Canal Tour '98 The "Grey Wagtail Experience"

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Mist on the Water

Kinver to Windmill End

Tue 25th

A beautiful misty, sunny morning and the nutter element of the crew set off at 6.45 leaving those with any sense still in bed. We reached Stourton Junction at about 8am where left the delights of the S&W for the Stourbridge Canal. Approaching Wordsley Junction, once over the aqueduct, the character of the canal changed suddenly and dramatically from being a rural meander to showing itself in its true light as an integral part of industrial England - no matter that the industry it was built to serve has now either disappeared or turned its back on the canal. The weather changed along with the canal's character, becoming cold and overcast for the rest of the day.

The Stourbridge Town Arm was quite shallow so the "there and back" trip took us an hour and 20 mins. I shall gloss over Pam's "not knowing which side the towpath was whilst getting dressed" episode here. We made up a lot of time after that though. - just 2hrs 20 mins for the 16 Stourbridge Locks. Turned right at Leys Junction, round Brierley Hill and met the junction of the Stourbridge and Dudley No. 1 canals at the bottom of Delph Locks. Three bored youngsters were fishing rather morosely under the bridge just before the bottom lock and wanted to hear all about our trip. One of them, Scott, helped us all the way up the locks - obviously something he does regularly, telling us which paddles were stiff and that the gear had been greased just the day before.

Although the weather was pretty miserable I enjoyed Delph Locks. It's a spectacular flight and there's a real sense of history about them. On now to Merry Hill where we moored at the "Waterfront" intending to have a swift pint or two in the Brewer's Wharf pub whilst Terri, Lesley and Jim went hunter gathering in Sainsbury's. Unfortunately The Brewer's Wharf was closed for the afternoon - as was the rest of Waterfront. There was tons of room to moor and it was all very nicely designed but there was no sense of life; quite the opposite in fact, the place felt like a ghost town - really spooky. Virtually all the shops and bars were closed and the only food shop there looked like a Russian department store on a bad day - lots of shelving but very, very little on it!

As soon as Jim and Lesley were back we set off again - there was another dramatic difference in the canal environment once under the bridge and round the turn at the north end of Waterfront. From shiny, new, designer quays and buildings back to the real canal. Scruffy (ish) but much more human. The industrial archeology interest factor was increasing rapidly now. Lots of remains of old wharves and arms - we noticed the start of the old "Two Locks Line" but I didn't know what it was at the time as the guide books were down the other end of the boat. Up the 12ft Blowers Green Lock and a very sharp right hand turn to moor and water outside the Dudley Canal Trust building (the old pumphouse) at Park Head Junction where the Dudley No. 1 and 2 canals meet. I'm ashamed to admit that we didn't take the opportunity to wander up and have a look at the southern portal of Dudley Tunnel - next time (well, it's a good excuse to come again).

Full of water off we went again past the other end of the Two Locks Line (which we knew about by now!) and round Netherton Hill, past the fascinating Withymoor Island Trust and on to Windmill End. We moored a little south of the visitor centre and repaired to The Little Dry Dock for some much needed lubrication. Those who are unaware of the fact may be interested to know that the bar of the pub is part of a genuine old wooden "Runcorn" (according to Pearson) narrowboat. The boat's been in the pub for thirteen years and part of the front of the building had to be demolished to get it in! The beer was excellent and the food looked very enticing but as Terri and Brian were preparing dinner back on the boat we weren't able to check that it tasted as good as it looked. When Terri joined us later though we were able to wind her up by persuading her that we had actually ordered.

Back to the Grey Wagtail, the most spectacular table setting of the trip and dinner (which wasworth keeping ourselves for by the way) and then bed.

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