne Wharf is. The building is triangular and from some angles it resembles a ship's prow as the balconies appear to get wider as you go up the stories. into the only lock of the day. It was the first time we had encountered the anti-vandal locks, although we'd bought the key in anticipation. We had a bit of a struggle till we realised that it was broken!
Every canal has its own character and this one was different again – only subtle changes but you get a different feel to each. We started at a much higher level than the housing but gradually the housing caught us up. And then it was countryside again with the canal width varied dramatically at times but it was well looked after and rather pleasant for the run into the new Waterside office development and moorings at Brierley Hill. We went on a few hundred yards to where there was some canalside grass, just a little way from Merry Hill, one of the largest shopping complexes in Europe with 220 retail outlets, cinema and monorail!! Apart from the Sainsbury's it was all shut by the time we got there but I
am intrigued by the monorail and, as it's Sunday tomorrow I'm unlikely to see it in action. Merry Hill is built on the former
Round Oak Steelworks and right down in a valley below the canal.
There was a information board for walkers by one bridge that we passed under. We couldn't stop but what I could see looked very interesting and I hope to find out more – something about the amount and variety of natural minerals and ores here being the best in the world and this is why the area is known as the Black Country.
We're quite pleased that we had to make this detour.
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