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Canals of Birmingham

There's a Dan Jones repeat on Channel 5 this evening. About the British Canals. Tonight's repeat on the Grand Union Canal from Birmingham to London.
 
Morturn said:
Yes I noticed it was a bit crazy, so have re-edited it and slowed it down. ill up load it to you tube later
Click to expand...

Morturn,

Just took your ride again...........Paying more attention to the surroundings. Even though I used to canoe in the canals from time to time when I was 15/16 I never paid much attention to how much infrastructure (we did not call it that then) there was around the canals. Bridges, steps, roadways etc., incredible amount of work and foresight/forethought!

Still a great ride!
 
Richarddye said:
Morturn,

Just took your ride again...........Paying more attention to the surroundings. Even though I used to canoe in the canals from time to time when I was 15/16 I never paid much attention to how much infrastructure (we did not call it that then) there was around the canals. Bridges, steps, roadways etc., incredible amount of work and foresight/forethought!

Still a great ride!
Click to expand...

I think this canal an under rated canal on the Birmingham area. Long section of extremely high embankments and very deep cutting with a few aqueducts too. Its an engineering marvel when you take time to look at it
 
The above posts reminded me of an article I had saved and not read. Not a Birmingham Canal but close. It gives some great photos of the area and detailed history of the canal surroundings. Canal lovers may find it very interesting.

Study of The Factory Locks conservation Area in Tipton prepared for Sandwell Council by Sandwell Historic Environment Team and Birmingham Archaeology Heritage Services


There is a Thread for the Tame Valley Canal...

Tame Valley Canal

Clicking on a red cross link in one of Jim's Tests on the testing thread I came across an advertising video for the latest of Alton Douglas's books (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8HlKvjSG1E&feature=player_embedded ). This had one picture labelled as below. My screensnatch is not easy to read...
birminghamhistory.co.uk birminghamhistory.co.uk
 
Ell & Pedro

The Stratford canal is a surprisingly beautiful cruise, done it both ways from Alvechurch and the Edstone, while not as awesome as the as the Pontcylite, still demands a head for heights and a realisation that as you are higher than the towpath in 6ft long segment of cast iron three sided pieces of metal bolted together, it is a magnificent example of the
ability of those early engineers, as anyone who saw the Channel 5 programme last night will also appreciate. Actually the Stratford has it all, aqueducts, locks two different types of swing bridges and some brilliant pubs at which to obtain life sustaining refreshment.

Not in Birmingham, but relevant because of Pedro's entry, we arrived at the three Tipton locks pictured on the front of this article to find the bottom lock gate blocked by a huge piece of 4 x 2 and all three locks only half full, took an hour to refill them and the C & R staff to arrive, thank us for refilling and move the piece of timber.

We rewarded ourselves with a superb 2 for £10.00 meal at the Fountain and some wonderful Black Country friendly and helpful company which included them telling a chap sat enjoying a pint on a four table in a very full pub to move so that we could sit down, good food, good ale and friendly 'crack'.

bob
 
The canal programme was a re-edit of the Grand Union Canal programme and the Leeds & Liverpool Canal one. Not sure if they are reshowing the Leeds & Liverpool next week though.
 
Bob Davis said:
Ell & Pedro

The Stratford canal is a surprisingly beautiful cruise, done it both ways from Alvechurch and the Edstone, while not as awesome as the as the Pontcylite, still demands a head for heights and a realisation that as you are higher than the towpath in 6ft long segment of cast iron three sided pieces of metal bolted together, it is a magnificent example of the
ability of those early engineers, as anyone who saw the Channel 5 programme last night will also appreciate. Actually the Stratford has it all, aqueducts, locks two different types of swing bridges and some brilliant pubs at which to obtain life sustaining refreshment.

Not in Birmingham, but relevant because of Pedro's entry, we arrived at the three Tipton locks pictured on the front of this article to find the bottom lock gate blocked by a huge piece of 4 x 2 and all three locks only half full, took an hour to refill them and the C & R staff to arrive, thank us for refilling and move the piece of timber.

We rewarded ourselves with a superb 2 for £10.00 meal at the Fountain and some wonderful Black Country friendly and helpful company which included them telling a chap sat enjoying a pint on a four table in a very full pub to move so that we could sit down, good food, good ale and friendly 'crack'.

bob
Click to expand...

You may like these few pictures of the Stratford Canal, click to enlarge...
www.ipernity.com

Stratford on Avon Canal

By Pedrocut.
www.ipernity.com www.ipernity.com
 
ellbrown said:
The canal programme was a re-edit of the Grand Union Canal programme and the Leeds & Liverpool Canal one. Not sure if they are reshowing the Leeds & Liverpool next week though.
Click to expand...

I noticed that in the beginning of the programme they said that they would be looking at the canals from the Thames to the Mersey yet they did nothing of the canals north of Birmingham. Instead they showed the Leeds and Liverpool. I thought it was a repeat programme but your explanation that it was a re-edit explains it.
 
I just finished watching it (in two halves). After the Leeds & Liverpool, they went back to the Grand Union with the coming of the railways. Next week is London to Bristol.
 
The Stratford - particularly the northern part - was a regular haunt for me in my youth. I watched the world and nature go by enhanced by the trains on the North Warwickshire line.
I must say that the towpath in Pedros photos appears in far better shape than when I cycled it. Wider as well. Depite that I never did fall in the cut, which was just as well as I have never learned to swim! :D
 
Pedrocut said:
You may like these few pictures of the Stratford Canal, click to enlarge...
www.ipernity.com

Stratford on Avon Canal

By Pedrocut.
www.ipernity.com www.ipernity.com
Click to expand...
Superb, I wish I was there at the moment. Two special things about the canal are the lock keepers houses roves (or roofs) were templated from the road bridge arches which is why they are curved and the footbridges at locks are unusual in that they were split so that the horse tow ropes could be dropped through them. Again a super cruise, if you want a good day out, hire a day boat to cross the aqueduct.

Bob
 
mw0njm. said:
wish i had a quid for ever time We got off the train at Wooton wawen railway station and walked miles to the navigation inn viaduct. every Saturday morning.
to fish in the cut. happy days.View attachment 145937
Click to expand...
Used to cycle to Stratford regularly 1947 - 52 and then by bus or trusty BSA Bantam in later years and never realised that this bridge was an aqueduct until our canal cruise. Problem is at the Birmingham end is a marina and water tap and people (novice boaters) have a habit of waiting on the aqueduct to use the water tap and thus cause a jam.
Bob
 
Richarddye said:
Wow Pedro beautiful photos but in the narrative it talks about dropping the canal 77 feet, that is spectacular engineering now let alone 200 years ago!
Click to expand...

77 feet with 11 locks is average drop of 7 feet. Tardebigge 220 feet with 30 locks is still the same average drop per lock.
 
mw0njm. said:
the bridges were split in the middle to allow the rope to go through. without unfastening the horses.:grinning:
Click to expand...
Yes I knew that (as I mentioned the Stratford once was my home ground) and it also assisted bow hauling, but that is not what I referred to.
The four legs were of animals that assisted in the construction of the canals. Four legs also assisted man in building all the large and great buildings of the past - on fact since time immemorial.
 
Radiorails said:
Yes I knew that (as I mentioned the Stratford once was my home ground) and it also assisted bow hauling, but that is not what I referred to.
The four legs were of animals that assisted in the construction of the canals. Four legs also assisted man in building all the large and great buildings of the past - on fact since time immemorial.
Click to expand...
ooooooo
 
A piece on the BBC news site today featuring Birmingham's canal system. It's about health, exercise & social distancing, but there is some good background & pictures & a little history and it's interesting to hear how different people use the canals & how the City canal system has become like parks for people.

www.bbc.co.uk

Canal tow-path exercise: ‘I can’t socially distance’

Canal tow-path users have increased in number by more than 170% in Birmingham during the lockdown.
www.bbc.co.uk
 
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