Birmingham Canal Navigation old and new Mainline. Up the Smethwick 3 and down the Engine Arm.

The continuing comparison of Brindley and Telford's creation and evolution of the BCN, Birmingham Canal Navigation. This time it's a trip up the Smethwick locks, over Telford's aquaduct and along the Engine Arm.
He also pays a visit to a 19th century lock keeper.

[@Rovinman]

Absolutely FASCINATING, I can't get over, how much history is involved here ! Thank you for keeping us all "edificated" to this most importand place in history. I shall be sad when you conclude this series, but I'm sure you won't leave us Historyless for long ! Do have a Fantastic 2022, and see you on the next one ! Take care, and stay safe ! Stu xx

[@NarrowboatNatterings]

Thanks Stuart. Don't you worry. I love the history so I'll always be filling up my none holiday/cruising time with those types of films. Mrs L doesn't share my passion for it, so they tend to only feature my ugly face-to-face but C'est la vie! Happy New Year to you!

[@barbarataylor1535]

I love the serenity of these segments all of the history, thank you, Happy New Year to you and the missus

[@NarrowboatNatterings]

Thank you for your kind words and support. Happy New Year to you! X

[@trevorsurplice1582]

wow what a cruise down memory canal Born, lived,worked. in Smethwick As you past W.T.Avery bridge the arm you looked at was the entrance to there wharf where when leaving school some of my friends worked.As you stayed on the Bham canal and picked Cathy up to your starboard was Incandecant Heat Co Ltd A large furnace manf. where i worked from school at 15 for abt 8 yrs. In the big freeze 1963 a friend and I would Skate to 1st lock,back round to the junction and up the cut to the bridge st bridge with Ralieigh cycles office and work shops At the end of engine arm was a coal wharf. Thats where we had our coal from

[@NarrowboatNatterings]

Wow!! That's incredible info!! Any old photos? Happy New Year to you!

[@NarrowboatNatterings]

I was just about to start reading your response about photos and the comment disappeared!!! Strange!

[@stuartcole3759]

Great vid. A lot of the redundant arms simply went into factories for loading. There are hundreds around the bcn. Most of the factories have long gone.

[@NarrowboatNatterings]

Thank you. Yes indeed. I find it all incredible! Happy New Year to you!

[@peterfuller2156]

Another great vlog Mr Lumsden so many historic buildings that need saving, Happy New year to you and Mrs Lumsden take care mate 👍

[@NarrowboatNatterings]

Thanks Peter. Happy New Year to you too!

[@JourneysByNarrowboat]

Thankd Paul. Loved it.

[@NarrowboatNatterings]

Cheers Mark. Catch you soon!

[@peterchambers3592]

The BCN and Junction videos on your channel are excellent. I did Farmers and Aston last year, and this makes me want to return and do the Main-lines. After your first few episodes you have found a presentation style that works for you. The historical cameos are a funny addition. I never realised that Telford looked so much like you! The stories of the lines, the junctions, the capital, the goods, and the board-room battles make your channel stand out from the cruising vlogs and pub reviews. Long may you have fun doing this stuff. I could just wish that Liverpool and Manchester had someone as articulate as you.

[@NarrowboatNatterings]

That's a lovely comment to read. Thank you. It's write hard work doing the research and then the edit, but it makes it all worthwhile when I read feedback like that... I'll come and visit Liverpool with the boat. It's on my bucket list!

[@MrOVERANOUT]

Thanks for yet another very interesting vlog about the canal network in and around Birmingham. There are masses of historical buildings and evidence of how things were in times gone by, if only we took more time to look. Those lock gates looked huge and the wash from the ground paddles seemed fierce. Your lady assistant must have muscles like Popeye. Talking about assistants, where is the lovely Mrs Lumsden? I do miss her.

[@NarrowboatNatterings]

She's good mate. She's has covid but all fine now. I'll get her on camera very soon! Happy New Year to you!

[@franktuckwell196]

Come to Brum and increase the odds of getting something exotic wrapped around your prop. Love all your jaunts with simple explanations as to where you are and whats going on. We met a bloke who had an 18 foot sari round his prop which took about an hour of fighting with an old very sharp knife to get it off. Can't help wondering about what would be found down some of the derelict arms, but obviously fraught with danger as to what you would find in the water? Take care, stay safe, & trouble free boating for you in 2022.

[@NarrowboatNatterings]

My personal best so far is a massive union Jack flag! That took a while. In all honesty though, I've had bigger problems outside of Birmingham! Happy New Year to you!

[@davidpinner4598]

Another smashing informative video, keep safe guys and have a Happy New Year.

[@NarrowboatNatterings]

Thanks David. Happy New Year to you too!

[@danburrill8716]

I couldn't easily find any references online, but I do remember that 20 or so years ago the culvert from Edgbaston reservoir to the engine arm collapsed at the point where it ran under City Road, and a car drove in to the hole. Fortunately the driver was unharmed. I've been watching your videos and getting homesick - I live in Norfolk now, but grew up in Bearwood, caught the 11 bus to school in Handsworth, and my first proper job was at Dudley Rd hospital (which is also where I met my wife, waiting for that 11 bus).

[@NarrowboatNatterings]

Wonderful stories my friend! Thanks for sharing. Yes the culverted waterways running east and west from Titford, Engine and Edgbaston are an invisible engineering marvel themselves! All to keep the levels right!

[@garym518]

Will definitely explore Engine Arm next time in area been passed a couple of times but always thought it ended just over the aqueduct. I believe the secret to reduce prop clogging in towns is to drift under bridges in neutral and keep an eye on the prop wash pattern. Thanks for sharing love the history.

[@NarrowboatNatterings]

Yes the wash pattern is a good early indicator of an issue. Catch it early enough and a couple of short sharp reverse blasts can clear it up! Happy New Year!

[@suee6835]

Excellent vlog about the Birmingham loops.Happy New year to you and Mrs Lumsden.

[@NarrowboatNatterings]

Thank you Sue. Back at you. X

[@andybritten4239]

Nice one Mr L , Happy new year and thanks for taking us along on your travels.

[@NarrowboatNatterings]

Same to you! Let's do it again in 2022!

[@G0RXA]

Thanks again. Enjoyed the trip. Happy New Year.

[@NarrowboatNatterings]

Cheers Nigel. Happy New Year to you!

[@garrystacey7018]

Interesting video thank for sharing happy New year all the best for 2022 👍

[@NarrowboatNatterings]

Thanks Garry. Happy New Year to you!

[@clivedavies6803]

Have loved watching your journeys on Wee May and find your enthusiastic commentary very interesting and informative, I live not for from the first commercial Canal in England The Sankey Navigation. Look forward to many more journeys by yourself and Mrs Lumsden keep up the excellent work...

[@NarrowboatNatterings]

Thanks for your feedback and kind words. Happy New Year to you!

[@grahamcutler3734]

That was a brilliant series Happy New year to you and your wife

[@NarrowboatNatterings]

Thank you Graham. Happy New Year to you too!

[@seanritchie8464]

Nice one Lumpy……loved that one. Looking forward to the BCN. Happy New Year man. Sean

[@NarrowboatNatterings]

Cheers mate. Happy New Year to you too!

[@pathickman9271]

Great trip. When we did it about 5 years ago you could actually see the gauging station islands as they hadn't been so neglected 🥺 It's such a shame nobody has bothered weeding them 😢 Happy New Year

[@NarrowboatNatterings]

The powers that be probably think they look prettier as green islands!! It is a shame. If twer up to me I'd have the whole thing restored! Happy New Year to you too!

[@keithveal2049]

at the end of the engine arm used to be coopers coal yard.i came from just across the road hill row six ways.happy days.great video.

[@NarrowboatNatterings]

Great bit of information. Thank you. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@keithveal2049]

hi i stand corrected by my wife .there were only 22 pubs in spon lane.in side streets of spon lane were also in wrong count oops sorry.i have all the pub names .

[@NarrowboatNatterings]

@@keithveal2049 hahaha! My wife is always correcting me!!

[@davidsedlickas8222]

Congratulations a very informative vlog and very enjoyable to watch. For me the pain is seeing the bushes growing out of the infrastructure and the disgusting graffiti every where. It is precisely why the CRT should be stripping all of this back and cleaning up the canals. Keep safe warm dry and virus free.

[@NarrowboatNatterings]

Thanks for commenting. Happy New Year to you!

[@anfieldroadlayoutintheloft5204]

Good video

[@NarrowboatNatterings]

Thank you

[@philipizzard2584]

Have loved watching the vlogs around Birmingham so well filmed and full of interesting facts etc,happy new year to you both may see you on the cut next year who knows happy 2022.

[@NarrowboatNatterings]

Cheers matey. Yes would be nice to meet you at some point! Happy New Year to you!

[@philipizzard2584]

@@NarrowboatNatterings indeed it would enjoy the evening

[@stevengoddard9185]

Another great vlog done mate.i.ve been winterising in a marina but not getting ichy tiller. Gas street by 4th March birthday pubbing then fradley,fazeley,then back to fradley then Chester and maybe Liverpool might see you on your travels take care stay safe m8.

[@NarrowboatNatterings]

Cheers mate. Well you'll be in all the similar areas so every chance pal!

[@cliffwoodbury5319]

There need to be indepth documentries done on all aspects of all the canals individually and on the whole!!!!

[@NarrowboatNatterings]

Let me go get some funding.... Wouldn't it be great though? Happy New Year to you!

[@HybridDoggo]

5:43 that used to be a basin for the old soho foundry

[@NarrowboatNatterings]

Great information thank you!

[@freespeech3673]

Brilliant! Why oh why are we not making more use of the BCN? what a waste. Keep 'em coming.

[@NarrowboatNatterings]

Doing all I can! 😂 Happy New Year to you!

[@rambojambone4586]

These bridges have been rebuilt, right? It’s so cool. I’m in Chicago. Would love to come there.

[@NarrowboatNatterings]

Many are original. 250 years old.

[@davehopkin9502]

Dad used to work for a family tube making company and part of their works butted right up to the cut, that side of the works they called "The French Wall" the story was that they were built by French Prisoners of War in the Napoleonic Wars, hence the name. No idea if thats true or not but it might be

[@NarrowboatNatterings]

That's a great bit of info. True or not, it's an interesting story. Wish I'd known that when filming and editing!

[@davehopkin9502]

@@NarrowboatNatterings The works was on Rolf Street, with one of the arms of the cut behind it. It was Called "George Burn Tubes"

[@NarrowboatNatterings]

@@davehopkin9502 brilliant! any old photos?

[@davehopkin9502]

@@NarrowboatNatterings I have copies of the works magazines (bound up ino books) certainly going back to the early 40s, I will have a scoot through them and see, but most of it is about the staff, works sports teams, works trips, flower shows etc etc.... but you never know!

[@NarrowboatNatterings]

Awesome!

[@katherineroyal423]

The Birmingham canals you're on are so wide and lovely. Are they untravelled because of the time of the year or for some other reason?

[@NarrowboatNatterings]

Even in the summer they are quiet. City canals get bad press. Too many people scaremongering. Claiming they are dirty, your prop will be forever fouled, there are too many bad people lurking about, there is no where to moor etc. All incorrect. Don't get me wrong, I love the beautiful canals out in the countryside, but people should give the urban canals a chance. They are beautiful in their own right.

[@cliffwoodbury5319]

more skits pleae - lol

[@NarrowboatNatterings]

That's made me laugh! Happy New Year to you!