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Water : Birmingham's water supply

Aston Mill and Waterworks Mill are one of the same. Aston Mill was owned and occupied by Birmingham Waterworks Company from 1833. By 1887 the mill had disappeared from the site and a pumping station was there instead. :) :)
 
The river through Sutton Park that was tapped was Plants Brook - actually a stream. At this time it was actually known as Ebrooke or East Brook. The stream had been dammed in Sutton Park to form various pools, mainly for local water supply and mill power, however, the reservoirs formed for Birmingham were constructed further along the course.

The reservoirs were constructed in Walmley Ash, south of Walmley on the border with Pype Hayes on the Eachelhurst Road. The reservoirs were barely used and were soon abandoned once the Elan Valley project was completed. The reservoirs remained, and have since become a haven for wildlife leading to it being designated local nature reserve status.

You can visit it now by pulling off the Eachelhurst Road. I haven't been there but I certainly do intend to soon.
 
When the government of the day privatised the water companies I think it was Dick Knowles, later Sir Richard the leader of Birmingham City Council who tried to sue them, his argument was that the pipeline carrying the water and everything that went with from the Elan Valley belonged to the people of Birmingham, he lost, but personally I thought he had a good case.
 
I found a description of the construction of the Elan Valley dams in an early 20th Century 3 volume publication "Engineering Wonders of the World" published by Thomas Nelson & Sons around 1910 ish. Among all the facts and figures I observered that the engineers so designed the scheme such that the water flows by gravity from the dams all the way to Frankley.
 
Peter what an in depth article you have written about Birmingham’s water supply – Like Di I grew up with the knowledge that it came from Elan Valley – but certainly didn’t know there was so much history involved
 
I just thought that I would add an up-to-date (and working) link about the construction of the Elan Valley reservoirs. The site is a bit disjointed, but the most interesting parts are the ten pages about Craig-y-Nos and Adelina Patti, and the Elan Village itself.

It's worth clicking on all of the links as some of those pages do not appear on the menu. Perhaps its biggest shortcoming is that the pictures are little more than thumbnails with no ability to zoom in. Never mind, persist as I think you will find it is quite rewarding.

https://history.powys.org.uk/history/rhayader/elanmenu.html

Maurice
 
Today I went down to Cross Hands, a small village near Llanelli in South Wales. I go six or seven times a year to visit an old friend. He is 90 next birthday and can't travel to see us. Because of this thread I had an early start so I could go and take a few photos of the Elan Valley and post them on here. I left home in Quinton at 0800. I got to the Elan Valley Visitor Centre and it was shut, so no coffee and no little present for Maggieuk. The weather was dreadful so no photos. Undaunted I decided to do that bit next year because the visitor centre opens again on Mar.10th 2010. I reached Cross Hands for 1100. we had a coffee and went to the local for a pub lunch. I left Cross Hands and got home at 1800. A wonderful day but sadly no pics of the resavoir or the hills.
 
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A bit off thread but I will tell you this then leave because it is not about our water. We used to go to the Hollybush near Belbroughtn on the first Monday of every month. There used to 23 of us and I was the youngest. They came from all walks of life but were in groups. some were tt riders(little known) Jeff Bennett of Bham City speedway from the 40s-50s. two lancaster bomber pilots and a spitfire pilot. John Lunt who owned a Gold Polishers in the Jewellery quarter and several others. Only Bob in Wales. Jeff Bennett and myself are still alive.
 
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View attachment 49581View attachment 49582I am sorry to be a littlle late with this but I have been rather busy of late. I traveed to South Wales again a fortnight ago to see my old friend. As Promised I called into the Elan Valley Visitor Centre. I took my daughter with me and we called into Ludlow for a quick look at the castle on the way. As you may know there are four resa's and it takes at least an hour or a little longer to see them all. Going via this route to Cross Hands and back makes the trip almost 300 miles which is quite a bit when you are 70 years old. Because of this I could only take a few photos of the lower resa. I have stated before that I am not a very good photograhper but here are a few pictures. Next time I go in a couple of weeks time I will have a friend with me who is quite good with a camera.
 
Stitcher ...... THANK YOU! I haven't travelled through the Elan Valley for 53 years but your snaps - nay, photographs - bring back its magnificent splendour. Thank you. David
 
View attachment 49584Hello David, if you know the location you will probably be aware that you reach the visitor center on the left, after you have passed the visitor center about half a mile further along you come to a car park on the right. Leave the car and cross the road and that is where these photos were taken from. when you face the water there is a massive cliff behind you the water is half right and directly in front is the dam wall, whilst to the left of you is the water run off for when the dam is overflowing. In the distance you can see the visitor center and a few outbuildings.
 
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I for one would love to have more information about the City's involvement in mid-Wales. Please put my name down! D.
 
O/K. db, this is just for you.The 71 square miles of the sparsely populated hills and valleys of 'The Elan Valley' were aquired by Birmingham Corporation for the elaborate reservoir scheme, built between 1893 and 1906. The imaginative scheme involved the construction of four massive dams and a 73 mile aqueduct to the south of Birmingham. An additional reservoir was added in the early 1950s. Construction of the reservoirs led to the demolition of a church, a school, a chapel and 20 farms. The remains of the house and gardens of Nantgwillt, associated with the famous poet Shelley, can still be seen during periods of drought and were the inspiration for the 1930s romantic novel, 'The House Under Water'. The engineering architecture has a distintive theatrical style, popularly termed 'Birmingham Baroque'. Careful and sympathetic management has resulted in the remarkable preservation of both the engineering works and surrounding landscape in much the form that must have been envisaged by those that designed and built them a century ago.
 
Thanks very much, Stitcher. I've been reading the Wikipedia article about the Valley for the last 10 minutes and your paragraph is more finely detailed than the equivalent section in the encyclopedia. Congratulations! Tomorrow I must find the time to read Peter W's thread-opener and a lot of other members' contributions. Thanks for bringing my attention to the thread, D.
 
Hello again db84124, glad you found it interesting. When I was a trucker I was on general frieght and delivered to any and every type of industry , manufacturing as well as repair companies nationwide. I collected pamphlets and leaflets of anything I found interesting. Another one of my deliveries was the complete water tower at the top of Gorcot Hill on the Redditch Road. On an artic with a long trailer I delivered in one load, the tank and all the galvanised strutting to build the tower and all the pumps and valves.

For this reason my memories are more widespread or less concentrated than someone who always worked in the city limits. That is why I find other members memories about Birmingham so interesting.
 
Stitcher,
Your last sentence is the very reason I am a member of this splendid Forum ........ Thanks again and keep 'em comin', David
 
I did post a few weeks ago that when the dams had been built and the valleys flooded, a school, a church and several farms were submerged. It is said that fo many months after the flooding, the church bells could be heard ringing under the water. My own view is that this would have been caused by water movement because I do not believe in ghosts or ghost stories.
Also, on every stone or brick built dam there is a very large bronze plaque naming BirminghamCity Council, The king and queeen and several other facts and details. Unfortunately, yesterday was brilliant sunshine and there was only one plaque which could be read because of the glare. If I go through the area again in the forseeable future I will photograph all the plaques.
 
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Hi Peter

I read your post with interest... It's my mothers 100th Birthday on Thurs, 17 June and I am due to propose a toast and wished to include a little bit of how life was like back in 1910 with regard to water supply - was it from a tap or pumped from a well etc, gas or electric lighting and would the 'loo' have been a 'hole in the ground' at the top of the garden !

She was born at 5 Benton Road, Sparkhill and moved in 1911/12 to Sarehole Road, Springfield, near the River Cole where it crosses the Stratford Road.

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Regards

Malcolm
 
img369.jpgI am in the process of re-starting this thread with a couple of photo's that were not posted previously.I will attempt to re-post pictures as and where I can until it is up to date.
This photo shows Birmingham City Council at the Elan Valley waterworks in 1900.
 
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This is King Edward V11 with Queen Alexadra opening the new Birmingham waterworks in the Elan Valley in 1904
 
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For those who do not know, the Elan Valley contains 4 reservoires that supply Birminghams water. On sone of my many trips to see an old friend in S. Wales I call into the Visitor Centre for a sandwich and a coffee and another look at the fantastic building work i/e the dams. Next time I call there I will pick up some literature and post some of it here. I do have a few photo's which I will post a couple ata time.
 
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I think it is amazing that the water supply travels almost 90 miles to Birmingham, and comes through pipes by Gravity, dropping almost 90 feet from the Elan valley to Frankly - That's what i call solid Victorian Engineering!
 
Hello Brian, most people do not understand the complexities in that engineering feat. When I tell friends that the first time the water is pumped is at Frankley, it means nothing judging by their reaction.
 
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I have several photos of differing views of the four reserviores and the dams but I did not add text so I really don't know which one is which, I will post the photos anyway because it is such a beautiful area.
 

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Lovely views. Never been to the Elan Valley but always felt a connection because we did a project about it at junior school and made a massive papier mache model of the valley. To this day it's always stuck in my mind. Must get over there and visit, it looks like a beautiful part of Wales. Viv.
 
Viv, there is a cycle route and a walkers route but I use the car. It is a massive area to walk around. You can drive to all the vantage points to take photos and the visitor centre does excellent food and coffee.
 
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