Where I am

[Heartland]

The map attached is one by John Snape a couple of years before the Summit was reduced at Smethwick it show the Brasshouse as close to the canal and lock 5 which led to a shortening of the lane and bridge probably very similar to Littles Lane at Wolverhampton.

 

The feeder from Smethwick Pool is at the top of this image and that fed a side branch that joined the canal near the lock house at Top Lock (No 6).

 

[___]

Bear with me for another railway related question; but this time I was at least on a boat and not a train.

 

Today I have travelled across the top of the same railway tunnel on two different canals.
 

Where was I?

 

 

Edited September 28, 2023 by Captain Pegg

[David Mack]

Macclesfield and Peak Forest Canals, passing over Disley Tunnel.

[___]

10 hours ago, David Mack said:

Macclesfield and Peak Forest Canals, passing over Disley Tunnel.

Yep. Two hours cruising to travel two miles as the crow flies.

[David Mack]

10 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said:

Yep. Two hours cruising to travel two miles as the crow flies.

[Heartland]

The Midland Railway tunnel built 1900-1902 called Disley Tunnel  was 2 miles and 346 yards long, and was quite an engineering accomplishment for that time.

 

Returning to my observations at Smethwick Brasshouse Lane this view show the wall on the other side of the "ledge" mentioned previously. The stone work in this wall would correspond with the site of lock 5 that partly extended across that lane.

 

 

[magpie patrick]

16 hours ago, David Mack said:

Macclesfield and Peak Forest Canals, passing over Disley Tunnel.

 My first narrow boat, Ripple, was moored over Disley Tunnel for much of my ownership, one of Dad's friends has a double width garden as the plot over the tunnel was not built on, and I could fit a 62 foot narrow boat on it.

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

I’ve nowt of value to offer at the moment. 

But I’d be grateful for a challenge,

any offers? 
 

have this in the meantime,

it was mentioned in another thread but I can’t find it (the thread). 

Edited October 23, 2023 by beerbeerbeerbeerbeer

[oboat]

Try this

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

1 minute ago, oboat said:

Try this

ha, we’ve had this before,

and I can’t remember where it is 

[Heartland]

Beer toimes foive has asked a question, but is the answer known

 

For the present I shall post one other Where I Am

The clue is this is a place where Frank is in good health!

 

 

[Stroudwater1]

Dobson Locks?

[Francis Herne]

On 23/10/2023 at 21:30, oboat said:

Try this

Spalding, Chain Bridge.

 

Where are these? (I've only seen them in one place; other answers will teach me something!)

Edited October 26, 2023 by Francis Herne

[ditchcrawler]

Just now, Francis Herne said:

Spalding, Chain Bridge.

 

Where are these?

Northwich

[Francis Herne]

Just now, ditchcrawler said:

Northwich

Well that didn't take long. 🙃

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

Mine,

(really an excuse to bring the thread back to life),

was Radford Bridge over the River Penk,

there was mention of it on another thread which bought it to mind,

boaters will have walked this if they’ve ever stopped to use the Aldi,

 

 

[Heartland]

Thanks Beer to the power of five.

 

Is this the bridge that once carried the tramway (and road) to Stafford from Radford Wharf

 

As to my image, this was a means of bringing a rope from the trows and barges on the Severn by the arrangement shown. But where its it ?

 

As to my stopping posting for the present, it is related to those who post "fake" history on their blog pages.

 

 

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

I believe it is that very bridge,

Quite a grand price of architecture, I thought, with its Doric columns and dentils,

and I wondered why such a grand bridge.

It appears it’s been the main road from Lichfield to Stafford since medieval times.

Very busy these days and It’s a pain to cross with me heavy bags of Aldi shopping.

Here’s a pleasant sketch from 1800’s,

 

 

 

As for “fake” history on blogs,

I tend not to read blogs, 

The few I’ve come across are pretty dull,

I do wonder how reliable the ‘facts and figures’ are.

damage is done when the erroneous bits and pieces are quoted and requoted.

A conversation for another thread I guess 😃

[Heartland]

Yes Radford Bridge is an interesting structure that carried the turnpike road. It is said to have been built about 1800 and since 1971 has been grade 2 listed.

 

 

 

John Rennie CE is said to have been the engineer and there is similarity with his many other structures. Contractors to build Radford Bridge, which replaced an earlier structure, were advertised for in December 1803 and the structure was built between 1804 and 1806. The tramway seems to have crossed on a parallel structure.

 

Radford Bridge Wharf on the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal was nearby and provided interchange between road and canal. By 1797 the carrier Thomas Sherratt was advertising a merchandise carrying service from the canal wharf.

 

Edited October 28, 2023 by Heartland

[Heartland]

The bridge question which was posed, as stated is on the Severn and the feature was included to facilitate craft, trows etc, on the river and there was a nearby wharf and warehouses used for the trade. This bridge was completed in 1795. The previous bridge nearby was somewhat elaborate.

 

 

 

It would seem that my question will not be answered.

 

It is a feature of the present Welsh Bridge at Shrewsbury and the clue referred to Frankwell Wharf and Warehouses

 

I now attach an Industrial Railway Society query for an image, possibly at Widnes, but not known for sure.

 

 

 

Edited October 30, 2023 by Heartland

[Stroudwater1]

Any thoughts on where this may have been taken? There’s a good number of them which must have pleased the manufacturer in the 1930s? 

[John Brightley]

14 minutes ago, Stroudwater1 said:

Any thoughts on where this may have been taken? There’s a good number of them which must have pleased the manufacturer in the 1930s? 

They are the metal cappings to the steps alongside the locks on the northern Grand Union. Interestingly the company of Bowes, Scott & Western still exists.

[David Mack]

Grand Union widening between Napton and Knowle?

 

We were still specifying Bowes Scott & Western cast iron stair nosings for London Underground in the 1980s/90s.

9 minutes ago, John Brightley said:

Interestingly the company of Bowes, Scott & Western still exists.

According to Companies House they were dissolved in 2015.

[Stroudwater1]

Well done John and David! Interesting additional information.
 

These ones were on Hatton. I didn’t check the Knowle ones, and perhaps should have as I’ve always been intrigued by the number of different manufacturers of Staffordshire blue cappings  on the Worcester and Birmingham locks. Appreciate the widening of the GU was in a very different era of procurement! 

[oboat]

On 08/09/2023 at 22:04, Tacet said:

Where is this, anyone?

Battlbridge

On 23/10/2023 at 21:33, beerbeerbeerbeerbeer said:

ha, we’ve had this before,

and I can’t remember where it is 

Spalding on the Welland