Where I am

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

On 15/07/2022 at 17:17, Goliath said:

Another while we wait for Heartland to come back;

 

 The answer is...

 

the stables!

 

and there is talk of rebuilding them. 

[Pluto]

16 hours ago, Heartland said:

Whilst waiting for Goliath to explain what seems to be a disused lock, I will make the next question as a River Navigation where the craft were called Keels and clearly had industrial railways or tramroads to the river side.

 

 

I suspect these are the remains of some of those keels.

[Heartland]

The Tees was closest. Actually it is the Tyne and the image is reproduced from a biography of William Hedley. Mr Medley was viewer for the Wylam Colliery owned by Christoipher Blackett. He became involved with the design of early steam locomotives such as the "Puffing Billy" which worked the railway from Wylam Colliery to the Tyne to Lemington where the staithes were located on the North bank of the Tyne. The history of Hedley has become topical recently in view of the celebrations for the Stockton & Darlington Railway 1825-2025.

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Heartland said:

The Tees was closest. Actually it is the Tyne and the image is reproduced from a biography of William Hedley. Mr Medley was viewer for the Wylam Colliery owned by Christoipher Blackett. He became involved with the design of early steam locomotives such as the "Puffing Billy" which worked the railway from Wylam Colliery to the Tyne to Lemington where the staithes were located on the North bank of the Tyne. The history of Hedley has become topical recently in view of the celebrations for the Stockton & Darlington Railway 1825-2025.

 

Not sure what you mean by 'the Tees was closed'. I've just driven over it and it looked as open as ever to me.

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

1 minute ago, The Happy Nomad said:

 

Not sure what you mean by 'the Tees was closed'. I've just driven over it and it looked as open as ever to me.

closest

[Heartland]

Yes I did say closest, that is a nearer location to that being asked about.

 

What Goliath has raised is a question about the stables close to the Anchor Inn, Bridge 42, Shropshire Union Canal and the possibility of restoration. It is not clear how much remains, but what there is seems to be on land belonging to the Inn, perhaps Goliath can clarify.

When they were built and who by is another question that can be asked. The Waterways Archive has two images of the Anchor In. Old Lea, taken in 1971.

 

 

 

 

These images show the edge of the building in question and has the look of a Jebb style stable that can be found om waterways associated with the waterways the Shropshire Union Railway & Canal Carrying Company used, such as on the Middlewich Branch and the Delph (BCN).

 

The first ordnance survey for Staffordshire shows what seems to be the block on the 1879/80 survey. This section of map shows the inn, bridge and the opposite wharf.

 

 

Edited July 19, 2022 by Heartland

[Captain Pegg]

I should stick my neck out on these and have a guess. My first thoughts were the same as @David Mack's and a possible link between the Tees and the Stockton & Darlington Railway.

 

The latter picture did remind me of visits to Prudhoe - where I had relatives at the time - and also to Wylam signal box as one of my very first jobs as a budding railway engineer.

Edited July 19, 2022 by Captain Pegg

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

It’s quite difficult to get in to see properly.

From the landlady’s memory the stables collapsed in the 80’s.

She reckons all the materials to rebuild are in there. Roof tiles and bricks. (Obviously new wood will be needed.)

The footings and base are still there, I’m told. 
I’ll ask to see some old photos and I’ll have another look when the weather cools later and see if I can get some better photos.

But it’s all so overgrown it’s hard to tell, you’d have to get a strimmer in there for a day or two to clear it out

There is now a fence which cuts off the section where the stables were.

I believe they date back to 1840’s ??

 

from the photos above; the entrance to the stables will have been off the towpath, not the lane or pub side. 
 

I must ask this evening when the pub opens. 
The landlady has spoke of wanting to rebuild them. 

[Heartland]

It is possible that the public house operated the stables, but if built in the 1840's could be associated with the steam tug operations. However the new stable build at that time was linked to lock operations for horses to tow craft up the lock flights with the steam tugs working on the sections between them. bridge 42 was on the long section south of Tyrley. The SURCCCo had a number of horse drawn boats and as their trade developed needed improved stable accommodation. The present Bunbury Stable block was a later build. There was also the requirements of the independent boat captains. The Anchor Inn could benefit from meals and ale for the boatmen and the care for the horses.

 

It is the sort of location that Crowley, Hickling might have used for their craft that worked along the Birmingham & Liverpool Junction Canal.

Edited July 19, 2022 by Heartland

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Heartland said:

Yes I did say closest, that is a nearer location to that being asked about.

 

What Goliath has raised is a question about the stables close to the Anchor Inn, Bridge 42, Shropshire Union Canal and the possibility of restoration. It is not clear how much remains, but what there is seems to be on land belonging to the Inn, perhaps Goliath can clarify.

When they were built and who by is another question that can be asked. The Waterways Archive has two images of the Anchor In. Old Lea, taken in 1971.

 

 

 

 

These images show the edge of the building in question and has the look of a Jebb style stable that can be found om waterways associated with the waterways the Shropshire Union Railway & Canal Carrying Company used, such as on the Middlewich Branch and the Delph (BCN).

 

The first ordnance survey for Staffordshire shows what seems to be the block on the 1879/80 survey. This section of map shows the inn, bridge and the opposite wharf.

 

 

 

Ah sorry. I was reading that on my phone, without my specs. 🤣🤣🤣

[Heartland]

Another question this time three bridges with a boat and a runner and miraculously no cyclists. Apart from where I am what was the purpose of the middle bridge ?

 

This is a West Midlands Waterway whose dimensions at certain places were altered later.

 

Edited July 20, 2022 by Heartland

[Captain Pegg]

17 minutes ago, Heartland said:

Another question this time three bridges with a boat and a runner and miraculously no cyclists. Apart from where I am what was the purpose of the middle bridge ?

 

This is a West Midlands Waterway whose dimensions at certain places were altered later.

 

Worcester & Birmingham and I’ll plump for between Selly Oak and Bournville but certainly along the stretch where canal and railway are adjacent.

 

Presumably the dimension changes were those resulting from the construction of the West Suburban Railway from Kings Norton to Birmingham mostly on canal owned land.

 

Although there was much gnashing of teeth over the recent narrowing of Edgbaston tunnel there was a precedent by the original canal company in respect of the two railway overbridges (from the canal perspective) at Selly Oak.

 

I’m going to have to think about the middle bridge. Something to do with the industrial railway that served Bournville factory?

 

 

Edited July 20, 2022 by Captain Pegg

[davidg]

Further in than that, the line into Birmingham Central Goods?

[Chris G]

2 hours ago, Heartland said:

Another question this time three bridges with a boat and a runner and miraculously no cyclists. Apart from where I am what was the purpose of the middle bridge ?

 

This is a West Midlands Waterway whose dimensions at certain places were altered later.

 

 

Edgbaston?

[David Mack]

Raddlebarn Bridge, between Selly Oak and Bournville. The NLS old maps don't show anything passing under the middle arch, but the railway kicks away from the canal a little here in order to approach the southern Selly Oak rail over canal bridge, so maybe the middle arch was provided simply as an alternative to an embankment between the bridges over the canal and the railway.

[Heartland]

David Mack gets the answer right, it is Raddlebarn Road bridges, one crosses the Worcester & Birmingham Canal and the one on the extreme left the railway. The middle arch was for the original West Suburban Railway which terminated at Granville Street and perhaps is one of the few reminders of that original single track railway and ceased to be once the Midland Railway improved the line from Kings Norton through to the new platforms at Birmingham New Street and the goods branch to a Centrals Goods Station.

 

The original building of the single track railway led to the reduction of width of the original barge canal and cutting out parts of the far bank to maintain a navigational width.

 

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

On 19/07/2022 at 13:36, Heartland said:

It is the sort of location that Crowley, Hickling might have used for their craft that worked along the Birmingham & Liverpool Junction Canal.

I didn’t find the opportunity to ask further. 
I’ll find out more on my next visit.
(Any excuse to go back 😃) 
I do know she has a collection of photos that go back a bit. 
 

I’ll put a photo below of what it looks like now from the bridge. 
 

 

To add: there are some aerial photos on the wall and they show the stables. 

Edited July 20, 2022 by Goliath

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

So where am I now?

For the pub aficionado 😃

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

Rob-M would have got it.  
 

The pub, for the railway folk is close by and  if you go over to platform 2 you’ll go Redditch. 
 

[Rob-M]

2 hours ago, Goliath said:

Rob-M would have got it.  
 

The pub, for the railway folk is close by and  if you go over to platform 2 you’ll go Redditch. 
 

I thought I recognised the model but couldn't think where from.  I presume you are in The Weighbridge at Alvechurch.

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

15 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

I thought I recognised the model but couldn't think where from.  I presume you are in The Weighbridge at Alvechurch.

yep

 

and the Mikron Theatre are here tomorrow. 

[Heartland]

Assuming this image is the right way around, this having been made difficult by the mounting, the question is date and place. The lock is of interest as it is long and once had some very long boats that worked through it.

 

The year was two years after an ASLEF Rail Strike, a time when commercial canal carrying still happened

 

 

[David Mack]

One of the turf sided locks on the Kennet. Restored by volunteers using second hand telegraph poles as balance beams.

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

The iron rails makes me think K and A turf lock but it ain’t. 
And those gate beams are round

Just crossed post

[Heartland]

Try some more beer

 

This early colour slide was taken before the Bowes Report, it would seem, and before the Kennet & Avon Restoration Society was formed in 1962

I have come across beams like this in images for other waterways and wonder it the rails were of Great Western Railway origin

And yes it is the Kennet Navigation, but where ?