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The canal under the Saltley Viaduct

S

Sheila Jacob

knowlegable brummie
Hi everyone, I was admiring some photos on Facebook of Birmingham's canals now they've been renovated and have swish pubs and hotels alongside them. This made me think of travelling to town in the 50's and 60's and looking down from the top of the No.14 to what Dad called "the cut". A murky thing it was too! Does anyone know which canal it was and if a stretch of water's still there? Sorry if I sound dense! Dad told me a lot about growing up in Cromwell Street.Nechells,but he never mentioned playing near the canal or what it was like when he was a boy(he was born in 1917) I left Brum in the early 70's,used to return visit my Mum, but haven't been back since she died in 2011(Dad died in 1965) Any facts and or/anecdotes about this canal would be much appreciated.
 
Yes, the canal still goes under the viaduct as does the River Rea. Google labels it the Bham & Warwick Junction Canal. As a child I used to catch the 14 or 55 to town in the 70s and it was always exciting going over it. There was the public toilets and the remnants of the gas works as well.

I think my dad used the term 'the cut' for most stretches of water locally.
 
Hi Sheila, I am not certain what route the no 14 took. I believe Saltley Viaduct crosses both the River Rhea and and the grand union canal.

But there was also the Birmingham & Fazeley canal near to his Street.All are still there. You look them up on google maps. Hope this helps.

Cromwell St · Nechells, Birmingham

Nechells, Birmingham
www.google.com www.google.com
 
MWS said:
Yes, the canal still goes under the viaduct as does the River Rea. Google labels it the Bham & Warwick Junction Canal. As a child I used to catch the 14 or 55 to town in the 70s and it was always exciting going over it. There was the public toilets and the remnants of the gas works as well.

I think my dad used the term 'the cut' for most stretches of water locally.
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Snap!
 
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MWS said:
Yes, the canal still goes under the viaduct as does the River Rea. Google labels it the Bham & Warwick Junction Canal. As a child I used to catch the 14 or 55 to town in the 70s and it was always exciting going over it. There was the public toilets and the remnants of the gas works as well.

I think my dad used the term 'the cut' for most stretches of water locally.
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Many thanks for this.I remember the gas works in all their glory! And yes,most stretches of water were "the cut! Happy days,when kids were excited by bus rides!
 
Janet Hunt said:
Hi Sheila, I am not certain what route the no 14 took. I believe Saltley Viaduct crosses both the River Rhea and and the grand union canal.

But there was also the Birmingham & Fazeley canal near to his Street.All are still there. You look them up on google maps. Hope this helps.

Cromwell St · Nechells, Birmingham

Nechells, Birmingham
www.google.com www.google.com
Click to expand...
This is extremely helpful,thank you.I think it was probably the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal.Glad it's still there.Thanks for the Google link.
 
Sheila Jacob said:
Hi everyone, I was admiring some photos on Facebook of Birmingham's canals now they've been renovated and have swish pubs and hotels alongside them. This made me think of travelling to town in the 50's and 60's and looking down from the top of the No.14 to what Dad called "the cut". A murky thing it was too! Does anyone know which canal it was and if a stretch of water's still there? Sorry if I sound dense! Dad told me a lot about growing up in Cromwell Street.Nechells,but he never mentioned playing near the canal or what it was like when he was a boy(he was born in 1917) I left Brum in the early 70's,used to return visit my Mum, but haven't been back since she died in 2011(Dad died in 1965) Any facts and or/anecdotes about this canal would be much appreciated.
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Hi Sheila, I used to live in Hanley St, close to Cromwell St, and I remember as a young lad going to the canel under the viaduct to collect frog spurn for the pet shop on the glebe.. one of many ventures, along with playing on the stationary railway coaches at stechford station and the air-raid shelter accessed from the bridge in Flaxley Road. We used to remove the glasses from the railway lamps to use as magnifying glasses. Do you remember the (Royal Mail) shoe warehouse on the corner opposite the viaduct, where we used to go for free shoes in the 1950's?. Good old days.
 
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Hi Sheila, I used to live in Hanley St, close to Cromwell St, and I remember as a young lad going to the canel under the viaduct to collect frog spurn for the pet shop on the glebe.. one of many ventures, along with playing on the stationary railway coaches at stechford station and the air-raid shelter accessed from the bridge in Flaxley Road. We used to remove the glasses from the railway lamps to use as magnifying glasses. Do you remember the (Royal Mail) shoe warehouse on the corner opposite the viaduct, where we used to go for free shoes in the 1950's?. Good old days
 
Hi, there,sorry I don't know your Christian name. Thanks so much for replying. I'm intrigued by the fact that you collected frog spawn for the pet shop on the Glebe as we lived on the Glebe,caught the 14 from Kitt's Green Road. I was born in Parkfield Road, Alum Rock, in my Gran's house but we moved when I was about three or four after Mum and Dad were offered their own council house. I remember the pet shop well, also the ironmongers, chippie, record/radio shop, Lathams on the corner.I don't remember much about living on the Rock or shops opposite the viaduct apart from one occasion when I decided to get Mum a loaf of bread from the bakers on the Alum Rock Road,toddled down the entry.I can't have been much older than two at the time. I proudly walked home clutching a tin loaf wrapped in greaseproof paper and Mum and Gran were going frantic looking for me!
 
Sheila Jacob said:
Hi, there,sorry I don't know your Christian name. Thanks so much for replying. I'm intrigued by the fact that you collected frog spawn for the pet shop on the Glebe as we lived on the Glebe,caught the 14 from Kitt's Green Road. I was born in Parkfield Road, Alum Rock, in my Gran's house but we moved when I was about three or four after Mum and Dad were offered their own council house. I remember the pet shop well, also the ironmongers, chippie, record/radio shop, Lathams on the corner.I don't remember much about living on the Rock or shops opposite the viaduct apart from one occasion when I decided to get Mum a loaf of bread from the bakers on the Alum Rock Road,toddled down the entry.I can't have been much older than two at the time. I proudly walked home clutching a tin loaf wrapped in greaseproof paper and Mum and Gran were going frantic looking for me!
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oh what a thing sheila i can just image your mom and gran in a panic...having said that i do think the streets although not entirely without the odd trouble were a lot safer in our day

lyn
 
just going to move this thread to the canals section of the forum..only just noticed its under the donate section :rolleyes:
 
Astoness said:
oh what a thing sheila i can just image your mom and gran in a panic...having said that i do think the streets although not entirely without the odd trouble were a lot safer in our day

lyn
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They were definitely a lot safer.I think Mum's main concern was me crossing the Alum Rock Road which I didn't need to do as the baker's was just around the corner.
 
MWS said:
Yes, the canal still goes under the viaduct as does the River Rea. Google labels it the Bham & Warwick Junction Canal. As a child I used to catch the 14 or 55 to town in the 70s and it was always exciting going over it. There was the public toilets and the remnants of the gas works as well.

I think my dad used the term 'the cut' for most stretches of water locally.
Click to expand...
Sheila, the shoe warehouse was on the corner on the island, as you started to go over the via duct. I also remember the Bungie clock as they were known in those days, the clocking on for the bus drivers. Yeah the pet shop at the glebe was amongst the shops by Stanley James and the Chinese reastuarant. I dont think parents would risk children going to the Alum Rock shops on their own these days. But the shops down the Rock gonig down to the "Gate" at Saltley were lovelly shops in those days. Take care Colin.
 
Janet Hunt said:
Hi Sheila, I am not certain what route the no 14 took. I believe Saltley Viaduct crosses both the River Rhea and and the grand union canal.

But there was also the Birmingham & Fazeley canal near to his Street.All are still there. You look them up on google maps. Hope this helps.

Cromwell St · Nechells, Birmingham

Nechells, Birmingham
www.google.com www.google.com
Click to expand...
Hi Janet, the No.14 bus used to go from town by Lewis's up the Rock, past the Capital cinema, down Burney Lane past the fair ground and up through the Glabe and Lea Village through to Tile Cross. Hope this brings back memories.
 
csterry said:
Sheila, the shoe warehouse was on the corner on the island, as you started to go over the via duct. I also remember the Bungie clock as they were known in those days, the clocking on for the bus drivers. Yeah the pet shop at the glebe was amongst the shops by Stanley James and the Chinese reastuarant. I dont think parents would risk children going to the Alum Rock shops on their own these days. But the shops down the Rock gonig down to the "Gate" at Saltley were lovelly shops in those days. Take care Colin.
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I remember those green Bundie clocks ,also the shops on the Alum Rock Road, Mum used to go to a butchers there long after we'd left Parkfield Road, also a wallpaper shop and Woolworths, especially near Christmas. We bought our new fireplace from Oldacres.I went on the bus with Mum every Saturday morning when she paid another installment.Thanks for reviving these memories, Colin.
csterry said:
Hi Janet, the No.14 bus used to go from town by Lewis's up the Rock, past the Capital cinema, down Burney Lane past the fair ground and up through the Glabe and Lea Village through to Tile Cross. Hope this brings back memories.
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I remember it like yesterday.The terminus in town was Old Square,opposite The Minories.At one time,I caught the bus back home from outside Murdoch's and Harry Parkes sports shop.
 
The canal as stated was the Birmingham & Warwick Junction Canal, which became part of the Grand Union. North of Saltley Viaduct the canal passed close to Nechells Gasworks and now passes the Kappa Works. It went under the Aston to Stechford Railway and onto Nechells Power Station before meeting up with the Tame Valley Canal and Birmingham & Fazeley Canal at Salford Bridge.

South of Saltley Viaduct the Birmingham & Warwick Junction Canal passed Saltley Gas Works, the locomotive sheds at Saltley and the boat yard of Fellows, Morton & Clayton.

The expression "Saltley Gasworks on a foggy night" comes to mind about visibility and the dark canal waters of the 1950's.
 
Heartland said:
The canal as stated was the Birmingham & Warwick Junction Canal, which became part of the Grand Union. North of Saltley Viaduct the canal passed close to Nechells Gasworks and now passes the Kappa Works. It went under the Aston to Stechford Railway and onto Nechells Power Station before meeting up with the Tame Valley Canal and Birmingham & Fazeley Canal at Salford Bridge.

South of Saltley Viaduct the Birmingham & Warwick Junction Canal passed Saltley Gas Works, the locomotive sheds at Saltley and the boat yard of Fellows, Morton & Clayton.

The expression "Saltley Gasworks on a foggy night" comes to mind about visibility and the dark canal waters of the 1950's.
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Thank you very much for this,most interesting.I haven't heard that expression about Saltley Gasworks.The canal as I remember it was very murky!
 
I remember going to Saltley gasworks with my mom (and an old pram) to buy coke. Used to like seeing the Shute open to fill the pram. Funny the little things that made us children happy!
 
suemalings said:
I remember going to Saltley gasworks with my mom (and an old pram) to buy coke. Used to like seeing the Shute open to fill the pram. Funny the little things that made us children happy!
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I love to read about other people's childhood experiences in Brum, thank you. I loved going round the Glebe with my Mum to the faggots and peas shop,she always put a tea cloth on top of the basin and we hurried back before the food got cold.
 
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Heartland said:
The canal as stated was the Birmingham & Warwick Junction Canal, which became part of the Grand Union. North of Saltley Viaduct the canal passed close to Nechells Gasworks and now passes the Kappa Works. It went under the Aston to Stechford Railway and onto Nechells Power Station before meeting up with the Tame Valley Canal and Birmingham & Fazeley Canal at Salford Bridge.

South of Saltley Viaduct the Birmingham & Warwick Junction Canal passed Saltley Gas Works, the locomotive sheds at Saltley and the boat yard of Fellows, Morton & Clayton.

The expression "Saltley Gasworks on a foggy night" comes to mind about visibility and the dark canal waters of the 1950's.
Click to expand...
Seems like those canal waters were pretty dark most places around Birmingham in those days!
 
1685726151596.png
Saltley Viaduct passing over the Birmingham & Warwick Canal. It also bridges the Birmingham & Derby railway and the River Rea.
William Dargue 04.04.2009



i remember a boat graveyard with lots of sunken barges/narrow boats in it alongside the cut by the viaduct
 
there was a door on the viaducts wall just down from the old statio entrance with wooden steps leading down to the railtrack. if the stood at the top of the steps you could see down into the rea and cut
 
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Whenever I hear of Saltley Viaduct I imagine the scene in a tale my mom told about it.
It concerned a day in her youth when my nan told her to go and find grandad and tell him to 'come home now' for his tea. Mom searched and eventually found grandad, on Saltley Viaduct.
He was sitting on the wall over the canal/river (after a session spent boosting the profits at a local inn). Mom said he had a stick with string hanging down (but nowhere near reaching the water) and told her he was catching a fish for tea! Mom was frightened he would fall off the wall over the long drop down towards the canal/river, but eventually persuaded him to climb down onto the pavement and accompany her home. She didn't say what happened when they got home !
Grandad was, it was said, 'a proper lad'!
 
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