Short Life Business beside the canal

[Heartland]

Having been consulted on the British Coalite works on the Bentley Canal at Wednesfield (1907-1911), there is the topic of how many such places had a short existence. The Ministry of Munitions had premises, some of which were canal side, but ceased operations after 1919. And more generally a works if not profitable could go out of business and be replaced by something completely different.

 

The Birmingham Compressed Air works is a case in point. Built beside the Birmingham & Warwick Junction Canal, this works was constructed to supply compressed air to local factories and drive stationary engines. The problem with delivering the compressed air through failing pipes led to the works closure and others came onto the site including Carrs Paints.

[Ray T]

Don't know whether the Ordnance Works in Coventry come under your remit?

 

Coventry Ordnance Works - Wikipedia

 

Coventry Ordnance Works was a British manufacturer of heavy guns particularly naval artillery jointly owned by Cammell Laird & Co of Sheffield and Birkenhead, Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company of Govan, Glasgow and John Brown & Company of Clydebank and Sheffield. Its core operations were from a 60-acre site in Stoney Stanton Road in the English city of Coventry, Warwickshire.

At the end of 1918 it became a principal constituent of a brand new enterprise English Electric Company Limited. After World War II the works made electricity-generating machinery and heavy machine tools.

 

The Coventry Canal ran past the Ordnance Works. I have been unable to ascertain whether the Works made use of the canal.

Edited July 2, 2021 by Ray T

[Heartland]

The Coventry Ordnance Works was beside the canal but traffic was generally handled by the Foleshill Light Railway. Whether construction material was delivered by canal is an issue that deserves further research, but the MOM factories in this area were generally rail served.

 

I have been trying to find out more about the basin on the BCN Tat Bank Branch at Langley Green, which was at the end of the widened section (up to 1917). During 1917 it seems that sidings were laid beside it. and the feeder widening extended. They had a short life and may have been associated with HM Explosives Factory Oldbury C or the new railway links to the British Potash Works. In the first case transport of chemicals from gasworks or tar works was a possibility and in the second case crushed slag from Black Country Ironworks. 

[Chris M Jones]

 

The Coventry Ordnance Works Limited did use the cut.

 

Boatmen transported coal to the ordnance works during WW1. These were ‘Badged Men’ so had protected status and therefore exempt from conscription because it was a wartime priority traffic. Coal factor W. H. Bowater Limited of Birmingham was linked to that traffic with coal drawn from local pits.

 

Also there was some outbound traffic with ashes taken to Webster’s tip. 

 

There were also special tolls for cast iron and steel turnings from the ordnance works to Birmingham for boats working for John Williams (Birmingham Sand) Limited. The outbound traffic was sand from their wharf at Icknield Square, Birmingham to the Daimler motor works.

 

 

 

 

[Pluto]

There were several short-term factories built on the L&LC around Aintree which subsequently developed into a post-war industrial estate, and at Salterforth, there was a large munitions depot with a narrow gauge tramway from the canal wharf into the storage area, which was also served by the nearby railway. Post First World War, particularly during the 1930s, many canalside mills changed owners as the depression and decline of the textile industry developed. Some of these can be traced from the canal company's water sales records, some of which survive. During the Second World War, some empty textile factories were converted to military storage areas, while Bankcroft Shed in Barnoldswick became the home of Rolls Royce jet engine manufacturing, the RB in RB211 signifying Rolls Barnoldswick.

[Heartland]

Referring to Chris Jones mention of John George Williams. He had various businesses on the canal, including coal, but sand seems to have become his major trade and he operated various sand quarries to supply sand for foundry use., with Icknield Square Wharf as a base. This wharf was immediately on the left hand side after the turn inti the Icknield Port Loop close to the cast iron side bridge at Icknield Square Junction and opposite the Bellis & Morcam factory. 

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Sand traffic to foundries remained on local canals after the first world war. John Williams (Birmingham Sand) Ltd was in voluntary liquidation in 1933

[BEngo]

Reported.

N

[DHutch]

On 24/12/2021 at 21:06, BEngo said:

Reported.

N

Automatically removed! Thanks.