Out and back to Birmingham from Stourport

[Tawny75]

Hello all

I am an avid reader and we hired our first boat for 4 days in march and loved it.  We are hiring again on Friday for a week and going from Stourport into Birmimgham to see our niece and then coming back.

As we are aiming on a nice leisurely (slow) pace, we are sure we have left plenty of time to do this.  Does this seem feasible ?

Many thanks

Nicky

[David Mack]

The route planner at www.canalplan.eu will give you an idea how long your chosen route will take.

[nicknorman]

Birmingham is on top of a hill so it is always a lot of locks to get there from anywhere else! Canalplan say 5.5 days at 7 hrs/day so you can do in a week's hire. Leisurely? 78 locks says maybe not! But fun though!

[Captain Pegg]

44 minutes ago, Tawny75 said:

Hello all

I am an avid reader and we hired our first boat for 4 days in march and loved it.  We are hiring again on Friday for a week and going from Stourport into Birmimgham to see our niece and then coming back.

As we are aiming on a nice leisurely (slow) pace, we are sure we have left plenty of time to do this.  Does this seem feasible ?

Many thanks

Nicky

Yes it's definitely feasible. You might want to think about going via Stourbridge one way and Wolverhampton the other for a bit of variety. As stated above the one thing you will have to do is a lot of locks.

JP

[john6767]

1 hour ago, Captain Pegg said:

Yes it's definitely feasible. You might want to think about going via Stourbridge one way and Wolverhampton the other for a bit of variety. As stated above the one thing you will have to do is a lot of locks.

JP

That is what I was going to suggest as well, come up Stourbridge, and if you feel you have the time on the way back go Wolverhapton for variety.  Also as you will have done most of the New Main Line on the way there, go Old Main Line on the way back, ie go up Smethwick not Factory.  As other have said though anything involving Birmingham is always going to be a lot of locks.

[OldGoat]

2 hours ago, Tawny75 said:

Hello all

I am an avid reader and we hired our first boat for 4 days in march and loved it.  We are hiring again on Friday for a week and going from Stourport into Birmimgham to see our niece and then coming back.

As we are aiming on a nice leisurely (slow) pace, we are sure we have left plenty of time to do this.  Does this seem feasible ?

Many thanks

Nicky

I loooove the 'innocence - reminds me of the old Irish adage - "if you're going there, I wouldn't start from here".... 

Leisurely, slow and Birmingham just doesn't compute....

However, if you organise yourselves and don't treat each lock as an unexpected horror (as many do), then it'll be pleasant. The trick is to decide who does what job at each lock in a flight / group, then you'll whistle through.

Having organised the above as a military operation - see if you can fit in time to do the Black Country Museum. It (could be) an overnight stop, proper fish 'n Chips, (relatively) quiet overnight moorings. The Old Main Line is nicer than the new....

Canalplan is your friend.

Have fun

 

[Rob-M]

Could always head back via Tardebigge, Droitwich and the Severn if good time was made on the route in to Birmingham.

[Dave_P]

9 hours ago, Rob-M said:

Could always head back via Tardebigge, Droitwich and the Severn if good time was made on the route in to Birmingham.

That was my thought too. Or even via Worcester. The Stourport Ring is manageable in a week. 

https://www.black-prince.com/stoke-prior-base-stourport-ring-canal-boat-holidays/

[Tawny75]

Thank you all

We did look at the Stourport ring, but as this is only the second time we have hired a boat we thought that might be pushing it.

We love doing the locks, so they don't bother us at all.  I think we will probably do what has been suggested and go up one way and back the other.  We may squeeze in the Black Country Museum as we have been a couple of times and love it!

Thank you muchly, we just want the rain to ease off by Friday now.....

 

[Nightwatch]

We are in Worcester at present waiting for the 9 o'clock finish to the rain. It clears up for tomorrowbut the wet stuff returns for Thursday. I haven't looked further ahead but I hope it improves for our jaunt up the Avon to Stratford.

'Won't be the same in rain.'

Enjoy your hire.

[Captain Pegg]

1 hour ago, Tawny75 said:

Thank you all

We did look at the Stourport ring, but as this is only the second time we have hired a boat we thought that might be pushing it.

We love doing the locks, so they don't bother us at all.  I think we will probably do what has been suggested and go up one way and back the other.  We may squeeze in the Black Country Museum as we have been a couple of times and love it!

Thank you muchly, we just want the rain to ease off by Friday now.....

 

Good plan. I deliberately didn't suggest the Stourport ring after reading your initial post. A few pointers;-

Kidderminster isn't the best of places to moor; if you can't clear it on the first night consider stopping short at Falling Sands lock or getting to Wolverley. If you get away in good time you should be well clear of Kidderminster anyway.

If you need an overnight mooring in the Stourbridge area it may be the best option to head down the Town arm and moor just outside the basin. It's worth a trip.

You might enjoy mooring at the glass cone between Stourbridge locks 4 and 5 (I think) and popping in for a quick visit.

Approching Birmingham mooring is limited. Merry Hill is OK and Windmill End is possible. After that it won't look too appealing until  Birmingham although to me it's hugely interesting. It's about three hours from Windmill End to Brum. Mooring in the centre of Brum is good and recommended.

Going back take the Smethwick locks and head on to the Black Country Museum. It's a good spot to visit even if you don't go into the museum and you also have the option of the Dudley Canal & Tunnel Trust visitor centre and a trip in the tunnels on their boats. It's fascinating. It's also the best overnight mooring between Brum and Wolverhampton.

The southern Staffs & Worcs is a beautiful canal and the contrast with the Birmingham Canal will make it a varied journey.

JP

 

 

Edited June 6, 2017 by Captain Pegg

[Dave_P]

1 hour ago, Captain Pegg said:

Good plan. I deliberately didn't suggest the Stourport ring after reading your initial post. A few pointers;-

Kidderminster isn't the best of places to moor; if you can't clear it on the first night consider stopping short at Falling Sands lock or getting to Wolverley. If you get away in good time you should be well clear of Kidderminster anyway.

If you need an overnight mooring in the Stourbridge area it may be the best option to head down the Town arm and moor just outside the basin. It's worth a trip.

You might enjoy mooring at the glass cone between Stourbridge locks 4 and 5 (I think) and popping in for a quick visit.

Approching Birmingham mooring is limited. Merry Hill is OK and Windmill End is possible. After that it won't look too appealing until  Birmingham although to me it's hugely interesting. It's about three hours from Windmill End to Brum. Mooring in the centre of Brum is good and recommended.

Going back take the Smethwick locks and head on to the Black Country Museum. It's a good spot to visit even if you don't go into the museum and you also have the option of the Dudley Canal & Tunnel Trust visitor centre and a trip in the tunnels on their boats. It's fascinating. It's also the best overnight mooring between Brum and Wolverhampton.

The southern Staffs & Worcs is a beautiful canal and the contrast with the Birmingham Canal will make it a varied journey.

JP

 

 

Good advice

[Tawny75]

We.have taken your advice. We started yesterday from. Stourport and went to Wolverley Lock where we moored on the visitors moorings and had a lovely meal. 

This morning we set off about 8 am and went to Kinver. Had a nice walk round and went up to see the Rock Houses. 

This afternoon we have turned onto the Stourbridge canal and have tackled the Stourbridge locks and we are now moored just past them. 

Thanks so much for the advice. We have really appreciated it

[RLWP]

I like the Stourbridge flight. It changes character at every lock

The next stage is different again with the Delph nine and the back-of-the-map

Have fun, some of my favourite canals

Richard

[Rob-M]

Don't spend too long looking for the ninth lock on the Delph as there are only eight now.

[RLWP]

Just now, Rob-M said:

Don't spend too long looking for the ninth lock on the Delph as there are only eight now.

Spoilsport!

Which one is missing then? One and nine are still in use

Richard

[Rob-M]

1 minute ago, RLWP said:

Spoilsport!

Which one is missing then? One and nine are still in use

Richard

I'm not sure because only one and nine remain with two to eight being rebuilt as six instead of seven.

[nicknorman]

3 minutes ago, RLWP said:

Spoilsport!

Which one is missing then? One and nine are still in use

Richard

Trick question!

[RLWP]

Must be eight then

Seriously, folks..

The middle six of The Delph are one of the most amazing flights of locks in the country. If they were out in the countryside instead of surrounded by the Black Country, they would be a visitor attraction

Richard

Edited June 10, 2017 by RLWP

[Rob-M]

5 minutes ago, RLWP said:

Must be eight then

Richard

Could be two.

[RLWP]

3 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

Could be two.

Can't be - one has two on it

Richard

[Captain Pegg]

21 minutes ago, RLWP said:

Must be eight then

Seriously, folks..

The middle six of The Delph are one of the most amazing flights of locks in the country. If they were out in the countryside instead of surrounded by the Black Country, they would be a visitor attraction

Richard

They are a visitor attraction. When we worked down the evening before the Challenge we were photographed all the way down by a Chinese family.

Edited June 10, 2017 by Captain Pegg

[nicknorman]

Two to eight maps onto two to seven. So 2 should have been 1.75, 3 should have been 2.625, 4 3.5, 5 4.375, 6 5.25, 7 6.125 and 8 7. But when they started building they discovered that non-integer locks were hard to build so they cheated.

[Rob-M]

I think I'd just give up and go to the Tenth Lock instead.

[cuthound]

A visit to the Red House Cone Glass Museum is a worthwhile distraction. Canalside.