Tardebigge Triumph

“You know me - I never object to being on a boat!”  This was Adam’s response when we suggested we head all the way into Birmingham today due to the weather forecast tomorrow.  To start with we would be tackling the 30 locks in the Tardebigge Flight!  We started at 7: 20 and all the locks were in our favour with only one boat coming down the flight.  By the time we got to the top we had achieved a remarkable passage time of only 2 hours 45 mins.  A triumph if ever there was one! 

A luxury bird table at lock 39.

Another view of lock 39 with the flight stretching down into the distance.  Once you’ve seen one lock you’ve seen them all!

A view of ‘Chance’ at lock 50 taken from the edge of the Tardebigge reservoir.

At the top of the flight there is a plaque commemorating the auspicious event at this point which gave us the fantastic canal network we enjoy today.

No sooner had we climbed the two hundred feet up the lock flight than we were into the Tardebigge Tunnel.

Adam at the helm (dry)

Adam at the helm (wet!)  The rain started at about 12:30 and continued steadily for the rest of the journey.  We had four tunnels today to add to the excitement and after the longest one (Wast Hill) we were on the home straight into Birmingham City centre.  The canal from Wast Hill tunnel, past the Bournville factory and almost to Selly Oak was very ‘gloopy’.  Luckily we only had to get down and clear the propeller once but that was enough.

We got into Birmingham and safely moored by 3 o’ clock after a very successful and enjoyable seven and a half hours.

Our mooring this evening.