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Canals of Birmingham

  • Thread starter Thread starter O.C.
  • Start date Start date
Erdington is on the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal. There were three locks at Minworth and the lock house for the top lock remains and is close to the Kingsbury Road. Park Mill was near this canal being on the stream/ brook that also serves Newhall Mill. Suggest a consultation of the Ironmasters of Penn as to the iron business formerly conducted there by Webster & Horsefall.

There was also various wharves along this canal, one specifically Erdington, which had houses.

Ray Shill
 
I passed through St Pancras around 6 years ago when we got the Eurostar to Paris, but didn't take any photos of the station (pulling a suitcase - plus only had enough memory for that holiday).

The website looks interesting https://www.canalmuseum.org.uk/


The only London canal I saw was the Regent's Canal around 5 years ago when we went to London Zoo.

This bit https://www.canalmuseum.org.uk/history/grandjun.htm about the Grand Junction Canal mentions Birmingham, and the later Grand Union Canal.
 
The Broad Street Depot at Wolverhampton is a stub of the original canal route which continued under the station before turning back to rejoin the main line near j.N Millers Mill (a burnt shell since 2008). The buildings were built for the Shropshire Union Railway & Canal Carrying Company. Their boat dock in Wolverhampton was nearby on the Wyrley & Essington and had been Crowley & Co prior to that. The boat dock there was built for the SURCC and although re-roofed still stands.
 
I went to the London Canal Museum on Sunday. Not uploaded to Flickr yet. But got some Birmingham related photos while there.

DSCF3445.jpgDSCF3518.jpgDSCF3548.jpgDSCF3549.jpg
 
thanks ell..funnily enough i went past the avery factory last week whilst visiting the black patch park..i wanted to locate hockley brook which runs through the park which i did...

lyn
 
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To see more of my London Canal Museum photos - see my album here on my Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/ell-r-brown/albums/72157657300153418

It was a former ice warehouse converted into a museum. It opened as the museum in 1992. It's a short walk away from St Pancras and King's Cross Station's.

You can spend about an hour here before leaving. And think you can pre-book trips on a narrowboat on the Regent's Canal.


I hope that the Roundhouse in Birmingham gets converted into a similar museum. But does the Birmingham Museums Trust have enough content in storage to fill a couple of floors?
 
New version of the "Locks and how they work" sign on the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal (near Cambrian Wharf and Farmers Bridge Locks)



It replaced this which was still there in 2014.

 
pub.jpgcanal side copy.jpgHere are a few shots I took between the 1970s - 1980s around the Gas Street basin area's including a shot of the Long Boat pub. These were taken using infra-red B&W film which accounts for them being grainy.canal side.jpglong boat pub gas street basin 70s - 80s.jpgPIC_0145.jpg
 
thanks ken lovely to see the longboat photos...spent many a happy hour in there in the early 70s

lyn
 
Thanks Lyn, I do have more shots I took on that same day. I recall using the Long Boat myself although only a couple of times with my brother back then, It was very nice inside. I will try to find the pics and post when I can.
 
The Icknield Port Loop may yet get the proposed former BW development with some 3000 homes on the site stretching across the industrial wasteland created with the demolition of the Bellis & Morcam and the Docker Brother factories. What is left are elements of the former Salvage Depot with rare heritage structures still left in tact. What will happen to them
 
Here are 2 more shots from between 1970s - 1980s. Apologies for poor quality of first shot. Mislaid neg so pumped up the resolution to scan from contact sheet resulting in dust specks. 1st picture is a dredged canal basin looking at Bordesley storage depot. 2nd shot is a muchbordesley canal basin 1970s - 1980s.jpgPIC_0297.jpg younger me strolling along Fazley canal.
 
That's exactly how I remember the canals around Birmingham (circa 1960's,) so glad that far seeing people managed to resurrect them to the magnificent way they now are, a great enjoyment to the generations to come.Paul
 
my dad had the heave haulage transport yard (called overland transport) on other side of this bridge back in the 6os
 
thats very interesting kingley...would you have any photos taken at that time...

all the best

lyn
 
Re: Canals of Birmingham 2 shots taken using black and white infra red film

Here are another 3 pictures I took around the 1970s - 1980s. Location2 (1).jpg varying from Gas Street canal basin to Sandy Lane canal Bordesley
 

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Excellent photos redden. Did the house in 2nd photo post #714 have a special purpose eg canal tolls ? Viv.
 
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No sorry there was some but thay went to usa with my mother along with all the family photos of when we were young who saddly passed away some 8 years ago and never seen again
 
Thank's Vivienne. You know I was never quite sure of its purpose. As the canals were used extensively in the past I would assume it had an importance similar to your suggestion as a managerial /main lock point where it was a live in property connected to the operation of the canal system.
 
The old, white building, is a lock keepers cottage. I gather it is adjacent to the Longboat Inn and hopefully they are both still there.
 
Vivienne14 said:
Excellent photos redden. Did the house in 2nd photo post #714 have a special purpose eg canal tolls ? Viv.
Click to expand...
A similar looking building at the junction between the Worcester & Birmingham and Stratford-upon-Avon canals at Kings Norton was formerly a canal toll office.
 
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