Coventry basin swing bridge

[Hudds Lad]

What’s that all about then?

 

Seems to serve little or no purpose other than save a short walk round.

Was the basin a radically different layout in the past and its just left from before?

 

 

[pearley]

Pretty sure it didn't exist in the 70s

[archie57]

It was installed, no doubt at vast expense, when the basin redevelopment took place. There was nothing there before

[Hudds Lad]

Found this aerial shot from 1973 which shows no bridge, so a daft modern addition it is then  

 

Source: https://www.coventryatlas.org/map/records/coventry-canal-basin-and-warehouse-from-william-bachelor-house

 

[Chris Lowe]

It doesn't exist on the early maps.

 

[zenataomm]

Left over from some other job or project it would have been cheaper to plonk it somewhere totally inappropriate like Bishop Street than keep it in storage until required.

Just be grateful they didn't have a spare Boat Lift or Aqueduct lying about doing nothing.

[Chris Lowe]

Maybe they put it in for the local yobs to play with.

[Nightwatch]

I’m fairly sure, but not certain, that it was swung across when we visited the basin in 2006 ish!

[frangar]

Last time I was there it was padlocked across the water meaning the continuous moorers in front couldn’t move…of course it might have been their padlock…..

[ditchcrawler]

I have seen it both open and closed including boater operated. I think its been locked open since the hire base used the other arm

[Ray T]

15 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

I have seen it both open and closed including boater operated. I think it's been locked open since the hire base used the other arm

Valley Cruisers went bankrupt and left the basin at least 2 years ago, maybe more.

It wasn't in situ in 1984 either.

Photo from Coventry's Waterways.

[Chris Lowe]

Roll back the google imagery and it's there in1999.

 

[PeterScott]

Just for completeness, my 1971 pic from the top of the flats

[Nightwatch]

It’s certainly changed.

[PeterScott]

... and one from 1989

 

and another from 23Sep1995

 

 

so it looks as if it arrived with those early-1990s buildings on left of that photo.

 

 

 

 

From 14Sep1994, the distinctive CoventryCS milepost has buildingsite fencing, and our boatlog refers to "the building site that passes for Coventry Basin".

 

So that's my bid then: autumn 1994

Edited April 13, 2022 by PeterScott

[ditchcrawler]

1 hour ago, Ray T said:

Valley Cruisers went bankrupt and left the basin at least 2 years ago, maybe more.

 

More I would say.

 

2019, I thought it was longer ago than that Workers say they haven't been paid for months as canal cruise company goes into liquidation - CoventryLive (coventrytelegraph.net)

 

Edited April 13, 2022 by ditchcrawler