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Bridges over the River Cole

A couple of photos of the bridge over the Cole on Yardley Green Rd at the Newbridge recreation grounds.
 

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Hi after seeing this post I decided to see what I could findout about the bridge that spans the Cole in Hay mills. A bridge was firstmentioned being there in1495 but this was probably only a foot bridge. A Tollgatestood at the crossing and a humpbacked bridge was built (can’t find a date forthis but I think it was around 1820) but pedestrians still had to pay a toll.In 1914 there was a new bridge built which stood untill the Coventry road was widened in the 1990s. I wasinterested in this bridge because me and my mates in the early 50s used to playin the Cole and very often went under the bridge paddling after our home madeboats. I was disappointed that that I could not find exact dates and not beingable to find the cost of the toll
 
I take it you mean the old wooden bridge, I would love to see one myself, the times I have driven over it (on purpose may I add, loved the racket it made)
 
There were at least two Bailey Bridges over the River Cole in the 1950s both of which have now been replaced, they both linked Shard End or Hodge Hill to Kitts Green

The first one I know of was on Cole Hall Lane and the second was in Packington Avenue and crossed into Lea Ford Road. Please can any one help with details or photographs of these, any help would be appreciated.

Many thanks

Gill
 
The mention of that Bailey bridge and Packington Avenue brought back a few memories.

Been over that bridge many times, also my brother Jim and his wife Joan and family lived in Packington Avenue. First in that house too.
Happy days.
 
Gill Weller said:
Thank you Carolina, unfortunately it doesn't really major on the two bridges I asked about, just a passing reference to each. It is the Packington Avenue one I really want information and pictures on. I have found out it was replaced in the 1960s and again several years later.
Click to expand...

I don't think it was ever replaced as such. It may have transposed from the original wooden sleeper type roadway to a more substantial road surface, but I don't think it was ever replaced, like for near like.

When was Shard End built? Prior to the building of the Estate, I'm not even sure that there would have been the need for a bridge to exist. I would have said that the first, and original (Bailey) bridge, was constructed in the 1960's, although perhaps there might have been a bridge construction of some type prior to that decade. Perhaps maps from earlier decades might clarify the situation?
 
Gill Weller said:


The first one I know of was on Cole Hall Lane
Click to expand...

Just to clarify. The Cole Hall Lane Bailey Bridge came about following heavy rains in the early 1970's which swept away the original (I seem to remember) rather squat three arch stone bridge.
 
Ken_R said:
When was Shard End built? Prior to the building of the Estate, I'm not even sure that there would have been the need for a bridge to exist. I would have said that the first, and original (Bailey) bridge, was constructed in the 1960's, although perhaps there might have been a bridge construction of some type prior to that decade. Perhaps maps from earlier decades might clarify the situation?
Click to expand...

I moved to Shard End in Feb. 1958 and the Bailey Bridge was there then, I know because we used to play on it. I guess it would have been built early to mid 50's when the construction of S.E. was really under way. Before then Packington Avenue was known as Popit Lane and the River Cole was probably just a ford then.
 
If you Google bridges over the Cole" there is a suggestion that there was only a footbridge prior to the Bailey Bridge being built but no real dates are given.

Janice
 
terryb18 said:
I moved to Shard End in Feb. 1958 and the Bailey Bridge was there then, I know because we used to play on it. I guess it would have been built early to mid 50's when the construction of S.E. was really under way. Before then Packington Avenue was known as Popit Lane and the River Cole was probably just a ford then.
Click to expand...

Hi Terry I moved in to Shard End in 1949 when I was 2 and the bridge was there as long as I can remember . I used to cross it every day going to school Archbishop Williams , we used to try and run across before a car came banging over , also we used to balance across the big black pipes fun days .
 
I remember walking up Colehall lane over a very small white picket fenced bridge.We used to get from Buckland End ,down Cole lane ,over the white bridge ,up through the park to Glebe Farm library .That was in about1953, We thought we lived in the country then,with all the hedgerows full of blackberries and pink dog roses,it was lovely.
 
Stechford Bridge nice english wall bond brickwork
1667119408619.png
Stechford Bridge, still an important river crossing, carrying a section of the Outer Ring Road, Station Road.
The modern district of Stechford covers a wide area north of Yardley, of which manor it formed the western part, and east of the River Cole, which marked the boundary with the manor of Castle Bromwich. The first recorded version of the name Sticheford, however, derives from the Old English styfic ford perhaps meaning 'stump ford'.

However, the name may refer to a 'sticky ford', one where clay underfoot and a poor crossing was to be expected. The first reference to Stycheford Bridge is recorded in 1497 though a bridge here could well have been in place during the previous century. This is likely to have been a wooden pedestrian bridge alongside the ford which was used by livestock and wheeled vehicles. In 1895 the
 
The Bridges over the Cole I recall

Coventry Road adjacent the Plough and Harrow , and Hay Mills Tavern a short cut to the Ackers and the Tarzan ropes we had by St Cyprians Church via stepping stones , always came home with wet shoes and socks.

Hobmoor Road down from Newbridge Road good place to catch sticklebacks

Newbridge Road bottom of Yardley Green Rd a fantastic steel bridge we use to swing off as kids

Bordesley Green down from the old Ritz Cinema (dual carriageway) a concrete bridge

Stechford Bridge with the gas main adjacent the side

As kids , especially during summer holidays we would follow the Cole from Coventry Rd Heybarnes rec all the way to Stechford and back
 
Covroad said:
The Bridges over the Cole I recall

Coventry Road adjacent the Plough and Harrow , and Hay Mills Tavern a short cut to the Ackers and the Tarzan ropes we had by St Cyprians Church via stepping stones , always came home with wet shoes and socks.

Hobmoor Road down from Newbridge Road good place to catch sticklebacks

Newbridge Road bottom of Yardley Green Rd a fantastic steel bridge we use to swing off as kids

Bordesley Green down from the old Ritz Cinema (dual carriageway) a concrete bridge

Stechford Bridge with the gas main adjacent the side

As kids , especially during summer holidays we would follow the Cole from Coventry Rd Heybarnes rec all the way to Stechford and back
Click to expand...
from shard end to cov rd:grinning:
 
Covroad said:
The Bridges over the Cole I recall

Coventry Road adjacent the Plough and Harrow , and Hay Mills Tavern a short cut to the Ackers and the Tarzan ropes we had by St Cyprians Church via stepping stones , always came home with wet shoes and socks.

Hobmoor Road down from Newbridge Road good place to catch sticklebacks

Newbridge Road bottom of Yardley Green Rd a fantastic steel bridge we use to swing off as kids

Bordesley Green down from the old Ritz Cinema (dual carriageway) a concrete bridge

Stechford Bridge with the gas main adjacent the side

As kids , especially during summer holidays we would follow the Cole from Coventry Rd Heybarnes rec all the way to Stechford and back
Click to expand...
Did the same lived in Hay mills till I was 13 mid 50s had great fun following the Cole.
 
If you went under the Coventry Road Bridge towards the BSA there was a football pitch on to of what we called the Mountain, it was close to either Reynolds Tubes or Girlings Brakes, at little further on was the BSA , the canal and railway line you came out by the old Sydenham Arms on the inner circle 8 route.
 
podgery said:
Yes if I remember right, that was a long walk but fun. I played on the football pitch many times in the 50s.
Click to expand...
Was the pitch a works pitch or a council pitch? we always understood it to be a works pitch either Girlings to Reynolds Tubes
 
It wasn't a council pitch, we used to call it something like latcheler and Batcheller but I don't really know.
 
Hi,

I don't think anyone has mentioned the concrete/brick? footbridge that
joins the two halves of the park on the opposite side of Bordesley Green East
from the Ritz.

Kind regards
Dave
 
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