Heartland

As the number of stoppages reach evidently a new record, and with lock down rules easing, what canals are open ? In the days of the private working canals, there would be annual stoppages to undertake repairs, but for these modern times it is called winter. So as we come out of the winter period there is a growing list of new stoppages, could the reason be lack of investment or is it a lack of qualified staff?

Is there a record of what was done by contractors. This was evidently a major repair task and one no doubt that has added to the recent expenses of unplanned repairs.

In the world of Dyslexia I wonder on how words could be changed CRT could be come TRC Troublesome Rivers and Canals

An accident, which occurred in West Hill (Wast Hill) Tunnel may explain the method of legging adopted in this tunnel and the consequences Shocking Accident Birmingham Chronicle 13th July 1826 On the afternoon of Thursday last as an unloaded boat proceeded through the tunnel of the Worcester & Birmingham Canal, near Kings Norton propelled by a manoeuvre technically called legging the plank which is usually secured in a slight elevation from the cabin to the stern, gave way, and the master, a man named Wood, and his son, a lad of eleven years of age, were precipitated i

It was the perspective taken by the narrator that I found, as an historian, uncomfortable, especially with regards to William Jessop

This documentary was aired again last light, and this time I had a chance to seen the program and I did wonder where Dan Jones obtained his information and if Dr Wikky was there for him. The use of an image of a boy dragging a pit waggon underground did not quite fit with the construction of Blisworth Tunnel. This program did highlight some of the problems that came about thought the protracted attempts to build the tunnel and also the problems encountered to build an aqueduct over the Great Ouse. Yet there was a negative thread passing through this program implying fai

Legging wide tunnel on a a narrowboat was not just confined to the Grand Junction. There were also tunnels on the Stratford and Worcester & Birmingham. Leggers lay on planks for this purpose so that they could reach the sides, it is said. With tunnels such as West Hill (Wast Hill) there were cases of boatmen drowned which contributed to the introduction of tugs

The Skew bridge theme is a diversion from the original topic. I am surprised that no body has not mentioned the skew bridge of the BCN new main line where this brick arch carried the Dudley Road across the canal. Though Telford was the engineer, the contractor was Thomas Townshend who did a lot of work for Rennie and was one of the resident engineers on the Rochdale. He then went onto the Royal Canal in Ireland working for Rennie again

The Canal side in Birmingham is one of continuing regeneration with on going projects including the Icknield Port Loop So it is definitely a destination and with the easing of lockdown a place to explore

That was a very useful comment which relates to the Wey Navigation It would be of interest what notes there are on John Hadley and Samuel Shelton and their associated with the Aire & Calder Navigation

Railway bridges often were not numbered, and it was not allways the practice to number a bridge. The BCN adopted the use of naming a bridge instead of a number and it seems the Warwick & Birmingham, Birmingham & Warwick Junction and Warwick & Napton used the same system (at least until the take over by the GU). So for example the Bridge at Birdingbury (Birbury to locals) is shown on this Ordnance Survey as named

The creation of the UK navigations may have had a genesis in existing rivers where tidal and non tidal sections had sufficient depth to float some form of craft goes back long into historical past, but the concept of changing a river coarse and building a lock was a subsequent development. The names of those people responsible for the early changes are are often forgotten, but in the eighteenth century, pre canal age, there was a period where navigations were improved for the Aire, Calder, Irwell, Mersey as well as parts of the Thames, Warwickshire Avon and Wye. The Lancashire an

Yes, so fact is stronger than fiction in this case !

The acquisition of the Warwick Canals was at the formation of the Grand Union 1/1/1929, and the renumbering would have been contemporary with the Oxford. Regarding numbering 96 is the towpath bridge adjacent to the BCN and 97 commences as the start of the Junction Canal

Being in the three rivers district there was a potential for navigations, but I suspect t'mill owners might have objected .