A long day - in and out of Birmingham

 We knew today's cruise was going to be a long one.  Not only did we have to make up for  some of the time lost when the boat was serviced the weather forecast for tomorrow is terrible with rain all day and occasional thunderstorms.

We set off at 8:50, ascended 4 more locks and stopped for 3/4 hour at Hockley Heath to buy groceries for the next 5 days.  Hockley Heath is a small place so we did not know what would be there but the coop was well stocked and we were able to find everything on the shopping list.

About to pass under a footpath drawbridge

The rest of the journey was lock free but we did have 3 drawbridges to contend with.  2 before Hockley Heath took footpaths over the canal.  The third, Shirley Road Drawbridge, was more substantial as it carries a road.  Unlike the footpath bridges it is automatic, being operated by a single button which runs the process of ringing warning bells, closing a barrier and then raising the bridge.  Another button reverses the process after the boat has passed through - a hold up for the traffic of only a few miniutes.

Brandwood Tunnel

Beyond the drawbridge the canal enters the outskirts of Birmingham.  The amount of graffiti increased significiantly but the canal was largely shielded from the surrounding areas.  After passing through the 350 yard Brandwood Tunnel and the permanently open guillotine lock at Kings Norton the North Stratford Canal ends at a junction with the Worcester and Birmingham Canal.

Looking back at Wasthill Tunnel

We turned south and after a mile or so reached the 1.5 mile Wasthill Tunnel, one of the longest on the entire canal system, and passed through in 35 minutes. A short distance beyond the southern end of the tunnel there was a convenient mooring point far enough from roads or houses where we will probably stay until Sunday. 

14.33 miles, 7 hours 10 minutes, 4 locks, 3 drawbridges