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Monday 2 September 2013

Cambrian Wharf.

We got into New Street Station in good time for Helen to catch her train. There are extensive refurbishments underway, inside and out, and it will be 2015 before it will all be finished. It looks as though it will be an asset to Birmingham.

Once I got back to the boat I started the engine so as to be able to put the washing machine on again after the dunking of our washing yesterday. I put up the wirly drier to ensure that it got dry this time. Whilst the batteries were charging I did a bit of ironing that was left and did a bit of stuff on the web. I am hoping that I wont need to run the engine again as the weather should be good. The flats seem to bloke the morning light but after about 1100 I should be getting a good charge for the rest of the day.

I started the long list of jobs on my list. As the weather was so nice I moved the head lamp from above the line of the roof to below. This hopefully will save damage, especially when going through the Standedge Tunnel in October. I also checked out the waste pump as it seems to be intermittent at the moment. I didn't find anything in the flapper valves but cleaned it up and rotated the the valve assembly to hopefully maintain a head of water to the pump from suction and discharge sides. I also started to check the shower for leaks and ready to re-caulk it. I am leaving everything to dry out today and in the morning will sort it all out and have a shower later.

We are moored in Cambrian Wharf where there are 14 day mornings on short pontoons. It is right at the top of the Farmers Bridge flight and is actually a wharf that was on the original canal in Birmingham It was from coalfields on the edge of the city. This was the Birmingham Canal and was built 1768 to 1772. In the city there were two wharfs. The first was close to Gas Street basin at Paradise Wharf and at the end of a short branch from Old Turn Junction t]past Cambrian wharf and ending at Newhall Wharf. The 600 metres from Cambrian Wharf has gone now.

There are two old cranes still here. The first is just behind the moorings and the other seems to be more to service the canal when the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal was built up and joined in 1784. When the two canals joined the companies soon merged and this is when the Birmingham Canal Navigation (BCN) was formed.


Old crane at Cambrian Wharf with local housing and the new Central Library behind.


A view down the Farmers Bridge flight of locks.


At the top of the locks is toll house that on the BCN were octagonal. The area of Old Turn Basin has been tastefully landscaped and is frequented by many people.


Cambrian Wharf with the Framers bridge Locks on the left. The Newhall Branch continued for 600m with no locks where the trees are at the centre of the picture. The two cranes can also be seen.


The BT Tower in the evening sun from the top of the Farmers Bridge flight


From the pontoons across to a BCN house. There are several BCN cottages in the area and a little bit of the old streets survive.

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