Historic Britain - listing description

[Heartland]

It was recently brought to my attention that the description for the Dayton Bassett Turret Bridge across the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal might be improved as to suggest a time when it was built in stead of the reference to Pinkerton building the canal in 1789. The present view is that the structure was contemporary with the building of Drayton Manor House for the Peel family, which was commenced in 1831.

 

Listing descriptions are of of use for their architectural details, but not always contain correct historical fact. Which is sad.

 

When I put together the Border Canals book, I noted all forms of inaccuracies, but especially for the Middlewich Branch. These I passed on to Historic Britain, but seem to have been ignored.

 

I give one example

 

STANTHORNE C.P. SHORPSHIRE UNION CANAL SJ 66 NE 5/87 Canal bridge c.3 yards downstream of Stanthorne Lock. - GV II Cattle bridge across canal. c.1793. Red English garden wall bond brick with stone dressings. Single span arch. Basket arch with brick voussoirs. Stone band above marking lower level of parapet. Chamfered stone coping to parapet. The retaining walls to either side are slightly canted forward and terminate in square piers with pyramidal stone caps. 

 

Apart from the spelling mistake for SHROPSHIRE, the date for the bridge of c 1793 is in error. It would take 6 years to build the Middlewich Branch (1827-1833). To put a date for 1793 might be said to be negligence. Telford was the engineer for this branch then. The only aspect of 1793 that is true that Telford was first employed by the Ellesmere Canal Company in 1793.

 

 

Edited August 1, 2019 by Heartland

[Aurelia]

In view of current stringent - 'strapped-for-cash' - conditions, it seems unlikely that the corrections will be made. But that doesn't alter the fact that it is an important point and well made.

[Heartland]

Not all descriptions have this issue. For the railway notes, fellow R &CHS member John Minnis, has added some valuable points.

 

It is a pity that the present situation for waterways exists.