Farmers Flight - Friday 27th September 2013

This morning we made an early start as we had 26 locks and 8 miles to do get to a nice mooring just beyond Minworth. June was at the helm down the Farmers Flight as we locked down under tower blocks and offices.

We soon reached Aston Junction where the Digbeth Branch goes off to the right to join the Grand Union just passed Typhoo Basin at Bordesley Junction. We however turned left and went down the Aston Flight of locks towards Cuckoo Wharf. At one point we had to help some contractors, who were replacing the electric cables which run below the towpath, to retrieve their plastic barriers and signs which had been thrown into the canal as they kept floating out of their reach.

At Aston Bottom lock we passed close to Aston Hall which we visited yesterday but were too low down to be able to see it. Then the M6 came into view at Salford Junction  where the canal goes over the River Tame and under the motorway. We turned right immediately passing the start of the Grand Union where in meets the Birmingham and Fazeley.
The canal then takes you under a factory built over the canal at Troutpool Bridge with the one side of the tunnel like feature open to the green shrubbery.

Although we are travelling next to industrial and commercial areas the canal still has the feel and appearance of being in a rural area and passes directly under the flight path of planes landing at Birmingham Airport.

We met our first boats of the day just passed Bromford, an old boat being towed and later another working boat on its way to the Dudley gathering.

A little later, on this long pound we passed the new Ambulance Depot, a raft made up plastic barrels and a heron who would not move as we passed.

The three Minworth locks all have handcuffed paddles top and bottom and we had to explain to a hire boat crew who we met at the last lock how to operate them. The bridge adjacent to the Boat Inn has lovely plants and flowers in pots underneath it on the off side.

We moored up for the day near to the Wiggins Hill Bridge with lovely views across the open countryside and later we spotted this chap set up a hide and lewers for pigeons and then he proceeded to shoot them all afternoon. He seemed to bag quite a few as can be seen on one of his collection runs.

Neil popped in on his way home from work near Minworth and stayed for dinner. As we drank our after dinner coffee we watched the sun go down and a lovely red sky appear.