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O
O.C.
Guest
Tunnel Mystery solved.....no mystery ..they were built like that for strength...gate only added about 10 years ago to stop vandals etc.
Pic,
Chris and Maureen(Mrs Cromwell) walking the cut
Pic,
Chris and Maureen(Mrs Cromwell) walking the cut
O
O.C.
Guest
Thanks John, Its already on here but a bit better quality
I thought I better take a pic of the Fellows Morton & Clayton building which was the most famous canal carrying company in England before the lettering gets covered. The building built in 1935 is in Fazeley St and the old wharf and canal are the otherside (2nd Photo 1920's)
I thought I better take a pic of the Fellows Morton & Clayton building which was the most famous canal carrying company in England before the lettering gets covered. The building built in 1935 is in Fazeley St and the old wharf and canal are the otherside (2nd Photo 1920's)
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O
O.C.
Guest
Two nice photo's of a typical lock keepers home and workplace by the Farmers Flight locks on the B'ham & Fazeley Canal which would have been in use in the 1800-1900's now used for storing the wood for damming the canal in case of a burst or maintenance
jennyann
Gone but not forgotten. R.I.P.
Another fascinating subject...canals. The photos are great to see as a lot of the buildings along the canals are disappearing or falling into a collapsed state.
I liked the art link posted by Alf as well. My brother and I spent an afternoon a few years ago close to Stratford where long boats were moored. I watched a lady painting in the "canal art" style and she had a few items for sale. I first saw that type of art at Expo '86 in Vancouver when the long boat the "City of Birmingham" was shipped out to Canada to appear at the Expo Fair, whose theme was Transportation. It was very interesting for me to see the artwork actually being painted in Stratford.
Cromwell, the swan rescue from the lock was very kind.
I liked the art link posted by Alf as well. My brother and I spent an afternoon a few years ago close to Stratford where long boats were moored. I watched a lady painting in the "canal art" style and she had a few items for sale. I first saw that type of art at Expo '86 in Vancouver when the long boat the "City of Birmingham" was shipped out to Canada to appear at the Expo Fair, whose theme was Transportation. It was very interesting for me to see the artwork actually being painted in Stratford.
Cromwell, the swan rescue from the lock was very kind.
O
O.C.
Guest
Info wanted on the Narrow boat Vella 1941 -1945 .. please PM me
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Di.Poppitt
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
A few photo's I took of the canal by Sherbourne Wharf when I was in Brium a feew weeks ago.
Ist is one of the many derelict factories we passed. 2nd is pulling away from Gas street Basin. 3rd A pair of ducks and their family, Lots of herons there as well, but they skidaddeled when they saw the boat.
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Ist is one of the many derelict factories we passed. 2nd is pulling away from Gas street Basin. 3rd A pair of ducks and their family, Lots of herons there as well, but they skidaddeled when they saw the boat.
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George Wheeler
master brummie
Gas Street Basin
In the late fifties I worked in the Gas Street offices of Parker Winder and Achurch, I think we made the corner with Halliday Street? in those days the Gas Street Basin was covered in an oily scum with a few dead dogs and cats not the splendid place it is today. I went back around ten years ago, the basin had been restored and the old offices were now an antiques warehouse, probably extinct by now.
Rumour has it they have even knocked down Bingley Hall, happy days there wiring up for the Ideal Home Exibition
In the late fifties I worked in the Gas Street offices of Parker Winder and Achurch, I think we made the corner with Halliday Street? in those days the Gas Street Basin was covered in an oily scum with a few dead dogs and cats not the splendid place it is today. I went back around ten years ago, the basin had been restored and the old offices were now an antiques warehouse, probably extinct by now.
Rumour has it they have even knocked down Bingley Hall, happy days there wiring up for the Ideal Home Exibition
Sakura
master brummie
My husband worked at Gibbins just across the street from you George and he feels the same way about the canals as he used to walk along there in his lunch hour.
Di. love the photos, especially the one of the old factory.
When we went to Symphony Hall we went down by the canals afterwords and with the lights reflecting in the water it was like fairly land. For the 3 days we spent in the city we went back each day or evening and always felt safe. Hope to be back sometime.
Mo
Di. love the photos, especially the one of the old factory.
When we went to Symphony Hall we went down by the canals afterwords and with the lights reflecting in the water it was like fairly land. For the 3 days we spent in the city we went back each day or evening and always felt safe. Hope to be back sometime.
Mo
Di.Poppitt
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
It is lovely Mo, I couldn't be in town for long without walking along the cut.
Yes Bingley Hall long gone George, I spent my time there looking for the stars hidden on the stands. I found one but I have no idea what I won,
probably a packet of biscuits
Yes Bingley Hall long gone George, I spent my time there looking for the stars hidden on the stands. I found one but I have no idea what I won,
probably a packet of biscuits
Sakura
master brummie
I had forgotten about the stars Di. but you reminded me of the time we used to spend looking for them. I liked all the free food, we went every year when I was young. I remember buying a waffle iron there, I have looked to see if you can still buy them here but not found one yet.
I still don't think the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto is as good as Bingley Hall. Mo
I still don't think the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto is as good as Bingley Hall.
Mo
Di.Poppitt
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
A couple more photo's of the canal. The 1st is the tourist spot, where all of the restaurants sit side by side. The 2nd is the old Tap and Spile pub, it has been left exactly as it was inside.
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On Sunday mornings our favourite place to walk the dogs is along the canal,favourite places being Hatton,Lapworth and Kingsbury.
There were quite a few people in hire boats negotiating the locks at Lapworth this morning and the usual residents of the pound going for their morning newspaper(what a life?) so different to when they were working boats..
On Friday evening BBC Midlands programme they stated that there were more narrow boats on the canals now than in their heyday because of people making them their homes.
Recalling old photos of boats backed up waiting to get through locks I find it hard to believe.
There were quite a few people in hire boats negotiating the locks at Lapworth this morning and the usual residents of the pound going for their morning newspaper(what a life?) so different to when they were working boats..
On Friday evening BBC Midlands programme they stated that there were more narrow boats on the canals now than in their heyday because of people making them their homes.
Recalling old photos of boats backed up waiting to get through locks I find it hard to believe.
George Wheeler
master brummie
lapworth
Friend of mine in the eraly fifties used to live on the canal at Lapworth, at 30 shillings a week the rent was reasonable. Not a longboat but two 30foot ex wd pontoons bolted together, even managed to raise three children
Friend of mine in the eraly fifties used to live on the canal at Lapworth, at 30 shillings a week the rent was reasonable. Not a longboat but two 30foot ex wd pontoons bolted together, even managed to raise three children
W
Wendy
Guest
George, It must have been a hard life, how wonderful though to grow up in such a lovely place. I would have been so worried about the childern near water but they seemed to take it in their stride!
George Wheeler
master brummie
Canals and fear of water
Depends on how you calculate odds, miles driven or yards swum. Chances of death also seem to be related to your income. The greater your income the more you indulge in dangerous activities, take the number of deaths in light aircraft this year. My bank charges no doubt boosted my managers income enabling him to indulge in gliding, he also up there with the angels.
Depends on how you calculate odds, miles driven or yards swum. Chances of death also seem to be related to your income. The greater your income the more you indulge in dangerous activities, take the number of deaths in light aircraft this year. My bank charges no doubt boosted my managers income enabling him to indulge in gliding, he also up there with the angels.
O
O.C.
Guest
One of the nicest canal towpath walks I have done is along the Worcester and Birmingham canal starting at the 580 yd Tardebigge Tunnel (in-between Bromsgrove and Redditch heading towards the River Severn were the narrow boats used to come from up to Gas St Basin …..
Coming away from Tardebigge tunnel and passing the old and new wharfs boatyard and dry docks on the right the canal passes under London Lane Bridge
It’s from this point were the walk becomes interesting to lovers of canal history as lock 58 begins the descent to the River Severn. Lock 58 was originally built as a vertical boat lift but proved unsatisfactory so in 1815 given its present form.
It is the deepest narrow-beam lock in England with a rise and fall of 14ft an once through this only another 57 to go and it’s just up from lock 57 you see old brick pump house which was an ivy clad derelict ruin till the 70’s (pic 1) which was saved and turned into a pub, now empty and waiting to be sold by auction but was told it will soon be turned into offices. Passing this a bit farther on you come to the wonderful iron sluice machinery of Tardebigge Reservoir and if you climb the steps of the steep rising bank and walk along the top of the embankment the sight, on a beautiful day I picked, looking at the horizon was quite amazing. Carry on down the other side and back onto the towpath passing the old lock keepers cottage (pic 2)which was the first I have seen with outside steps leading to the cellar and the old iron work coming from the ground were the old water pump was attached…winding slowly down and passing all the different locks and bridges if you are observant you will spot the old bench mark on one of the bridges denoting sea level and a quaint bride over one of the lock gates.
Knowing how years ago the old bargees and the lock keepers had bicycles to race ahead and open the locks for the boats…I was luck enough to come across a modern day lock keeper on his modern machine who looks after the Tardebigge Flight…Mr Kevin Gill (Pic 3)who keeps the locks and the machinery in good working order and after a brief chat carried on picking plums and damsons along the towpath till we came to Sugarbrook Bridge and that wonderful canal side pub The Queens Head Inn…So..Stopped for a quick break ...had a couple of pints of real ale and a beef and horseradish sandwich and sitting their in the sun was quite amazed at the size of the fish in the canal,
And after feeling quite refreshed carried on with our walk..
Coming away from Tardebigge tunnel and passing the old and new wharfs boatyard and dry docks on the right the canal passes under London Lane Bridge
It’s from this point were the walk becomes interesting to lovers of canal history as lock 58 begins the descent to the River Severn. Lock 58 was originally built as a vertical boat lift but proved unsatisfactory so in 1815 given its present form.
It is the deepest narrow-beam lock in England with a rise and fall of 14ft an once through this only another 57 to go and it’s just up from lock 57 you see old brick pump house which was an ivy clad derelict ruin till the 70’s (pic 1) which was saved and turned into a pub, now empty and waiting to be sold by auction but was told it will soon be turned into offices. Passing this a bit farther on you come to the wonderful iron sluice machinery of Tardebigge Reservoir and if you climb the steps of the steep rising bank and walk along the top of the embankment the sight, on a beautiful day I picked, looking at the horizon was quite amazing. Carry on down the other side and back onto the towpath passing the old lock keepers cottage (pic 2)which was the first I have seen with outside steps leading to the cellar and the old iron work coming from the ground were the old water pump was attached…winding slowly down and passing all the different locks and bridges if you are observant you will spot the old bench mark on one of the bridges denoting sea level and a quaint bride over one of the lock gates.
Knowing how years ago the old bargees and the lock keepers had bicycles to race ahead and open the locks for the boats…I was luck enough to come across a modern day lock keeper on his modern machine who looks after the Tardebigge Flight…Mr Kevin Gill (Pic 3)who keeps the locks and the machinery in good working order and after a brief chat carried on picking plums and damsons along the towpath till we came to Sugarbrook Bridge and that wonderful canal side pub The Queens Head Inn…So..Stopped for a quick break ...had a couple of pints of real ale and a beef and horseradish sandwich and sitting their in the sun was quite amazed at the size of the fish in the canal,
And after feeling quite refreshed carried on with our walk..
O
O.C.
Guest
First photo shows the Ordnance Survey Bench mark on one of the Bridges on the Worcester and Birmingham Canal denoting height from sea level
Third photo is a fixed bridge over a lock put their to protect an existing right of way and subsequently retaining it , the bridge was fixed on one side only and on the towpath side was slotted to allow the towrope to pass underneath
Third photo is a fixed bridge over a lock put their to protect an existing right of way and subsequently retaining it , the bridge was fixed on one side only and on the towpath side was slotted to allow the towrope to pass underneath
brummie nick
master brummie
Theres an excellent book about life at Tardebigge,
Lock Keeper's Daughter by Pat Warner, Edition: Softback, ISBN: 0 906986 08
Lock Keeper's Daughter by Pat Warner, Edition: Softback, ISBN: 0 906986 08
O
O.C.
Guest
Thanks for that Nick, for the past couple of months I have been gathering material and info about the women who kept the canals going in WW2
slowly it is all coming together about the boat people and how they seem to have vanished............and their wonderful stories
The Worcester & Birmingham canal is not for the fainthearted as it has the longest flight of locks in Britain but as it twists and winds it looks deceiving and many boater never venture along it because of the work it involves going through the locks
slowly it is all coming together about the boat people and how they seem to have vanished............and their wonderful stories
The Worcester & Birmingham canal is not for the fainthearted as it has the longest flight of locks in Britain but as it twists and winds it looks deceiving and many boater never venture along it because of the work it involves going through the locks
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brummie nick
master brummie
O
O.C.
Guest
I have Nick ...Mark Baldwin supplies my canal books on the Women who worked the canals during WW2 and he has a great little bookshop on the High St Cleobury Mortimer Kidderminster
Charlie
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
Tardebigge
I bought my friend "The Worc's and B'ham Canal, Chronicles of the Cut" by Rev'd Alan White. She really enjoyed it. Her father worked the boats out of Saltley (Fellows Morton and Clayton?) and her two elderly aunts supplied a lot of the pictures in the book. They died fairly recently but lived all their lives in a tiny canalside cottage at Tardebigge.
I bought my friend "The Worc's and B'ham Canal, Chronicles of the Cut" by Rev'd Alan White. She really enjoyed it. Her father worked the boats out of Saltley (Fellows Morton and Clayton?) and her two elderly aunts supplied a lot of the pictures in the book. They died fairly recently but lived all their lives in a tiny canalside cottage at Tardebigge.
O
O.C.
Guest
Tardebigge is a great place Charlie and I was talking to a chap today who's friend has just bought the old pump house so I might be able to get a few pics of the old machinery if he gets it touch.
From The Queens Head Inn we carried on down to Stoke Prior and how dramatic the scenery changes as you go through the industrial section.
Between bridges 42 and 43 you can still see the remains of the old salt factory and the wharf that went in from the side and because of all the brine that went into the water this was the place the old boatmen caught their eels....walking down a bit further their is a thriving canal side little hamlet,docks and moorings so it was a good reason to stop and have a pint in the Navigation pub and before carrying on to the Ashford Flight we stopped for lunch at the Boat & Railway another great canal side gem
Pic 1 Maureen at the Top lock at Stoke
Pic 2 The poly tunnels were the boats are fitted out, painted etc
Pic 3 The Boat & Railway
From The Queens Head Inn we carried on down to Stoke Prior and how dramatic the scenery changes as you go through the industrial section.
Between bridges 42 and 43 you can still see the remains of the old salt factory and the wharf that went in from the side and because of all the brine that went into the water this was the place the old boatmen caught their eels....walking down a bit further their is a thriving canal side little hamlet,docks and moorings so it was a good reason to stop and have a pint in the Navigation pub and before carrying on to the Ashford Flight we stopped for lunch at the Boat & Railway another great canal side gem
Pic 1 Maureen at the Top lock at Stoke
Pic 2 The poly tunnels were the boats are fitted out, painted etc
Pic 3 The Boat & Railway
O
O.C.
Guest
Starting my walk in stages from Tardbigge tunnel down to Worcester I got to thinking what happened to the tugs that took the narrow boats, barges and butties through the tunnels at Tardbigge so I started to make enquires and was amazed at the results
The Tug Birminghamin 1855 pulled twenty barges with a gross weight of 1,231 tons for 13 hours on the Regent’s canal before becoming a tug boat on the Birmingham & Worcester canal. Birmingham’s job at Tardbigge was towing the barges and butties through the tunnels (and used as an icebreaker) until she was finally worn out to be replaced by two new tugs, one being Birmingham and the other Worcester operating in the tunnels in pairs. Built in 1912 by Abdela & Mitchell they operated right up and into the Great War and to help the war effort they were sold to Marylebone council in London for £925, and Birmingham was renamed Tyburn, it was used for moving rubbish along the Regent canal, the tug changed hands a few times and was renamed again in the 1960’s to Perseverance and in the 1970’s changed hands again and was called Percy until it was abandoned till British Waterways got interested and acquired her in the 1990’s
Then with the aid of a lottery grant restoration got underway to restore her.
At this point in time Birmingham is in the British Waterways yard at Tardebigge were I took the following photo’s (Pics 3&4)
One of the other tugs used in the Tardebigge and Shortwood tunnels was Sharpness built in steel in 1907-8 again by Abdela & Mitchell and like the other two also served as an ice breaker and that to was sold into private ownership and in the 1970 had her cabin lifted and lengthened and her hull patched up but that to was found lying derelict and for sale on the banks of the Kennet & Avon Canal desperately in need of repair…
It was sold and the buyers got a grant from the Transport Trust in 1996 and now it is used as a pleasure cruiser and is in private ownership
It was these marvellous tugs that kept the boats moving along the Birmingham & Worcester canal and its nice to know that the tug Worcester also has been saved and can be seen at the boat museum Ellesmere Port and is in working condition
Photo 1 is the earliest known pic of the tugs Birmingham and Worcester 1912c
Photo 2 Drawing of the layout of the tug Birmingham
Photo 3 & 4 The Tug Birmingham 29th August 2007 taken by me
Photo 5 The tug Sharpness
For more on the Tug Birmingham
https://heritageworkingboats.org.uk/birmingham%20tug.htm
For More on the Tug Sharpness
https://www.nhsc.org.uk/index.cfm/event/getVessel/vref/246/pic/3
The Tug Birminghamin 1855 pulled twenty barges with a gross weight of 1,231 tons for 13 hours on the Regent’s canal before becoming a tug boat on the Birmingham & Worcester canal. Birmingham’s job at Tardbigge was towing the barges and butties through the tunnels (and used as an icebreaker) until she was finally worn out to be replaced by two new tugs, one being Birmingham and the other Worcester operating in the tunnels in pairs. Built in 1912 by Abdela & Mitchell they operated right up and into the Great War and to help the war effort they were sold to Marylebone council in London for £925, and Birmingham was renamed Tyburn, it was used for moving rubbish along the Regent canal, the tug changed hands a few times and was renamed again in the 1960’s to Perseverance and in the 1970’s changed hands again and was called Percy until it was abandoned till British Waterways got interested and acquired her in the 1990’s
Then with the aid of a lottery grant restoration got underway to restore her.
At this point in time Birmingham is in the British Waterways yard at Tardebigge were I took the following photo’s (Pics 3&4)
One of the other tugs used in the Tardebigge and Shortwood tunnels was Sharpness built in steel in 1907-8 again by Abdela & Mitchell and like the other two also served as an ice breaker and that to was sold into private ownership and in the 1970 had her cabin lifted and lengthened and her hull patched up but that to was found lying derelict and for sale on the banks of the Kennet & Avon Canal desperately in need of repair…
It was sold and the buyers got a grant from the Transport Trust in 1996 and now it is used as a pleasure cruiser and is in private ownership
It was these marvellous tugs that kept the boats moving along the Birmingham & Worcester canal and its nice to know that the tug Worcester also has been saved and can be seen at the boat museum Ellesmere Port and is in working condition
Photo 1 is the earliest known pic of the tugs Birmingham and Worcester 1912c
Photo 2 Drawing of the layout of the tug Birmingham
Photo 3 & 4 The Tug Birmingham 29th August 2007 taken by me
Photo 5 The tug Sharpness
For more on the Tug Birmingham
https://heritageworkingboats.org.uk/birmingham%20tug.htm
For More on the Tug Sharpness
https://www.nhsc.org.uk/index.cfm/event/getVessel/vref/246/pic/3
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Frothblower
Lubrication In Moderation
Thanks for that Cromwell that was really interesting. It would be good to see her fully restored.
Fancy calling it Percy:|
Fancy calling it Percy:|
O
O.C.
Guest
I should have said Percy was only a nickname as Perseverance was bought by a primary school in Sawbridgenorth in 1968 and used for education purposes ...the kids called the boat Percy.. then it went on to have a few private owners before coming back home