Birmingham

We arrived in Birmingham for a two night stay on Wednesday 3 June joining the Birmigham Canal Navigations (BCN), which is a network of canals connecting Birmingham, Wolverhampton and the eastern part of the Black Counrty.  At its working peak, the BCN contained about 160 miles of canals; today just over 100 miles are navigable, and the majority of traffic is from tourist and residential narrowboats.

Here is a map of the canals that are part of the BCN and connecting waterways:

We join the Birmingham Cnaal

Gas Street Basin in Birmingham city centre is the heart of Britain's canal network. In days gone by it was the hub of a thriving canal transport network and would have been alive with the sound of cargoes as diverse as chocolate crumb, coal and glass being loaded and unloaded.

Today, the bars and restaurants of Brindleyplace cluster around this attractive basin where traditional narrowboats can be seen to form an unique experience where industrial heritage meets modern, cosmopolitan living. The name Brindleyplace honours James Brindley, original engineer of the Birmingham Canal and many other waterways. 

Historically, Gas Street Basin was the meeting point of the Worcester & Birmingham Canal and the Birmingham Canal Main Line. For the first 30 years a solid bar - the Worcester Bar - separated the two canals so that the Birmingham Canal Navigations would not lose water to the Worcester & Birmingham. Cargoes had to be laboriously transhipped between boats on either side. The bar still exists today, with boats moored to both sides of it, but a narrow opening allows boats to navigate from one side to the other. As for the name, its explanation is simple: Gas Street was the first street in the city to have gas lighting.

Peter navigates round the roundabout at Old Turn Junction!

Cheers!

We all visited the National Sea Life Centre which was near where we were moored.

I think I can make it!