Tuesday, December 31, 2013

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...

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

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!

Thursday, December 5, 2013

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...

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

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.

Saturday, November 30, 2013

Winter reflections

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

Friday, November 15, 2013

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.

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Sheltering from the rain

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

Monday, November 11, 2013

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.


Tuesday, October 29, 2013

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.

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

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.

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Friday, September 20, 2013

The way to start the day

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

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Limehouse Cut

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

Monday, September 16, 2013

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.



Thursday, September 5, 2013

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Picnic area

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

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

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.

Monday, August 19, 2013

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!

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

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!

Thursday, August 8, 2013