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Canals of Birmingham

  • Thread starter Thread starter O.C.
  • Start date Start date
Pedro
I think your supposition is right, that people then used the term an upmarket term to boost the position of their houses. Area was always very important (and often still is today). Cannot think the inhabitants of the Islington area were too enthused . Edgebaston fought many battles to preserve the exclusiveness of the term , at one time fighting to prevent a fish & chip shop in Varna Road . They did win that time, perhaps not later!
That said, not a good name for the building in question
 
As people have noted Islington is, or was, part of Broad Street, In fact one of the side canal basins was called Islington

This was part of the road/ turnpike to Hagley
 
I once led a guided walk which started from the Hilton Garden Inn in Brindley Place where the party were staying. For a bit of fun, I handed out copies of the OS map from 1902 and told them if they got lost, look for the Islington Tube Works at the centre of the map as that was now the site of their hotel.
 
I still remain curious about the Islington Gates portfolio of property. One website refers to their office address as being 33 George Street.

Their latest apartments for sale is the 141 block with 4 retail premises. For those who follow steel pen production in Birmingham the original buildings on this site were part of the Myers Charlotte Street Pen Factory. They were a long term industrial heritage survivor.

Islington Gates.jpg
 
To spread the area that Islington may have covered a little further…

1829 Worcester Wharf
1844 Granville Street Wharf
1838 Sherborne Wharf.
1854 Bridge Street. (Just N of Worcester Wharf)
 
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Robert Ensor (bob) said:
It's a shame to see the mess on these walls, most of that behavior here is done by young gang members
Many stores will not sell spray paint to the youth and some even remove the nozzle from the cans in a attempt to stop theft
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I'm not endorsing their activity in the least but some of the graffiti 'artists' are clearly quite talented. I was astonished at how they had managed to cover this enormous blank canvas near to the Soho Foundry and, on my way back, three were carefully and quite skillfully finishing it off. I don't know what a 'gang member' looks like, but these guys looked quite ordinary and clearly had nothing better to do on a Friday afternoon. If they had fulfilling day jobs that took advantage of their artistry perhaps they wouldn't feel the need to blanket every square inch of concrete with spray paint.
 

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Martyn, not sure if it's still there (or built upon by now) but there used to be a large space behind hoardings specially reserved for these artists in Digbeth. We spotted them, parked the car, and went back to chat to them. The one we spoke to was Polish and very talented.
 
Lady Penelope said:
Martyn, not sure if it's still there (or built upon by now) but there used to be a large space behind hoardings specially reserved for these artists in Digbeth. We spotted them, parked the car, and went back to chat to them. The one we spoke to was Polish and very talented.
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Graffitiartist.com is based in the Custard Factory.
This is a news story from 2018:
www.bbc.co.uk

How Digbeth gave a home to graffiti and street art

Artworks adorn the walls of Digbeth in Birmingham at practically every turn.
www.bbc.co.uk
 
Not exactly Birmingham, but canal enthusiasts may be interested in this 23 mins trip down memory Lane on the Dudley No 2 Canal with Black Country accents.

“Written and narrated by Heather Wastie, this creative audio trail celebrates the history of the Dudley No 2 Canal, based on a 2.5 mile walk between Windmill End junction and Coombes footbridge. This project is supported by Creative Black Country (as part of Arts Council England’s Creative People and Places scheme), Paycare and Black Country Living Museum.”

https://soundcloud.com/alarumprod%2Faudio-trail-the-netherton-cut-to-coombs-wood
 
Pedrocut said:
Not exactly Birmingham, but canal enthusiasts may be interested in this 23 mins trip down memory Lane on the Dudley No 2 Canal with Black Country accents.

“Written and narrated by Heather Wastie, this creative audio trail celebrates the history of the Dudley No 2 Canal, based on a 2.5 mile walk between Windmill End junction and Coombes footbridge. This project is supported by Creative Black Country (as part of Arts Council England’s Creative People and Places scheme), Paycare and Black Country Living Museum.”

https://soundcloud.com/alarumprod%2Faudio-trail-the-netherton-cut-to-coombs-wood
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Almost wish you could ask questions :-)
 
A few old pics for your amusement. Gas Street Basin, circa 1938.
First view is towards the old terminus in Paradise Street, the second is a rare shot showing a boat coming through the lock.
The reason it is rare is that it shows the two sets of gates at the near end of the lock. Between the BCN and WB there could be a change of level in each direction, so the lock was built with double gates at each end to allow for that.
Note also the arm that runs off to the side just before the lock. This was an arm that went under Gas Street, and the other side of the road the arm is still in water, and used by Central TV occasionally as a backdrop.
Have a gander at Google maps.
 

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sidspop said:
A few old pics for your amusement. Gas Street Basin, circa 1938.
First view is towards the old terminus in Paradise Street, the second is a rare shot showing a boat coming through the lock.
The reason it is rare is that it shows the two sets of gates at the near end of the lock. Between the BCN and WB there could be a change of level in each direction, so the lock was built with double gates at each end to allow for that.
Note also the arm that runs off to the side just before the lock. This was an arm that went under Gas Street, and the other side of the road the arm is still in water, and used by Central TV occasionally as a backdrop.
Have a gander at Google maps.
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Sidspop, welcome to the Forum, enjoy.

Thank you for the great pictures!
 
Thanks for the superb pictures, how different it is today. Stupid question, all that coal is this the delivery point, where did it come from and where is it destined for.
Bob
 
I don't know where the coal in Gas Street, Birmingham might have come from but I know coal for gas works in East London was brought by ship from the North of England and then by barge up the canals.
 
A Sparks said:
I don't know where the coal in Gas Street, Birmingham might have come from but I know coal for gas works in East London was brought by ship from the North of England and then by barge up the canals.
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Just a thought, the colliery I think called Hamstead Colliery just past Handsworth Wood (been a long time) where might that coal have gone to? There were canals near by that we paddled our canvas canoes in.
 
The last Picture has appeared before, and I think it is Old Wharf, constructed in about the 1770s and used mainly as a coal depot. It could also have come from the Cannock Chase coalfields. We may be able to find where it came from by the trade directories ?
 
Bob Davis said:
Thanks for the superb pictures, how different it is today. Stupid question, all that coal is this the delivery point, where did it come from and where is it destined for.
Bob
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The coal came from the Black Country.
Original Act of Parliament 1767 was for a navigable canal to Wolverhampton, with branches to Ocker Bonk and Wednesbury. There is (was) a massive seam of coal under the BlacK Country, I believe 30 feet thick.
 
Not sure we can say the coal came definitely from the Black Country, but there is a good chance it came from the 30 ft seam and the South Staffs Coalfields. I believe that, as the seam came to the surface in the Black Country, around say 1900 the production was declining. On the other hand from 1875 onwards the deeper parts of the 30 ft seam were being hugely exploited by the Cannock Chase coalfields.

Around 1900 there are merchants using Birmingham wharfs to particularly distribute Cannock Chase coal.

(Hamstead Colliery has been mentioned. In the parish of Handsworth, in Staffordshire and the South Staffs coalfield.)
 
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OK, I will accept that some coal may have come from Cannock, but the canal was originally planned to Wolves.
It is certainly a very interesting subject when delved in to. Things like the Newcomen Steam Engine installed at Lord Dudley's coal mines at the now Black Country Museum, in 1712.
I think it is safe to say that they would be still mining the coal in 1768, and Birmingham would be needing it.
I am trying to find a list of the original shareholders, as I believe a few of the owners of the wharves were also shareholders of the canal company.
 
Tame Valley canal is worth reading:

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
 
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