The Birmingham Canal Navigations including the Dudley and Stourbridge Canal

A detour off the mainline to the old line at Smethwick (note the single gated locks that can be found on the Oxford canal) makes for a much more interesting journey especially once you get past the Spon End junction. On our last trip we found diesel at 65p a gallon! The old (Wolverhampton level) canal is much more interesting and pleasant than the main line especially in the Netherton/Dudley area. After the damp Netherton Tunnel on the Dudley No 2, we always moor for the night just above the unique Dry Dock. The Ushers ales are usually good and so is the food. The place is famous for its bar - try it and see. The journey to Parkhead is quite tranquil.

Plenty of pubs round the Delph but we've never moored there. Most boats seem to moor at Merry Hill. Another great mooring spot is the Black County museum. If you moor on the left hand side you'll be charged entrance to the museum. We arrived late and managed to haggle for half price entry. The Bottle and Glass pub closes at 4-5pm but serves good Holdens Mild and Bitter and splendid cheese cobs. Mooring on the right hand side near the tunnel mouth means you can get into the real world via a BW padlocked gate. You can then walk to the Pie Factory in Tipton (Ushers) or the Park Gate in Woodsetton, the home of Holdens Black Country ales. 

If you are heading for Wolverhampton, you'll find the waterway surprisingly full of vegetation and wildlife. Wolverhampton locks are a delight to operate and the setting is most attractive. There is good mooring, complete with grassed area at the top of the locks with a water point and sani station nearby. The only down side is the noisy club here.

Onto the Stourbridge. A useful but small shop at the "Dock" near the bottom of the Stourbridge 16. This is a pretty part of the canal which is surprising considering you are in the heart of the industrial Black Country. We found the channel quite shallow in parts. 

Northern and Western BCN

There is no doubt that if you like rural waterways, the most attractive part of the BCN has to be the northern section. A week on the northern stretches of the BCN has been one of our favourite trips of all time. The Wyrley and Essington canal starts in Wolverhampton and quickly turns attractively urban rather than industrial. Expect lots of friendly comments from the locals. One chap walking his dog, saw our dog and threw her a bonio! Even the anglers will greet you! The water is crystal clear virtually all the length of the waterway. We had only one weed hatch visit on our outward leg but coming back the weed (due to crystal clear water) along with the odd plastic bag did result in five visits to the prop. There is a boat club with moorings, water and sani station and Sneyd. This part of the waterway is attractive even though the motorway is adjacent.  Past Birchills junction the canal becomes semi-urban again. There are large fields with tethered ponies. All of a sudden you are then in a total rural landscape. The views are stunning and you are only four hours from Wolverhampton! The Cannock extension canal is worth an hour and a half detour. The woods and fields make for a serene journey. At the end of the arm, there is a boatyard (water only) where you can turn. At Pelsall Common, one of the best pubs on the BCN can be found. The Royal Oak is an attractive and tidy community pub that serves excellent food (all day Sunday!) and superb ale - Ansells Mild, Bitter, Burton Ale and Marston Pedigree. The common is an attractive place to moor but not that depth is best right under the pub. A short trip from here takes you to the less attractive Brownhills though there is a market here (with mooring) on Tuesdays. At Catshill junction, we turned left for the Anglesey branch. Past the junction the waterway improves in character. 

You are soon at the basin which is totally rural. The whole stretch of this canal is very similar to the Caldon canal. There is good mooring along here but the prime spot is right at the end, where the feeder from Chasewater enters the canal. There is space for three narrowboats here. A sort walk up the embankment takes you to Chasewater, where you can watch water skiers and immerse yourself in the beauty of this lovely place. There is an unremarkable Banks's pub, ten minutes walk from here towards the A5 and turn left but the best option is to bring your own ale.

The Daw End branch turns into the Rushall canal and once you are past Catshill Junction you can enjoy an eclectic mix of scenery. First there is a long stretch of grassland and tree surrounded waterway. This soon turns into an attractive combination of industrial and urban landscape as you pass high above a huge quarry. Suddenly the winding waterway turns totally rural. Enjoy an excellent pint of Banks's Mild, Bitter and Pedigree at the totally unspoilt Manor Arms at Daw End which hag good moorings. This multi-roomed pub with a delightful garden has no bar. Drinks are served from the snug. The food is excellent in terms of quality and value for money. Another one of the great BCN pubs. South of here,  the rural scenery gets even better and then you are at Longwood boat club with good mooring, water and sani-station. The eight locks start here. The canal is straight for a few miles. As you approach Rushall junction the view becomes more urban but the canal holds onto its charm.

The Tame Valley canal between Rushall junction and Ocker Hill  is long and straight but still has quite a lot going for it. It certainly isn't the "dismal" waterway described by Nicolsons, though in fairness this description does accurately describe the canal below Perry Barr locks. Here though, there is plenty of greenery. Wave to the traffic as you pass high over the M5 and then enter a valley. We passed a few large items of litter but nothing that would get in the prop.

The local BW headquarters is at Ocker Hill and there are first class facilities here including a four star sani station replete with shower!

We turned right onto the Walsall canal and we did find a lot of litter on this waterway but not as much as we had expected. We can thank the BCN clean-ups for this!. Between Ocker Hill and Walsall town arm we had to visit the weed hatch twice. This waterway doesn't have a great reputation and it wasn't the prettiest on our trip but we didn't find it that bad. It certainly had a number of pleasant characteristics and we found the locals friendly. The trip from the Manor Arms at Daw End to Walsall town arm took us six hours with just three weed hatch visits. There is good pontoon mooring at the end of the town arm though sadly we were alone! However all was not lost as the Wharf cafe bar is adjacent and you can enjoy Highgate Saddlers bitter (brewed in Walsall) and a guest ale or two. Food is over-priced though. The town shops are adjacent but sadly the litter strewn streets spoil the effect. There is an excellent Indian takeaway and restaurant the Jeevan Jyot at 66 Bradford Street ten minutes walk from the Wharf towards the monument.

The locks are in excellent condition, though we did find the second pound had been drained. The scenery is attractive and improves all the time particularly at Birchills museum at the top lock. The trip from Walsall town arm to the top lock at Wolverhampton is an easy day but for us the journey was made more difficult by the pernicious weed!