New Mainline and a salute to Caggy and Mac.

Thursday was a move from the museum across to Brindley Place. Once called the Black Country it has changed colour, at least along the canals.

Even the old gauging docks alongside Factory Locks now hide coyly behind a screen of trees.
We had never noticed before but the footbridge across the tail of the bottom lock has a space under it on the nearside,

presumably to pass the tow line on the horse drawn boats.

It's not far from the locks to Caggy's Boatyard. Caggy Stevens was probably the last boatman on the canals to use horses as motive power, I believe his last horse was called Mac who died in 1977. We'll not see their likes again. The boatyard is the remains of the Tipton Green and Toll End Communication Canal which crossed the New Mainline here, at Watery Junction.

Spon Lane Locks, claimed to be the oldest flight on the B.C.N., now looking almost rural.

The greening continues all along the New Mainline.

Mind you it's not all a bucolic retreat, stark modernity intrudes in places.

But even the concrete monster that is the M6 is becoming shrouded in green.

The Engine Arm Aqueduct and Smethwick Junction and then it was only just under an hour and we were in Brummagem. More about that later.

Watch this space...