Anglesey Basin and Chasewater reservoir

On the Daw End Branch

The weather was grey, misty and cool as we set off at 9:10.  Today's lock free journey took us north from Longwood Boat Club along the Daw End Branch through very attractive rural scenary.  It was a surprise to realise that the centre of Walsall was less than 2 miles away.

Blackcock Bridge

 4 miles on took us to Blackcock Bridge where the effects of subsidence caused by the collapse of coal workings is obvious from the metal column protecting the brickwork from the ropes of horse drawn boats being about half the normal height with the cut grooves going down to footpath level.  As the ground fell it was necessary to raise the canal banks to retain the level of water.  Further evidence comes from the slots below the bridge where jacks were placed to raise the bridge to keep the required headroom above the canal prior to adding new courses of bricks.

Anglesey Basin

We turned right a mile later at Brownhills onto the Angelsey Arm which passes beneath the M6 Toll
to finish in a lake, formerly a busy basin where narrowboats were filled with coal from the many nearby pits.  We turned round there and moored along the canal side in heavy rain.

Chasewater Reservoir

Once the rain stopped in the late afternoon we walked the short distance to the impressively large Chasewater Reservoir from where water flows down the Angelsey Arm to help supply the whole of the Birmingham canal system.