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Rivers : River Rea

H

hmld

Guest
HERE IS QUITE A STARTLE. IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO POST A PICTURE ON THIS PAGE SO I URGE YOU EXAMINE IF THE TOPIC GRABS YOUR ATTENTION.
I WAS ASTONISHED AT TWO PHOTOS OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE RIVER REA CULVERT. AN OBVIOUS TOPIC TO PICTURE AS IT IS A STUPENDOUS FEAT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING.
ALSO THERE ARE PHOTOGRAPHS OF EXCAVATIONS WITH DETAILS OF FINDINGS AT THE BULL RING, DIGNBETH, DERITEND, BORDESLEY.
THERE ARE REMAINS OF EXTENSIVE POTTERY ACTIVITY (CLAY) FROM THE 11 AND 1200s. DIGBETH WAS BIG ON HIDE PRODUCTION.
BORDESLEY ON SMITHIES.
IT WAS ALSO THE SITE OF ASTON JAIL. AS ST JOHN'S DERITEND WAS IN THE PARISH OF ASTON. THIS IS ACTUALLY CURIOUS CONSIDERING THE DISTANCE IN THOSE DAYS (FOOT, HORSE, PONY, DONKEY - ALSO THE RIVER WAS NAVIGABLE).

I'VE ASKED THEM FOR FURTHER DETAILS AS THE PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORD AND EXCAVATION DETAILS ARE SKIMPY; SORT OF LIKE A TABLOID SNIPPET ONE CAN GARNER WAITING FOR A BUS AT RUSH HOUR.


www.birmingham.gov.uk/archaeology.bcc

THIS ONE HAS A BRIEF SUMMARY AND SNAPS


www.riverreatrail.org.uk

THIS ONE HAS A WEE TINY SLIDE SHOW WITH THE COUPLE OF ASTONISHING PHOTOS OF THE CONSTRUCTION.

;)
 
It's one of those sites one could easily lose a day looking at - very informative.
Here's just one of the pictures: River Rea in Snow...

Snow.JPG


Courtesy of Birmingham City Council.
 
HOW ON EARTH ARE YOU ABLE TO POST A (this instance) CHARMING SNAPSHOT?
DELIGHTFUL PX RIVER FROST. A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE FOR WEE CHILDREN AND OF COURSE THE SPRIGHTLY OTHERWISE.

I MOTION ROD BE DISPLAYED A PHOTO THE REA CONSTRUCTION. IT IS - I GUARANTEE (and I implicitly appreciate there are no written guarantess when it comes to matters of the flesh [Was it Stanley Hloway: Brown Boots Don't Make It]) - A SOURCE OF WONDERMENT TO HIMSELF QUITE A LONG TIME. (I've no idea why Peter has not posted this V-B.) THE BLOKE IN THE BOWLER MIGHT PROVE AN AMUSEMENT TO RB.
i mean it is august...

I FOUND THE SIGHT QUITE A DELVE AS WELL - AS FAST AS IT WENT.
HOWEVER, THE CHAP IN THE GALVANIZE (HE DID NOT DISCLOSE WHAT SIZE AND DESIGN - THEY WERE ALL OVULAR, THOUGH SMALLER THICKER GUAGE TUB LIKE) SURELY TAKES THE BISCUIT?

ROD MUST BE WELL EN ROUTE
 
did any one see central news monday and tuseday night, about the river rea . i live on frankley but very interesting info never new it ran through birmingham thanks carl diane
 
Where the Rea crossed the road now called Deritend High Street (just south of the Rea Street junction, at Digbeth Coach station) was the original settlement that grew into the present City of Birmingham. In the 19th century boat trips could be taken to Vauxhall Gardens, near what is now Vauxhall Road Duddeston.
For a photographic excursion along the Rea today, see https://www.geograph.org.uk/gallery/birmingham_s_river_rea_from_source_to_river_tame_9967
It's not as rural now as it used to be!
 
Lloyd said:
Where the Rea crossed the road now called Deritend High Street (just south of the Rea Street junction, at Digbeth Coach station) was the original settlement that grew into the present City of Birmingham. In the 19th century boat trips could be taken to Vauxhall Gardens, near what is now Vauxhall Road Duddeston.
For a photographic excursion along the Rea today, see https://www.geograph.org.uk/gallery/birmingham_s_river_rea_from_source_to_river_tame_9967
It's not as rural now as it used to be!
Click to expand...

It's interesting to see how the heart of the city has moved over the
centuries, obviously the Rea was a vital source in the early yours.

I wonder where people consider the heart of the city to be nowadays?
 
That was an interesting journey along the river Rea, Lloyd. I was born at the back of Merrits Brook, i spent many happy hours fishing for tiddlers, jumping bashes, swinging across it on ropes hung on over hanging branches and finally falling in and getting soaking wet, and now i know it was the river Rea, you live and learn. Thanks for the link. :D Jackie
 
During the programme they mentioned the Banana unloading area, if possible can someone pinpoint the area as I would like to visit there Thanks Dave
 
Dave M said:
During the programme they mentioned the Banana unloading area, if possible can someone pinpoint the area as I would like to visit there Thanks Dave
Click to expand...

Hi afew years ago i went into the old banana storage yard below the old concret car park which was between st martins church and moor st station . it was an enomous basement we was there because we were going to rent it for storage but then that car park above it cracked. But now it is part of the bull ring (or the silver bubbles)
I love the new birmingham but when i look at birmingam it scares me that unlike london and so on we are not keeping any of our old buildings.
colin
 
My husband has a really good story about the River Rea, but unfortunately he cant get on here to print it, he says it was really just am old snail trail.
 
No river, sea
Nor Afric's bay
Can equal thee
For grandeur,
My Rea.
 
I think that one could make a case without much exageration that no river or body of water has had more influence on the world than the little streams and canals of Brum. The Rea, the Cole, Hockley Brook, the Tame. It never ceases to amaze.
 
I agree Rupert, the beating heart of the Industrial Revolution fuelled by the water running through it.

Passing through Coleshill on the train last week on my way into Birminghamt the river splits into two, I assume it is the river Cole but unsure as to why it suddenly becomes two rivers.
 
I think that you were looking at a confluence there of the Blyth, the Cole and on the other side of the tracks, the Tame. There would seem to be a Water mill there at one time which confuses things a bit. So they are not seperating but joining.
 
Thank you Rupert, I hadn't thought of them joining.

I can't recall if we covered a mill at Coleshill, or nearby,for Loisand.
 
The Rea

Now, that's more like it! I heard once that the Rea had been 'culverted' at some point, probably because it kept overflowing. I wonder, what with all the talk of the Rea becoming the focal point soon of the Eastside regeneration, whether it could be 'unculverted' (if that's the correct word) so that it would flow like this every day. I don't see why they can't contain it a little more effectively nowadays with modern technology. That would be a sight to see.
 
A mixed bag of images of our much maligned little river.The first is one of it making its way through Digbeth and I think the second one is the same location some time later. The next is at the side of Cannon Hill Park. The next one also shows the Rea making its way through the heavily industrialised streets of Deritend.

The next one is in the bowels of Digbeth somewhere. The final one shows the river in the process of it being placed in the culvert by a gang of navvies.

Phil.
 

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I prefer the fifth and final one, obviously. Them were the days!
 
Down in Nechells today, seen this culvert, later at home found it to be the river Rea, just before it joins the river Tame :)
 
When we were kids the rea was one of our adventure playgrounds. It ran alongside the paddling pool (long gone) in Cannonhill park and we used to play on the water fall comprised of large concrete steps. This was a break from risking lacerations from the broken glass in the paddling pool. It was (and I presume is) still possible to walk the sides of the culvert from Cannon hill through Calthorpe park and on into the city centre. Not reccommended when heavy rain is forecast as the access ladders were quite a way apart. The smell as you got near town was something else! Happy Days. Biff
 
Hiya Biffo We live 1 min away from the river rea in Frankley and until i saw this thread i didnt realise where it went to
 
Many a happy time was spent playing down the Ray it was a man made culvert from Cheapside right down to Salford Bridge I lived in Erskine St Vauxhall We used to climb down the iron steps and go up The Dark Half Hour (this was a Tunnel which bent in the middle and ran under Lawley St Goods Yard and came out at Montaigue St) if there was any rain you needed to get out quickly the water rose very fast it was scarey one minute you were dry the next it was above your ankles.Dek:rolleyes::rolleyes:
 
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