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Canals of Birmingham

  • Thread starter Thread starter O.C.
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Those fire gates are also on the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal at the Livery Street bridge.



And Ludgate Hill

 
Islington Row Middleway on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal.

This was when this section was drained in December 2014 (now filled with water again)



The same bridge in April 2014

 
What a great photographic record of the various fire access points Ell. Many thanks. The Acocks Green one is interesting in that it has doors on both sides of the pedestrian walkway. Not only are they of historical interest but some are still operational for use today. Viv.
 
Thanks for the replies to my inquiry about the trap doors, this is a picture of a bridge in Norfolk, believed to have been used for the same purpose of getting water for the fire engines.
 

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This has been on the news recently, and I have took the following pictures and text from Birmingham Updates who have a page on Facebook. It relates to a section of canal in Gas St.......

"Central Birmingham canal drained to investigate a ‘significant’ leak.
Canal & River Trust are currently draining a 200 metre stretch of Central Birmingham canal between the Mailbox and Gas Street Basin to investigate what appears to be a ‘significant’ leak.
The trust launched the investigation and drainage operation following reports of water escaping from the bottom of a historic canal aqueduct, which was constructed to carry a now disused railway under the canal, now in the ownership of Network Rail.
Boats currently moored in the affected stretch have been moved further along the canal. A specialist fish rescue team are working to remove thousands of fish - 7500 fish have been relocated to other parts of the canal so far.
Hayley Harper, from the Canal & River Trust, said: “The leak appears to be quite significant so we need to know as soon as possible exactly where it’s coming from. The only way we can know for sure is to drain the canal and thoroughly inspect the aqueduct. I can’t remember the last time we drained this part of the canal so it will also be interesting to see what other changes have occurred to the canal bed as well as finding out exactly what has caused this leak.”
The towpath remains open for the time being and the canal will reopen as soon as possible."
(Images: Canal & River Trust and Places Birmingham)
 

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Quite an amount of rubble and some junk there. I guess that will all be removed in time. The railway tracks aroused my interest. An older map, or someone knowledgeable about the area, may shed light on where they came from and went and what was their purpose.
 
Thje tunnel housed the track to the old Midland Railway Goods Depot off Suffolk St. They joined the main railway by Five ways station, and the incline up towards the tunnel is still there beside the station
 
​Today 24th February 2015
 

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The tracks I refer to are those in pic 3 of post 668. They are very close to the towpath edge suggesting a wharf to load or unload railway wagons.
 
What a great photographic record of the various fire access points Ell. Many thanks. The Acocks Green one is interesting in that it has doors on both sides of the pedestrian walkway. Not only are they of historical interest but some are still operational for use today. Viv.

Thanks Viv!

Guess the firemen had to get the hose from the road via the pavement, then into the canal.
 
Photos from yesterday at Gas Street Basin

The lock under the Granville Street bridge on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal was closed - look at the mess on the other side!








View from under the Granville Street bridge towards the Salvage Turn Bridge




You can walk around this on the left



 
I have a neat book published 1997 Canal Quest. Anyone interested in it and can use it contact me. John Crump Parker. Colorado USAcanals 001.jpg
 
I was there today (near to Gas St Basin) and as I arrived I thought I could hear a pig squealing or a small cat having something nasty being done to it, as turns out the people who are repairing the leak are using two wheel barrows to move the clay both of them have really awful noise about them. I have taken photo of the wheel barrows and I have shot film of the same the plan is to put the footage and the photos on the interweb soon
 
I was there today (near to Gas St Basin) and as I arrived I thought I could hear a pig squealing or a small cat having something nasty being done to it, as turns out the people who are repairing the leak are using two wheel barrows to move the clay both of them have really awful noise about them. I have taken photo of the wheel barrows and I have shot film of the same the plan is to put the footage and the photos on the interweb soon

We used to say "If the barrows not squealing, you're not working so get on with it"
 
Henry Freeman was a Canal Toll clerk living at the Canal Toll House in Erdington in 1851 and at Park Mill lock House on the 1861 Census he died in 1869 in the Lock House. Where on the canal system would these building be. I presume they no longer exist but are there any old images of what they would be like. Any help much appreciated. Helen Coan
 
Henry Freeman was a Canal Toll clerk living at the Canal Toll House in Erdington in 1851 and at Park Mill lock House on the 1861 Census he died in 1869 in the Lock House. Where on the canal system would these building be. I presume they no longer exist but are there any old images of what they would be like. Any help much appreciated. Helen Coan

Possibly this may help :- LINK However, there may be other Canal Toll Houses (under Erdington) which in those days extended down to Salford Bridge/Lichfield Rd (consider this thread LINK )

'Park Mill' is mentioned HERE, so Park Mill lock house could be in the Aston lock flight on the Birmingham Fazeley Canal. There is a lock cottage adjacent to the 'narrows' at the bottom of the Grand Union Garrison Locks (nearest road junction Argyle St and Wharton Street) - Not sure if it's named tho'

HTH

Dave
 
I may or may not go to the Canal Museum in London next month. Just found it via the 2 for 1 London website! It is near Kings Cross. If I go, will post the photos here (late August or early September).
 
I live in London but I must admit I have never visited the Canal Museum though I do know exactly where it is.
I'm sure it's very interesting and I must get round to going for a look but I must say, the canal area it backs on to isn't half as attractive as the Gas Street canal area in Brum.

That's not to say there aren't some lovely canal areas in London of course and the Kings Cross area is very interesting now so if you do go, have a wander round the back.
 
I have not been to the London Canal Museum but I can recommend the Kings Cross Arts Centre on the other side of the basin for lunch. There is a full restaurant overlooking the canal or there is cafe further inside with cheaper prices. See www.kingsplace.co.uk

If this also interests you you can visit Old St Pancras Church in Pancras Road. (Not to be confused with New St Pancras Church in Euston Road). When St Pancras Station was being built Thomas Hardy (Mayor of Casterbridge, Tess of the d'Urbervilles etc) was the clerk of works clearing the graveyard so that the line could be built. He stacked a lot of the gravestones around a tree and "Hardy's Tree" is still there with stones surrounding it.
 
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