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Canals of Birmingham

  • Thread starter Thread starter O.C.
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Hi Speedy23 ... I've never ever been in that area as far as I can remember, but with the help of Google Earth I looked along the Worcester & Birmingham canal until I got to Wast Hill tunnel and thought it can't be further than that. I came back along the canal to the junction with the North Stratford and went along that canal looking for road patterns and spotted the Ibberton Rd - Warstock Rd junction and then with Google Earth, Streetview and confirmation from Apple Maps I thought there was a chance that it was the location. It is amazing how tha view has changed with the Inter-City building filling that nice peaceful looking field seen in the early photo.
oldmohawk ... :)
 
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oldMohawk said:
Hi Speedy23 ... I've never ever been in that area as far as I can remember, but with the help of Google Earth I looked along the Worcester & Birmingham canal until I got to Wast Hill tunnel and thought it can't further than that. I came back along the canal to the junction with the North Stratford and went along that canal looking for road patterns and spotted the Ibberton Rd - Warstock Rd junction and then with Google Earth, Streetview and confirmation from Apple Maps I thought there was a chance that it was the location. It is amazing how tha view has changed with the Inter-City building filling that nice peaceful looking field seen in the early photo.
oldmohawk ... :)
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.....Nice work! GE is great, isn't it?
 
oldMohawk said:
My guess is that she was sitting by the North Stratford Canal near Warstock Road opposite Limekiln Lane. Some supporting evidence for my guess below.
On this map and satellite view below, I've circled where I think Speedy23's mom was sitting by the canal and another circle on a house which can be seen in Speed23's facing the camera. The road layouts seem to match.
View attachment 111038
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Here is the same location in 1945, from GE.....without the InterCity building or anything else....
upload_2017-1-15_3-15-45.png
 
Well spotted oldMohawk, I cycle that section of the canal quite a lots, but could not think of a section where there was a path on both banks.
 
Grand Union Canal seen yesterday from the X2 bus on Lode Lane in Solihull.



Screenshots from a video I made on the train passing Olton Reservoir yesterday.





It isn't visible from Warwick Road. And think only members of the club are allowed to go onto the grounds of the reservoir.
 
Speedy23 said:
And getting back to Brum, can anyone identify where this is and what canal we are looking at?

View attachment 110982

PS - the lady is my Mom - I think the photo was taken in the early 1950's - before I was even thought of!
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It's great to look at this photo, I used to play around there as a kid.
Highters Heath school was at the top of Ibberton Rd.
I agree, that's Limekiln Lane, the towpath ran past the pub, (the Millpool ?).
 
maypolebaz said:
It's great to look at this photo, I used to play around there as a kid.
Highters Heath school was at the top of Ibberton Rd.
I agree, that's Limekiln Lane, the towpath ran past the pub, (the Millpool ?).
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Hi Maypolebaz, the pub was the Horseshoe - it marked the beginning of the towpath walk to the Happy Valley which has been discussed on this forum at some length....just past the pub is the little canal arm which provided wharfage facilities and runs under the towpath.
upload_2017-2-9_1-57-54.png

Do you remember the rowing boats that you could hire from the towpath by the lengthman's cottage some distance futher along? I think that they were the last knockings of the Happy Valley leisure industry - links HERE . In the late teens and early twenties of the last century the canal was a big social draw - there were bandstands, refreshment rooms, boat hire and the like. People flocked to the area from miles around, walking up from the tram terminus at Alcester Lane's End. I think the pleasure grounds were all situated near the bridge where the service station opposite the bus depot and the back end of Goodrest Croft is now.
 
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I walked a section of the Grand Union Canal from Lode Lane to Dove House Lane in Solihull - the Ulverley Green / Olton areas.

Plaque on the bridge on Lode Lane. The bridge is concrete on top of the original 18th century brick bridge.







Pair of bridges for Dove House Lane. Traffic uses the modern concrete bridge.







Two bridges instead of one on Dove House Lane.



 
Speedy23 said:
Hi Maypolebaz, the pub was the Horseshoe - it marked the beginning of the towpath walk to the Happy Valley which has been discussed on this forum at some length....just past the pub is the little canal arm which provided wharfage facilities and runs under the towpath.
View attachment 111920

Do you remember the rowing boats that you could hire from the towpath by the lengthman's cottage some distance futher along? I think that they were the last knockings of the Happy Valley leisure industry - links HERE . In the late teens and early twenties of the last century the canal was a big social draw - there were bandstands, refreshment rooms, boat hire and the like. People flocked to the area from miles around, walking up from the tram terminus at Alcester Lane's End. I think the pleasure grounds were all situated near the bridge where the service station opposite the bus depot and the back end of Goodrest Croft is now.
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Sorry mate, I somehow missed this when you posted it.
Thanks for the information, I knew nothing about the history of the area, very interesting.
 
Went to Sandwell yesterday, and had a look at the Titford Canal, and the BCN old and new mainlines under the M5.

Titford Canal from Engine Street



Titford Pumphouse on the Titford Canal



Oldbury Locks Junction on the BCN Old Mainline under the M5.



Junction of the Titford and BCN Old Mainline at Oldbury Junction.

 
Spon Lane South in Smethwick.

BCN New Mainline with the West Coast Mainline railway



BCN Old Mainline also from Spon Lane South.

 
Hi ellbrown
I have to say how great your photographs are brilliently taken in angles
You must be like me , whom enjoys the waterways at every given day
as a young kid even in youth spent thousands of hours down on the cut , the cannals
from one end of the county to the next one starting from monument road ladywood up to the black country
and beyond and vice a versa from monument through to gas street basin and beyond out to alcester
I truly wished i could buy a barge to live on
i started my love for the cannals at a very early age, its nice to know and see how the waterways board have spent time
and money on our waterways and we have to say thanks as well to other waterway lovers
whom have given they time up and volontered there spare time to make it possible for us water loving people
to appreciate the cannals that we have in this country and people like yourself taking such great pictures
of the progrees the water board ways have created for us to enjoy in this country and make it proud
lets get those water ways working again i say and get more people out onto the cannals
i seen the one you done last week down the steps at monument road leading to the estate housing
that particular bridge blocked off by spike railings years ago there was a little kid drowded there
thats where me and my friends started our venture way back then in the fiftys of the cannals
Up until years ago my two younger brothers lived there right by the cut passage
the older of the two moved out and got remarried anand the younger one died there two years ago
Any way ellbrown thanks for all your photographs and i hope you keep them coming
Brillient ,, Astonian,,,,,,,,
 
Ell, thanks for the photos of the Titford Canal. That is one of my old stamping grounds. The Titford Canal was a working canal but also serves as a feeder to Edgbaston Reservoir as Titford Reservoir in the foothills of the Rowley Hills at 511 ft above sea level was higher than either the Birmingham or Wolverhampton levels on the Birmingham Main Line canal.

The feeder was navigable only for a few hundred yards from Engine Lane and after that was mainly culverted all the way to Edgbaston Reservoir. It used to run on an aqueduct over Stoney Lane Smethwick (behind the Blue Gates pub) but many years ago was diverted under the road but you can still see the embankment.
 
I like exploring the local canals that are not just in the city centre (done those too many times now). So off to Warwickshire or Sandwell for instance.


Found something called the Tat Bank Branch from Tat Bank Road, not far from Langley Green Station. It is not navigable according to my book.

 
ellbrown said:
I like exploring the local canals that are not just in the city centre (done those too many times now). So off to Warwickshire or Sandwell for instance.

Found something called the Tat Bank Branch from Tat Bank Road, not far from Langley Green Station. It is not navigable according to my book.
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Hi Ell. The name Tat Bank Branch did not register with me straight away until I realised that it was the feeder canal that I mentioned in my post 827. It runs under Tat Bank Road as for as Rood End Road, two street names that have always amused me.

Have checked with my 1904 Bradshaw (he wrote Canal guides before he wrote his famous Railway guides). There is this reference under the Titford Canal entry:
Top of Oldbury Locks and junction with Spon Lane Branch, one furlong in length, rest abandoned.
 
As a PS to my post 830. If you drive up Tat Bank Road in about 1/2 mile you cross four bridges: three canals and a railway bridge. Birmingham Old Main Line Canal, Titford Canal, the Tat Bank Branch, and then the Snow Hill to Stourbridge railway line.
 
Hi Folks, When working as a professional photographer being a Brummie often came in handy to get the shot.
Regards,
Peg.
Canal double.jpg
 
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One of Birmingham’s lesser known (about) landmarks. A pill box disguised as a factory chimney, on the Birmingham to Worcester canal near to Lifford Lane.
 

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A fascinating picture Morturn. The subterfuge done during WW2 was quite amazing. I am sure there are, or were, more in the Birmingham area as there was so many important building to protect.
I recall much being written about the Longbridge shadow works on this Forum and I suspect there maybe more in older posts - now possibly without pictures.
 
There was a pillbox on the Titford Canal by the Wolverhampton New Road bridge opposite the Navigation pub but it can't be seen now as the vegetation has grown over it.
 
I took this photograph in December 1987. I guess it must be Gas Street Basin? Dave.
 

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farmerdave, I think that is the Bridge I stood on to paint a water colour looking away from the Broad Street end in early 8o's - attachedGas St basin (6).JPG
 
Yes, that's dear old Gas Street - but are you sure about the year - I can't remember when they built the new brick footbridge onto Worcester Bar - do you remember the old swivelling plank bridge? That was definitely still there in 1985. But, nonetheless, a great photo - but look at the state of that water! Seeing the old James Brindley pub was cool - they used to have a sepia photo up on the wall of what looked like horseboats entitled "Gas Street Basin C.1910" but if you looked closely, you could see the front wheel of a Honda C90 poking out from between two of the boats! Err....fail!
 
Yes it's Gas Street Basin. The view from 2010. Note that there is now two towpaths on both sides. One goes around towards Bridge Street and past the former James Brindley pub, and then past the narrowboats to the footbridge at Worcester Bar.

 
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