Keep Left?

I had taken for granted that, except for special circumstances, boats PASS ON THE RIGHT (i.e. port-to-port).  This accords with the international rules of navigation and all current and recent guidance confirms this (e.g. from BW, CRT, IWA, EA) .

I had also assumed that this guidance was both universal and historic. However, I recently obtained a 1950 1st edition of the Inland Waterways of Great Britain & Northern Ireland by Lewis A Edwards and a section in the book led me to consider that some navigations required boats to PASS ON THE LEFT, perhaps as recently the nineteen-forties.

In the appendix to the book there is a note on Navigation Hints for Pleasure Craft. The note provides interesting insights into the days when our canals and rivers were first and foremost commercial highways. It provides lots of helpful advice on how to ensure working boats are not impeded; one can easily imagine the frustration of working boatmen with amateur crews, particularly at locks.  

Concerning boats passing, the advice is clear:

"On our rivers, and over most of the canal system, ... the passing rule is KEEP RIGHT; but there are exceptions to this such as the Worcester & Birmingham Canal, where the rule is KEEP LEFT"

The writer goes on to advise pleasure craft crews to ask boatmen. This came as a surprise to me since I had not read anything similar. 

The book is edited by Lewis Edwards who is credited as being Honorary Secretary of the Inland Waterways Association. It largely consists of factual material but the note about navigation was written by none other than Tom Rolt. The advice originally came from a leaflet originally published by the IWA. Tom Rolt was Honorary Secretary of the IWA until 1950, the year of the book's publication and Lewis Edwards was in the process of taking over his role. Later in the year considerable changes occurred in the IWA with "Civil War" breaking out. Rolt and others resigned.  

Some questions arise from the note:

Is there other evidence for this navigation advice?

Does the particular reference to the W & B come because Rolt was moored up for several years at Tardibigge? 

Did canal amalgamation, and ultimately nationalisation, bring uniformity or were there other reasons? 

When did uniformity occur?

I can recommend the book as offering insights into an interesting period of waterways history; on the cusp between commercial and leisure boating. It is easier to navigate (pun intentional) through its chapters to find a particular waterway than Bradshaw, which annoyingly groups navigations by their ownership (mostly railway companies) and not by geography or given name.  My copy was not expensive, obtained via eBay and is in good condition.

Major's Green, Solihull

On Thursday October 9th we returned to Albert at Sherborne Wharf and our friends Anne & Edward Winter joined us for a short trip south. In the afternoon we headed out of central Birmingham along the Worcester & Birmingham Canal.  The weather was autumnal but dry. Edward steered for most of the afternoon and found the journey alongside Birmingham University and Cadbury's particularly interesting. Passing the university the Ross Barlow hydrogen powered boat was on the move. It was travelling very slowly, if that was intentional or because of because of some technical issue we probably won't know, but it took ages to clear a bridge hole. Hopefully it wasn't intending to go far.

Unique slow-down mechanism near Bournville

We turned off the Worcester & Birmingham at Kings Norton and headed down the Stratford Canal. It was getting dark as we approached The Drawbridge at Shirley and the evening "rush-hour" was in full swing. I waited to operate the electrical bridge to try and upset as few car drivers as possible but the road is obviously a rat-run and the queues rapidly built-up. Edward took Albert through the bridge without much delay but driver frustration had obviously built-up and as the road barriers each side of the bridge lifted two cars (an Audi and a Mercedes) "went for it" and faced each other across the bridge. The Audi backed down, but not after some confrontation. It then faced another Mercedes and an even more aggressive stand-off ensued. By this time we had nearly left the scene. As we looked back into the distance they appeared to have sorted themselves out and traffic was flowing freely.

We stopped just around the corner at a nice quite spot between Major's Green and Dickens Heath.

Worcestershire by L.T.C. Rolt

Tom Rolt was living aboard Cressy at the top of Tardibigge Flight when he wrote Narrow Boat, then titled A Painted Ship. He wrote it without having a publisher and when completed it joined High Horse Riderless, his then unpublished philosophy, in a suitcase under his bed [1]. 

However, during 1943 things were about to change. Correspondence with the rural writer H. J. Massingham on the effects of modern technology and economics on world ecology transformed Rolt’s publishing career. Massingham was taken by Rolt’s ideas and suggested that because Rolt was living on a boat that he write a book about English canals. Rolt explained to Massingham that he had already written one so Massingham helped him find a publisher. Massingham then went on to suggest that Rolt write a book for a new series about the English counties – Rolt chose Worcestershire the county of his residence. Massingham must have had some clout in publishing circles because, without Rolt having a published book, he was given a contract without any guidelines and not even a proper word limit (anything from 70-120,000 was considered acceptable). All of a sudden Tom Rolt had a book accepted for publication and a commission for another.

Eckington Bridge, River Avon

Worcestershire was therefore written whilst Rolt was developing his philosophy and exploring his ideas of ecology. He disliked the romanticised views that most contemporary books of rural England had and set about writing “something of more moment than a mere guidebook”. His choice of Worcestershire was brought about partly because he could combine research with his paid job with the Ministry of Supply and partly because he viewed it “more than any other shire, to represent a microcosm of England”. 

Fladbury Mill, River Avon

So the reader shouldn’t expect a guidebook and, although it is not by any means a treatise on ecology, it is all about the role of man in the environment and full of examples of skilled workers producing goods using methods that Rolt believes are in harmony with the “natural order”. Rolt set out to write two journeys through the county, one in time and one in place, and to present his philosophy. His training and background in engineering, that was to dominate his later writing career, does however shine through. His love of waterways and railways is clear in the book. I am sure that very few other writers would have given them that level of prominence. 

Water transport on the River Severn

Coracle built by Harry Rogers, Coalbrookdale

The book is an interesting read but in places Rolt takes his ecological arguments a little far for me. He alludes  to “enlightened scientists” who are concerned to answer questions on soil health but "may be opposed by powerful financial interests" and describes changes in agricultural that he considers regrettable. Massingham helped found the Soil Association, so I presume Rolt held similar views to his mentor. 

Horse-drawn boat on the Worcestershire & Birmingham Canal

(note the child with the horse)

Tom Rolt originally wanted Narrow Boat illustrated using Angela Rolt’s photographs but the publisher wanted a more "rural style" and asked Denys Watkins-Pitchford (BB) to provide the wood cuts that are now very much part of the earlier editions. Worcestershire, on the other hand, is well illustrated with forty nine monochrome plates by various photographers including Angela Rolt. Many are landscapes, which is not surprising given the subject of the book, but Tom Rolt’s enthusiasms come through. There are scenes of water transport on the River Severn and Worcester & Birmingham Canal and rail transport in the form of “Big Bertha” the LMS engine that for years acted as a banker on the Likely Incline close to Tardibigge. There is a wonderful selection of photographs in the book illustrating craftsmen at work, many using skills that have long gone. My favourite is of the making lockgates at Tardebigge using a shell auger. 

2290 "Big-Bertha" the 0-10-0 banking engine for the Lickey Incline

My first edition of Worcestershire, purchased through eBay, was not expensive and it included a renovated dust-cover. A book to look out for, particularly if you have a copy of Narrow Boat as its companion.

[1] Background details for this review came from Landscape with Canals by LTC Rolt which can be obtained as part of the Landscape Trilogy, the autobiography of Tom Rolt.

Birmingham in a Blizzard

On Thursday we moved from our overnight mooring at the Mailbox into Sherborne Wharf on the Oozells Street Loop. The idea being we could safely leave Albert while we attended a wedding in the city on Friday. We don't have any qualms about mooring in central Birmingham but we thought it would help if we were not going to be on board if we moored Albert at  a secure wharf. It would also help to have an electric hook-up to keep the batteries charged. As it turned out it was also a smart move because of the weather to come.

Passing through the Worcester Bar in Gas Street Basin

Approaching Broad Street Tunnel

Having moved into Sherborne in the morning, we spent Thursday afternoon visiting the wonderful Birmingham Back to Backs National Trust site. The well preserved houses are a "must visit" attraction for those with an interest in the social and industrial history of working class England. They are only a short walk from the canals of central Birmingham.

The Birmingham Back to Backs

That evening we managed to get last minute tickets for the Phantom of the Opera which was playing at the Hippodrome. We had yet to see this blockbuster and enjoyed it a lot. The stage setting, singing and, of course, the music were great. As we left the theatre the snow began falling. Little did we know that it would continue through the night and come down more heavily during the wedding on Friday!

Snowy Sherborne Wharf

Moving back to the boat on Saturday it was clear that the blizzard that had enveloped most of the country was going to make going to Dudley that day very difficult. There is limit to how much discomfort one can stand when boating. Although Albert stayed put at the wharf all day on Saturday we visited Maggie's mother in Solihull using the local trains and buses.

Cambrian Wharf in the snow

Farmers Bridge Locks in the snow

It took the boat some time to warm up when we returned in the evening. We will have to see what weather is in store tomorrow. Arctic conditions appear to prevail over most of Britain and the prospects for reasonable weather at Easter look remote. Still who knows what is to come. And this is mid March!

Heavy snow on Albert

Birmingham (Mailbox)

We have arrived at our first major destination, Birmingham.

This morning we travelled up the northern Stratford Canal towards Kings Norton Junction - no locks apart from the stop lock at the junction with the Worcester and Birminham. There was however the lift bridge at Shirley - called The Drawbridge for some reason. Being a busy crossing if is automated and only requires the usual BW key.

We turned onto the Worcester and Birmingham canal through the newly-refurbished guillotine stop lock and travelled towards Birmingham.

Kings Norton Junction - Worcester & Birmingham and Stratford Canals

All was plain sailing, and very quiet, until we got to Bournville. Just by Cadburys there was a large bundle of wood floating under the bridge blocking navigation. We stopped and Maggie moved it aside using our boat hook. Unfortunately in the process we picked up something large around the propeller. We limped along to the moorings by the station and I went down the weed hatch. The large object turned out to be a duffel bag. The water was really cold even with gloves on!

This is where the Dudley No. 2 canal left the Worcester & Birmingham Canal towards Lapal

University of Birmingham's hydrogen powered narrow boat

 

Egbaston tunnels - rail and canal

 

We decided that lunch at Bournville was a good idea but we then moved on into the city. Even though we have been into Birmingham via this route quite a few times, once again there were changes with lots of new offices and flats.

Window cleaners on a new high rise building at Salvage Turn

 

We stopped at Holiday Street Wharf for water (slow tap) and then moored up just around the corner in front of The Mailbox. There were only a couple of boats moored up on this stretch - quite different from summer.

Mooring up at The Mailbox, Birmingham

 

The Mailbox at night; note the reflection on Albert's cabin side (right)

 

Astwood

On Thursday (August 11th) we went down Tardebigge Flight. Although the weather was mixed, it rained on and off, and was quite good for locking. We came up Tardebigge several years ago and quite enjoyed it. Single locks are far easier with four crew – a steerer plus three on the locks, one working ahead.





We managed to get down to the Astwood Flight – forty two locks in a day.

We took on fuel at Stoke Prior and the Red Arrows flew directly overhead!

The overnight mooring looking out over the Worcestershire countryside was very pleasant in the late summer sun.

Hopwood

After a quiet night moored up on the Lapworth Flight, the next day (August 10th) we went up the rest of the flight under cloudy skies. We met another crew coming down the flight at Bridge 32 where there is a difficult turn under the bridge. It necessitated a bit of manoeuvring.


Lapworth Flight


Drawbridge - Shirley


Brandwood Tunnel


The site of the Lifford Lane Bridge which was raised for NB Cressy in 1947

The summit of the North Stratford was quiet; it was also quite shallow. We did, however, manage to moor up for lunch just short of Dicken’s Heath. Most of the afternoon was spent on the summit making our way to the junction with the Worcester & Birmingham Canal at Kings Norton.


Kings Norton Stop Lock

The lack of water made it a slow journey. At the Kings Norton Junction there was a scuffle between youths in the bushes. Just as we got our mobiles ready to call the Police a PCSO arrived and we directed him towards the source of the noise. Hopefully it got sorted out.

Just before Wast Hill tunnel, a group of youngsters launched stones from a bridge. A few landed on Albert luckily not causing significant damage – a couple of stone chips. In Shortwood Tunnel we saw a bat.

We moored up overnight at Hopwood House and had a great pub meal. We moored up near Keeping up with the Joneses who came and had a good chat.