Bumble Hole, still

Here I am Rune

Distance 0 miles

Total 817 Locks 40 Tunnels

Running total mileage 1240.9miles

OK, another slack day for us on the cut. Debated whether or not to go to Merry Hill moorings, go to Park Head or stay where we are for another day, opted to stay here and go for a walk around the Bumble Hole area. From what I can make out it used to be an area of collieries for which the canal was used to carry away the coal. I’m not entirely sure of the full history but around Bumble Hole Pool itself there are a lot of ground ventilation pipes similar to those installed on old rubbish dumps to vent the methane out of the ground so I suspect when the coal mines closed the area may have become a rubbish tip. Now it has developed into an area of pleasant parkland and certainly seems to be a major dog walking area.

Curious little development last night was a local cat who seems to be keen on narrow boats. He managed to get aboard to wander around the boat. Whilst I was typing in the study at the back I heard a splash from outside and it seems the cat had managed to fall into the canal from the gunnels of our boat. Suspect that he may have done this before since it swam very quickly to the side and got itself out pronto. It then spent the next half hour in front of our fire drying itself out and making itself quite at home. Don’t think I’d like to fall in the canal at this time of year!

Snowdrops now in bloom.....

.....and this is the small sculpture in the background