BCN Safe Moorings Guide
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MOORING PLACES ON THE BCN WEDENSBURY OAK LOOP WALSALL CANAL BIRMINGHAM CITY CENTRE C&RT Workshop basin. Mooring has been permitted, by prior Walsall Locks Top Lock, off side K There are many excellent visitor moorings arrangement – particularly in association with their open days. Walsall Town Arm secure off side before town basin. Barclaycard Arena, National Sealife Centre & Oozells Street loop. Check with the workshop. Walsall Town Basin Between the Worcester Bar and Holliday Street Bridge. TAME VALLEY CANAL Willingsworth Hall Bridge (adjacent to Patent Shaft site). Cambrian Wharf and Gas Street basin visitor moorings. Between Lock No.11 & No.12 adjacent to park and container base. Ocker Hill moorings (just inside arm) K PUBS: Many to choose from, but the “Prince of Wales” (beside Good stretch between M6 and Lock No.7. Top of Ryders Green Locks. (off side) the ICC, on Cambridge Street) is a boaters' favourite. Perry Barr Top Lock. PUBS: "New Navigation" (Walsall Top Lock); BIRMINGHAM & FAZELEY PUBS: "Boars Head" on College Road above "Eight Locks" (Ryders Green Top Lock). Farmers Bridge top lock & Cambrian Wharf. Perry Barr Lock No.11. DUDLEY NO.1 CANAL Aston Business Park (offside between Locks 8 & 9 DAW END BRANCH & RUSHALL Black Country Museum end of Dudley Tunnel K on Aston flight). P K Longwood Boat Club towpath side Parkhead end of the Dudley Tunnel Cuckoo Wharf – at the bottom of Aston flight near Salford or on club moorings by arrangement. Some quiet spots between Parkhead and Woodside Bridge. Junction. Outside the “Manor Arms” Waterfront (Merry Hill) – moorings on hotel side of basin. North of Curdworth Tunnel Near "Park Lime Pits" nature reserve. Merry Hill on the embankment (South of Waterfront PUBS: “Dog & Doublet” (between Curdworth locks 8 & 9) Aldridge Wharf (Daw End Visitor Moorings) Delph flight (Arm adjacent to Bottom Lock). DIGBETH BRANCH B&F PUBS: "The Manor Arms" . PUBS: "The Woodside" (off Woodside Bridge). A lot of choice Near Aston Science Park at top of Ashted Locks. “The Bell (North East of Bell Bridge) at Merry Hill's Waterfront development and a real ale fan's Typhoo Basin. (No outside access after hours) ANGLESEY BRANCH paradise at the bottom of the Delph flight. NEW MAIN LINE Ogley Junction Try the "Bull & Bladder"; "Black Horse" or "Tenth Lock". Near Engine Branch Aqueduct, Smethwick. Anglesey Basin DUDLEY NO.2 CANAL A few quiet spots in Galton Valley north of Galton Bridge. PUBS: "The Anchor" (just north of Catshill Junction). Hawne Basin. P K Coseley Stop (south of tunnel). CANNOCK EXTENSION Windmill End Junction Wolverhampton (near Broad St basin.) Selected quiet spots along the entire length of this mostly rural stretch but Withymoor Island P K Wolverhampton Top Lock. moorings recommended at Grove Colliery Basin and Norton Canes Some quiet spots between Blackbrook and Parkhead. Dunstall Racecourse (between Locks 17 & 18) terminus. Parkhead Junction OLD MAIN LINE & LOOPS PUBS: "The Turf" (50yds from terminus on A5 Watling Street). Sherborne Wharf Marina (payment needed) P K WYRLEY & ESSINGTON Hockley Port visitor moorings K Lane Head Bridge K Engine Arm (Outside Galton Valley Centre). Holly Bank Basin Handsworth Wharf end of Engine Arm K Sneyd Wharf visitor mooring. Smethwick Pump House (Offside) K Pelsall Common (one of prettiest locations on the BCN) Whimsey Bridge, Oldbury (next to Mecca complex). depth is greatest adjacent to the "Finger Post". Valencia Wharf (No outside access after hours) P K Brownhills close to Tesco Tividale Quays to Tipton Junction. PUBS: "Finger Post" (York's Foundry Bridge) Black Country Museum K TITFORD CANAL Coronation Gardens, Tipton. Titford Pump House visitor mooring The BCN Society shares the ownership of two working boats, PUBS: Oldbury "Wagon & Horses" & "The Hardy" Opposite Langley Maltings. Atlas & Malus with Coombeswood Canal Trust. Tividale "The Boat" & "The Wonder" Titford Pools (v shallow adjacent to towpath) Members of both societies man this pair regularly at canal Tipton “The Pie Factory" & "The Fountain" Jarvis Bridge (Adjacent to "New Navigation") festivals, and on trips (often with young people doing their Wolverhampton cantre - many to choose from, but the PUBS: "New Navigation" (Jarvis Bridge) Duke of Edinburgh award.) “Great Western” on Sun Street is a boaters' favourite. "Crosswells" (Langley town centre). If you are would like to join the crew, contact us via the website WEDNESBURY OLD CANAL (RIDGEACRE BRANCH) or email [email protected] Navigation is now difficult or impossible because of weeds. Revised 06/12/2017 C&RT have asked boaters not to try, because of the fish deaths WATER POINTS & SANITARY STATIONS REFUSE DISPOSAL With water point, toilet, chemical toilet disposal unless noted. Birmingham & Fazeley S indicates there is also a shower. Farmers Bridge Top Lock Birmingham & Fazeley Cuckoo Wharf Farmers Bridge Top Lock S Fazeley Mill Marina P BIRMINGHAM CANAL NAVIGATIONS SOCIETY Cuckoo Wharf S Main Line MOORINGS & FACILITIES ON THE BCN Minworth Locks San station – often water point only Hockley Port (Soho Loop) The Birmingham Canal Navigations (BCN) is a 100 mile Bodymoor Heath (Water point only) Handsworth Wharf (Engine Arm) network of narrow canals situated at the very heart of the Fazeley Junction (Water point only) Broad Street Basin (Wolverhampton) Midlands waterway system. Peels Wharf (either water only or no facilities) Titford Canal Unfortunately, the BCN harbours a serious burden – its image. Main Line Titford Pump House To the uninitiated the BCN is still perceived as grimy and Hockley Port (Soho Loop) S Dudley No 1 unpleasant, but this is simply no longer true. Handsworth Wharf (Engine Arm) Black Country Museum (Because of the Dudley tunnel this is only Admittedly, some parts do pass through industrialised areas – Broad Street Basin Wolverhampton S accessible from Tipton Junction / Old Main Line) but remember – that is the reason they were built in the first Titford Canal Parkhead Junction place! Titford Pump House S Dudley No 2 There are others parts which have returned to rural and are Dudley No 1 Hawne Basin quite beautiful. Nowhere is this more apparent than the Black Country Museum S Walsall delightful areas of the Northern BCN, which provides many Parkhead Junction Ocker Hil miles of tranquil, trouble-free cruising. Waterfront (at north end offside) S Walsall Top Lock Fortunately the Canals & Rivers Trust (C&RT) in conjunction Dudley No 2 Tame Valley with local councils, ourselves and other canal societies, have Hawne Basin S Perry Barr Top Lock done much to enhance the waterside, to improve navigation Windmill End (by visitor centre) (Water point only) Daw End / Rushall and to promote the BCN as a valuable leisure resource. Withymoor Island S Longwood Junction We hope that this brief introduction to the available moorings Walsall Wyrley & Essington and facilities will serve to stimulate those unfamiliar with the Ocker Hill S Sneyd Wharf moorings area to visit, and encourage those with preconceived notions to Walsall Top Lock Brownhills reconsider. Tame Valley There is much more than can be conveyed by words alone and Perry Barr Top Lock S DIESEL, COAL & GAS the only path to true enlightenment lies with personal Daw End / Rushall The Distillery (Central Birmingham) experience. Longwood Junction (no toilet) Away 2 Service (mobile) (Central Birmingham - 0845 644 5344) Come and take a fresh look at the Birmingham Canal Wyrley & Essington Caggy’s Boat Yard Tipton (New Main Line) (Diesel only) Navigations – you may be surprised! Sneyd Wharf moorings S Hawne Basin (Dudley No.2) NOTES Brownhills S Withymoor Island (Dudley No 2) (Gas only) These are moorings that society members have found to be Worcester Birmingham Canal safe – but this is not a guarantee. Holliday Wharf SLIPWAYS AND DRY DOCKS Any decision as to where you moor your boat must be your PUMP-OUT Hawne Basin slip (Dudley No.2) own. The Distillery (Central Birmingham) Hockley Port dock (Book through Sherborne Wharf) P shows privately run moorings, where the owners Away 2 Service (mobile) (Central Birmingham Caggy’s Yard dock (New Main Line at Tipton) welcome visiting boats. Tel 0845 644 5344 to arrange) Brownhills (Wyrley & Essington) K means you need a key to get out. This may not be a Black Country Museum (C&RT pumpout card) Slip suitable for launching canoes and small trail boats. C&RT key, and your only exit maybe to find a keyholder. Engine Arm moorings (C&RT pumpout card) Details on website. Hawne Basin (Dudley No.2) We welcome contributions and comments on this guide The BCN Society, a Company Limited by Guarantee Withymoor Island (Dudley No 2) most easily done via our website exists to conserve and improve the canals of the West Aldridge Marina (contact 01922 743874 to arrange http://bcnsociety.com/moorings/ Midlands (Registered Charity number 1091760). purchase of the required non C&RT card) or by emailing:- [email protected] Birmingham Canal Navigations Society Ocker Hill (C&RT pumpout card). Titford Pump House, Engine Street, Oldbury B69 4NL .