Titford Canal

We left our mooring in Birmingham City Centre this morning and made our way up the main line around the Soho loop past Winson Green prison and asylum (now closed).
Onto Smethwick and up 3 locks taking us onto the old main line canal.  Sadly at the top of the locks a reminder of the dangers of the canal.

Floral tributes to Sara one of two teenagers who drowned in October.

A reconstructed BCN toll office at the top of the locks.
Now the old main line canal goes alongside the new line until Spon Lane Junction. Here we turned and crossed over the new line.

looking towards Birmingham

towards Wolverhampton

Then the canal continues its course now under the M5 motorway,

Titford Canal turning under the M5

Before we went up the Titford canal we went up to Bradeshall junction to complete that bit of the navigation.  We are gradually getting the BCN covered!

The flight of 6 Oldbury locks on the Tipton canal were quick and easy once we had refilled one of the short pounds which was completely dry!

Pumping station at top of locks

Our intention had been to get to Titford Pools at the end of the canal, but there was such a lot of rubbish in the water that we came to a stop at a narrow, old bridge site and gave up.

The old maltings at Oldbury above the locks which is the highest level of the BCN. Also pretty cold today, although it was sunny, there was a chilly wind blowing up here.

Back on the main line we passed again under the M5, the motorway dwarfing the canal bridge which leads nowhere now.

Tonight we are moored at the end of the Engine Branch at Smethwick named because of the steam pumping engine at the junction used to feed the old summit level. The engine is no longer there, it is now in the Birmingham Science Museum.