Moorings and Facilities

A major update for these pages is currently “work in progress.

Until then, we would appreciate your help with:

  • Information about, in your recent experience, safe moorings and useful facilities
  • Photos of safe moorings and facilities! Of course you will be credited for the photos.

Please send any information to the webmaster@bcnsociety.com.

The previous page you might now haven’t been removed, they are in the process of being edited and updated.

Until that’s done, please download the BCN Safe Moorings guide

Comments 18

  1. Windmill End is a definite No-No, unless there’s a festival of some kind there. We attempted to moor on the stretch between the Boshboil and Bumblehole arms in March 2020 (the week before the first COVID lockdown). We andthe boat ahead of us had stones thrown at us from the old railway line as you leave Netherton tunnel. The perpetrators then hurled abuse at us as we were mooring, having followed us on the towpath. A couple out walking their dog told us that it was now not safe to moor there and that the police had done nothing to eradicate the antisocial despite many complaints. In pouring rain, we made the short trip to the Withymoor Island Trust’s service point where we sought permission to moor overnight. Many thanks to all there for a peaceful and secure stay.

    1. That seems quite unusual. I’ve often moored at Windmill End in the last couple of years and not had any trouble. It’s quite busy with dog walkers and similar, and there’s a very active community group who keep the area tidy and run the cafe. One of my favourite moorings on the BCN.

      Not denying your experience, just a contrasting view.

      Withymoor Island is a lovely place though!

  2. We have moored south of Cosley Tunnel on the mooring bollards. According to your safe mooring document is this the right place?

  3. I have noted the change to the Sneyd Wharf moorings mentioned above – are there any other moorings listed in the Mooring Guide that are no longer available? Thanks!

    1. Hi, webmaster, all,
      While the new moorings & facilities is being worked on, I’d appreciate any inputs for a ‘silver propellor’ cruise I’m considering for March/ April 2022, hopefully timed to miss school holidays. Things on my mind are: is there enough water/ too much rubbish – will I get stuck?/ are they silly places to overnight/ should I even go there, and so on.

      The plan is to enter the BCN from the B&F, and go:
      * up the Tame Valley; overnight in or at the top of Perry Barr locks.
      * Then onto the Walsall, overnight in Walsall Town basin.
      * Then Cannock Extension, overnighting at the top.
      * Then towards Wolverhampton, overnighting at the old junction with the Bentley canal
      * Then left, and left again up & down the Bradley Arm, then through the Netherton Tunnel
      * finally exit at Stourton, after visiting Hawne basin, the top of Parkhead locks (is there enough water in the basin?) and the Fens branch

      Thanks in advance for any info!
      Dave

    2. Lots of boats moor there with no problem at all, you must have been unlucky with an incident that could happen anywhere

  4. Travelling on B&F to Birmingham and Cambrian Wharf- is it still possible to moor overnight at Cuckoo Wharf ? If not any suggestions please ?

  5. Hi there
    Canalplan has put an overnight at farmers bridge bottom lock – which I am guessing is not a good idea. Assuming we don’t crack on through the locks does anyone know if the suggested moorings at Aston Science Park are still ‘OK’? (Digbeth branch B&F)

    Thanks
    David

    1. We have earmarked the science park as a potential overnight stop,too. So would be interesting to know what it was like.

    2. As it happens I drive past these moorings on a Friday night nearly every week and only very occasionally is a boat moored there. The area is in the middle of the HS2 develelopment and as a boat owner I would be reluctant to moor there unless I had no choice. Far safer and more pleasant to try to get to the top of Farmers Bridge which with an effecient crew is about 1.5 hours away from the Aston Science Park.

    3. I have used the mooring at Aston Science park numerous times over the last three years and have felt quite safe there. There is little footfall after ‘commuter time’. I have seen police on bicycles passing. A bit noisier with the main road now exposed after building work complete.

    4. We use Aston Science park mooring regularly as we are based at Fazeley Marina. It was fine in 2021 though every year it is s little more untidy. The main issue is the amount of goose poo.
      Can’t comment on the HS2 development as we have not been there since mid 2021.

  6. Thinking of doing the Curly Wurly later in the year – first time for over 30 years. I would appreciate updates via the Society newsletter. Particularly need best places for overnight mooring.
    Thanks
    Keith Harris

    1. Good afternoon Keith, Sadly I have to tell you that the section between Deans road bridge and Sneyd Junction is littered with every possible household item that you could imagine. In early May this year NB Imagine was assaulted and crippled several times. A huge duvet took almost an hour to remove. Walkers on the superb towpath warned us as to the disgusting state of the canal which strongly suggests that CRT & local funding policies have gone raving mad. Surely the large administration section could consider court action against the house owners who quite obviously dump into the cut. CRT should be ashamed of themselves. This section is the worst canal l have encountered in 45 years. APPALLING !! We pay a licence for this. Following the return trip l intend to inform the CRT chief exec that immaculate groomed towpaths will not attract visitors if the rubbish in the cut is indicative of a third world country.
      Good Luck. Other sections are less polluted .
      peterstokes107@gmail.com

      1. Peter,
        When you say “NB Imagine was assaulted …”, do you mean literal assault (folks throwing things), or stuff in the water messing the boat about?
        I’d see the former as considerably more worrying than the latter (not that the latter isn’t a right royal pain …).
        Thanks
        Dave

  7. Hi

    Ref: Sneyd Wharf visitor mooring

    I am a resident at Sneyd wharf and we do not know about a VM! The site is a secure site accessed with a site specific key, generally open office hours, else secure!. There is no official VM on the site, but mooring is (unofficially) possible for a short period (day or 2) on the usually empty CART service craft mooring on the corner… or (very unofficially) just overnight on the 30 minute service moorings. It is also possible to moor just outsite the site on the stub of the disused Wyrley Bank Branch Canal, just past the bridge (going toward Wolverhampton)

    1. Hello,
      We have just arrived at Sneyd Wharf expecting to find visitor moorings as listed in the moorings guide (having printed a copy before Steve’s comment above!).
      Without time to get to Pelsall Common or Birchills Museum tonight, we are forced into the unofficial option of staying overnight on the water point.
      Hopefully the guide will soon be updated so others are aware 🙂

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