Black Bridge or Pump House Bridge, Gloucester

[magpie patrick]

On 06/10/2021 at 18:07, StephenA said:

 

The lock closed in 1924 as its walls were bulging out of shape...

And presumably not enough traffic to justify fixing it. If someone really wants passage they can go over the weir at spring tide. 

 

7 hours ago, Heartland said:

The D I WE improvements 1948- 1953 have at map accompanying them in the CRT archives

 

Not disputing that Dainwex improved the channel, just that there wouldn't have been much call for navigation that way. Either they planned to restore the lock or they wanted to improve conveyance 

[IanM]

13 hours ago, magpie patrick said:

Not disputing that Dainwex improved the channel, just that there wouldn't have been much call for navigation that way. Either they planned to restore the lock or they wanted to improve conveyance 

 

Black Bridge is above Westgate Bridge (the bridge mentioned as being the one which could be altered and why Black Bridge was built as a swing bridge) and therefore north of Gloucester Lock so the bend in question would be part of the Severn still used at that time by the grain barges and tankers up to Tewkesbury and Worcester.

Edited October 8, 2021 by IanM

[Heartland]

Thanks Ian

 

Yes I understand the improvements were made for the traffic coming from or going to the ship canal, and perhaps the ultimate reconstruction of Black Bridge was for the same reason. 

As to Llanthony Lock there were suggestions that the lock might be repaired for the oil traffic, but came to nothing.

 

 

[magpie patrick]

8 hours ago, IanM said:

 

Black Bridge is above Westgate Bridge (the bridge mentioned as being the one which could be altered and why Black Bridge was built as a swing bridge) and therefore north of Gloucester Lock so the bend in question would be part of the Severn still used at that time by the grain barges and tankers up to Tewkesbury and Worcester.

 

Ah, I seeeee: I had assumed that the bridge in the first plan and the bridge pictured with Llanthony Lock nearby were the same bridge. On closer examination it is obvious they are not

 

Apologies

[Heartland]

Hugh Conway Jones has confirmed that with the Swing Bridge at Llanthony, this was opened for craft. The last date was in 1922. The lock closed in 1924.

 

Correspondence on Black Bridge has again failed to find an example of the bridge ever being opened. The pumping station according to Hugh supplied water to the GWR Llanthony Yard

 

[Heartland]

I have subsequently been supplied with a plan of Black Bridge, which shows the original condition.  The pivot was on the west side of the bridge whilst the girders also rested on three columns on the east (or Gloucester Side). The navigation channel lay between the pivot pier and the columns on the Gloucester side. In the aeriel view reproduced previously there is an indication that the Great Western Railway reconstructed the bridge at some point prior to that photograph.

 

As also previously noticed, this bridge would seen to have the credit for being the first railway swing bridge over a navigation.