Junctions (23) : Hertford Union Junction

Where the Regent's Canal meets the Hertford Union Canal. And this Winter sunshine scene also brings an end to 2013's posts. Happy New Year to all visitors and see you again in 2014...

Pipe bridge

On the Digbeth Branch Canal.

Signposts (1) : Aston Junction

Interesting this points to Farmers Bridge Junction and not Old Turn Junction.

Crocodile

On the river Lee.

Boats on the canal (90)

On the Hertford Union Canal.

Eastenders (Waterways edition)

This year i have done a number of canal walks across London, covering most of the Regent's Canal and also the Limehouse Cut Canal. Yesterday i continued this theme walking several of the waterways of the East End. The River Lee up from Bow Lock (where i ended last time, i wasn't in earshot of "Bow Bells" but within sight of Bow Lock!) to where it joins the Hertford Union Canal (passing the Olympic Stadium in doing so). Then along all of this short branch of the Grand Union Canal to where it joins the Regents. You can see the River Lee photos here and the Hertford Union Canal here.

It was a nice walk, the strong and low Winter Sun was a bit of a problem but highly preferable to the heavy rain on my last walk!

Signs (5) : No naked lights

In Digbeth.

Junctions (22) : Proof House / Digbeth Junction

Some call this Digbeth Junction, others Proof House. I'm prefer to use the latter but whatever you call it its where the Digbeth Branch Canal joins the Grand Union Canal. Keep going here and eventually you can reach East London. I'll have to walk that one day...

Back to Digbeth

It seems ages since i've walked a canal in the Birmingham Canal Navigations area (a proper full-on canal walk that is and not a few snaps from one location). Indeed the last time was back in April when i visited Brindley Place.

Today i walked the entirety of the Digbeth Branch Canal. Its not a long canal, it links the Birmingham & Fazeley at Aston to the Grand Union at Warwick Bar but in that short length it includes quite a few locks and two tunnels. It also includes plenty of places that smell of wee. Here you can see the photos which thankfully do not smell of anything! 

Incidentally it was 2009 the last time i've visited the canal, some of the buildings alongside have changed in that time.

Winter reflections

One thing about the Winter cold is that it does tend to make the canal water clearer.

Autumn in Stratford

Its getting colder.

River Boats (3) : Idle Hours

At Stratford.

Boats on the canal (89)

At Limehouse.

Bridge over canal and river

At the end of the Limehouse Cut where it merges with the river are a number of bridges which cross both.

Sheltering from the rain

Many a canal walker has been grateful for the shelter of a bridge from heavy rain!

Doing the Limehouse Cut

The Limehouse Cut is a short canal that runs from Limehouse Basin (the terminus of the Regent's Canal) up to the River Lea near Stratford. In terrible weather (you can see the rain in the photos!) i walked this canal on Saturday and here you can see the photos. Its an interesting little canal that i'll revisit one day (when its not raining!) Here are my photographs.

Swans

At Worcester.

Boats on the canal (88)

Josephine at Cambrian Wharf.

Crown Meadow Arm Bridge 64A

At Alvechurch.

Junctions (21) : Farmers Bridge Junction

Farmers Bridge Junction doesn't really exist anymore. It originally was where the Newhall branch of the Birmingham & Fazeley headed off. After the Newhall branch was closed the name was transferred to the junction where the canal joined the main line. However later this was renamed Old Turn Junction. The original junction used to be just before the top lock of the Farmers Lock flight, the only bit that remains of the Newhall canal is Cambrian wharf, i guess you could say the junction does still exist but it only links through to a wharf now.

Salmon Lane Lock 11

On the Regent's Canal.

BT and all

Looking towards the BT Tower along the Birmingham & Fazeley.

Boats on the canal (87)

At Farmers Bridge Junction.

Boats in a row

I've been away for a couple of days to lovely Aberystwyth and you can see my photos here. A nice little harbour.

Pubs (13) : The Flapper, Birmingham

At Farmers Bridge Junction.

Tindal Bridge

At the Birmingham end of the Birmingham & Fazeley.

River Boats (2) : For hire

At Stratford.

Boat club

At Stratford.

Hertford Union Canal

A short canal linking the Regent's Canal to the Lee navigation.

Junctions (20) : Limehouse Basin

Where the Regent's Canal finally meets the Thames.

The way to start the day

Now this is a great sight when you leave your front door in the morning. At Alvechurch.

Limehouse Cut

The Limehouse Cut is a fairly short canal that links the Regent's Canal at Limehouse Basin to the River Lee navigation.

Completing the Regent

At the weekend i had a trip to London and went on a canal walk, i completed a trilogy of walks along the Regent's Canal over the Summer which means i have walked it now from Islington to where it meets the Thames at Limehouse. One day i'll have to go back and cover the only bit of the canal i haven't visited yet from the Maida Vale tunnel to Kings Cross but thats for another day... first i want to explore the Limehouse Cut and Hertford Union Canals which i touched on briefly as part of my Regent's walk. You can see the photos i took here, and my other Regent's photoshoots are here, here and here.

Boats on the canal (86)

Travelling through Erdington.

Countess and the theatre

The Countess of Evesham passes the RSC theatre at Stratford.

Withybed Lane Bridge No 61

At Alvechurch.

Wenlock Basin

On the Regent's Canal.

Picnic area

Making its way past a KFC, along the Birmingham & Fazeley in Erdington.

Boats on the canal (85)

Tommy Vaughan at Brindley Place.

New library old canal

The Birmingham Main Line has seen many buildings rise and fall over the years, the latest addition to the skyline in central Birmingham being the new library.

Travelling the Grand Union Canal in the 1930s

An amazing video following showing canal boats travelling from London up to Birmingham. Showing inland waterway traffic on the Thames, Regent's Canal and Grand Union Canal. Some of the places shown like Hatton Locks i have visited myself over the last couple of years, some things of course look very different now but some things are unchanged, though you may need to look closely sometimes!

Islington briefly

A brief visit to London at the weekend and i managed to get in a short visit to the Regent's Canal in Islington. Basically just long enough to take this pic!

Marsh Footbridge 163

At Banbury.

Rosie & Jim

Rosie & Jim are in Stratford cruising along the Avon.

Boats on the canal (84)

At Stratford.