Author Topic: Wasthills Tunnel and area  (Read 9011 times)

sandra01

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Re: Wasthills Tunnel and area
« Reply #22 on: April 02, 2016, 12:56:38 PM »
Interesting pictures, hadn't seen those before

planetmalc

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Re: Wasthills Tunnel and area
« Reply #23 on: April 02, 2016, 02:56:41 PM »
There's no way you could get in from the Selly Oak end any more, it's been well & truly blocked off for years.
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Phil

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Re: Wasthills Tunnel and area
« Reply #24 on: April 02, 2016, 03:00:03 PM »
There's no way you could get in from the Selly Oak end any more, it's been well & truly blocked off for years.

PM

Well it was 55 years ago, the lads themselves would be getting on a bit now.
Phil died in 2020. RIP.

sandra01

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Re: Wasthills Tunnel and area
« Reply #25 on: April 02, 2016, 03:12:12 PM »
I think you will be proved wrong - glad to say - if you read all about the intentions of the Lapal /Selly Oak canal restoration project. Read it it's online

planetmalc

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Re: Wasthills Tunnel and area
« Reply #26 on: April 02, 2016, 03:35:31 PM »
I think you will be proved wrong - glad to say - if you read all about the intentions of the Lapal /Selly Oak canal restoration project. Read it it's online
 
It's a very ambitious plan and the tunnel reopening will be the trickiest part of it, judging by the state it was in as far back as the 1960's.     Me, I'd rather see the Wast Hills Tunnel re-opened first, as the canal is already fully navigable as far as the Kings Norton end (never been to the other end   -   is it OK, Sandra?)
There's no B/S on Planet Malc.

sandra01

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Re: Wasthills Tunnel and area
« Reply #27 on: April 02, 2016, 03:58:58 PM »
Wasthills tunnel isn't closed. There is no towpath through it so you can't walk it. I've gone through it in a barge. The one end of the canal is accessed in Wasthills Lane and you can walk right through to Worcester( probably further but not gone any further)or it's easy bike riding although a bit muddy in parts. Several pubs along the way for a beer or two . And if you get off the canal tow path in Kings Norton if you've come from the city centre ,you can walk or ride through the Hawksley estate coming out at Bracken Way ,cross Redhill Road and then into Wasthills Lane and get onto the towpath again. From kings Norton to the city centre is a pleasant ride mostly towpath but you do have to come off the towpath in places if you intend to end up in Gas Street Basin

planetmalc

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Re: Wasthills Tunnel and area
« Reply #28 on: April 02, 2016, 05:47:42 PM »
Wasthills tunnel isn't closed. There is no towpath through it so you can't walk it. I've gone through it in a barge. The one end of the canal is accessed in Wasthills Lane and you can walk right through to Worcester( probably further but not gone any further)or it's easy bike riding although a bit muddy in parts. Several pubs along the way for a beer or two . And if you get off the canal tow path in Kings Norton if you've come from the city centre ,you can walk or ride through the Hawksley estate coming out at Bracken Way ,cross Redhill Road and then into Wasthills Lane and get onto the towpath again. From kings Norton to the city centre is a pleasant ride mostly towpath but you do have to come off the towpath in places if you intend to end up in Gas Street Basin
 
Thanks for that, clearly my knowledge of the Wast Hills Tunnel is now out-of-date.     Glad it's been re-opened.     I've done most of that cycle ride many times, but have always got off the canal at Kings Norton Junction and re-joined via Woodgate Valley   -   I'll have to try your much shorter route!      I'm puzzled as to why do you have to leave the towpath to get to the Gas Street Basin from Kings Norton   -   is this a temporary diversion?
There's no B/S on Planet Malc.

Phil

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Re: Wasthills Tunnel and area
« Reply #29 on: April 02, 2016, 06:17:38 PM »
 
 I'm puzzled as to why do you have to leave the towpath to get to the Gas Street Basin from Kings Norton   -   is this a temporary diversion?

PM

What I think that Sandra possibly means is there are a couple of points where the towpath changes side and you have to take to the road bridge to the other side of the canal.
Phil died in 2020. RIP.

sandra01

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Re: Wasthills Tunnel and area
« Reply #30 on: April 02, 2016, 10:08:06 PM »
Yes that's right about the towpath changing sides Phil

expatbrummie

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Re: Wasthills Tunnel and area
« Reply #31 on: May 23, 2016, 10:23:10 PM »
Just been through the Wast Hill Tunnel twice as we went from Alvechurch to Stratford on Avon an back.   Interesting coming back as we met three novice boaters heading towards Birmingham who froze with fear.   It is quite daunting going through both this and the Netherton tunel, they are both long and dark and damp.   Netherton has a towpath through it Wast hills does not and would have been legged in the old days like the tunnel at the Black Country Museum.   You can walk the towpath from the northern exit of the tunnel through to Gas Street Basin or turn right and go to Stratford on Avon.   From the south end you can walk all the way to Worcester.   In fact you can towpath walk all the canals around Birmingham.   Interesting reading the stories about the Lapal tunnel, if they are going to try and reopen it, it would be superb, but a very costly job as I understand the rock fall that closed it was quite severe.   Apparently it was a ver busy route when it was open

denis pike

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Re: Wasthills Tunnel and area
« Reply #32 on: October 14, 2021, 07:21:52 PM »
PM

Well it was 55 years ago, the lads themselves would be getting on a bit now.




I would like to add a reply to the above. I have only just spotted it even though it was posted 5 years ago. As far as  I know Edwin Fasham is still going strong. He gave a talk to our society maybe 3 years ago now. He still lives in the house that features in the picture in Shenley Fields. The subject of his talk was how he built his own narrowboat - mainly from cast aluminium with much of it being built just by himself.  A step up from a packing case canoe


 

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