Where I am

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

Perhaps not difficult to guess we’re at Smethwick again,

but what’s the story behind this pile of stone?

 

 

 

2 hours ago, Heartland said:

YE GODS FALSE HISTORY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yesterday I was having a general skim through John Sargeant’s ‘Barging Round Britain’,

a pleasant and easy read but seems to have quite a few errors,

I would have to double check and check again before pointing to anything specific,

 

[Rob-M]

The dates I posted came from The Other Sixty Miles which I presumed was a reasonable reference for the BCN.

[John Brightley]

22 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

The dates I posted came from The Other Sixty Miles which I presumed was a reasonable reference for the BCN.

Yes, generally it is. Richard Chester Browne did extensive research when he was putting that book together. However it was published in the 1980's so historians since (including Ray (Heartland)) may have found some more information in the intervening years.

Edited February 20 by John Brightley

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

I took my 1790 date from here https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1215249?section=official-list-entry

which gave a ‘probable’ date,

I thought it was much later, and had I guessed I’d have said 1820’s 

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

6 hours ago, beerbeerbeerbeerbeer said:

.

 

 

 

 

 

 

the path runs down beside a building that can be accessed from the Old and the New Main Lines,

 

[Francis Herne]

52 minutes ago, beerbeerbeerbeerbeer said:

the path runs down beside a building that can be accessed from the Old and the New Main Lines,

Smethwick New Engine House.

Passed this today:

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

It is, but why the pile of stone?

 

I’ve seen your cranes, can’t remember where,

maybe somewhere close Black Patch Scrap Yard?

 

ha,  no the towpaths all wrong for there

Edited February 20 by beerbeerbeerbeerbeer

[Francis Herne]

37 minutes ago, beerbeerbeerbeerbeer said:

It is, but why the pile of stone?

Sorry, I wasn't paying enough attention...

 

Don't know. Something to do with the original chimney? I know it was demolished and then rebuilt later slightly differently.

[Pluto]

15 hours ago, beerbeerbeerbeerbeer said:

I took my 1790 date from here https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1215249?section=official-list-entry

which gave a ‘probable’ date,

I thought it was much later, and had I guessed I’d have said 1820’s 

I wouldn't trust anything on the Historic England site until I had checked it. I have been trying for thirty years for the entry for Wigan warehouses to be rectified, and get nothing but stonewalling.

[Heartland]

Regarding the Smethwick Reduction the information comes from BCN records at Kew and was published in RCHS waterways History group sites and to a certain extent in Boundary Post. The BCN account books detail the payments for work done on reducing the summit as well as the dates when the work was done.

 

With the pile of stones they are at Smethwick Engine House and I have come to think they were part of lock 6 which would have been opposite. It would be a useful project to examine them for mason marks. Although some think that lock six was a site in fresh air, my interpretation was that it was on the bank opposite at the 491ft od level. Widening of the old main line and the re-alignment needed for the Telford line construction resulted in the embankment being cut  back. And this task is also shown in maps that were at BW Fazeley.

 

Francis Hern has shown an image that includes what seems to be a factory of some type

 

While people are trying to solve that question where was Sally ?

 

 

[springy]

Offside adjacent to Tipton Road Bridge on the Dudley tunnel branch, IIRC somewhere I have a similar photo of Sally in slightly better condition - sunk but cabin side intact.

 

springy

[David Mack]

1 hour ago, Heartland said:

While people are trying to solve that question where was Sally ?

 

 

 

I remember when Sally was afloat, owned by Don Payne and nicely painted up. I recall we used Sally on a couple of BCNS working parties in the mid 70s to take away tat pulled out of the canal.

So it was with some surprise that a number of years later I came across Sally sunk and decaying on the offside of the Dudley No. 1 at Tipton, looking just like so many other sunken joeys that lined much of the BCN in the 70s. Almost all gone now.

[Derek R.]

Late eighties:

 

 

[Heartland]

That was a nice response. Did Sally decay into the canal I wonder 

 

OK another canal this time an aqueduct across a river whose name suggests that it quite a mild flow on it, however such is the case with rivers the flow can be quite strong!

[springy]

Re Sally - I don't think there's anything left there, the scrapyard was cleared some years ago and a care home now occupies the site, its possible that Sally was removed at that time.

 

springy

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

23 minutes ago, Heartland said:

That was a nice response. Did Sally decay into the canal I wonder 

 

OK another canal this time an aqueduct across a river whose name suggests that it quite a mild flow on it, however such is the case with rivers the flow can be quite strong!

I pass over this quite often and recognise it,

 

As far as I know it’s the only aqueduct on this canal?

[Rob-M]

Looks like Tame aqueduct, just before Fazeley aqueduct.

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

..where’s Fazeley aquaduct?

 

yep, I recognise it as the Aquaduct over the Tame.

Edited February 22 by beerbeerbeerbeerbeer

[Rob-M]

28 minutes ago, beerbeerbeerbeerbeer said:

where’s Fazeley aquaduc

1 furlong further along according to canal plan.

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

Ha, yes, I see 😂

 

I suppose saying the Tame Aqueduct is the only Aquaduct on the Coventry Canal was quite a bold statement, I guess I should have said major aquaduct or Aquaduct with architectural significance or summat like that,

 

[Heartland]

 

Yes well done 

Fazeley  No 3 Aqueduct is  not easily seen from the canal as it passes across the Tame Valley. Canal Plan has the following image. The brick arches are three in total.

 

It is not unusual to find other arches at locations where there is a flood plain and with Fazeley it crosses a channel that eventually links up with the Tame

 

 

 

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

 boating about today got me thinking: 

 

which other aquaducts or canals does the Tame pass under? 
I’ve come up with several places but so far only the name of one of the Aquaducts, 

 

looking at the map it’s interesting to see how the river Tame works its way around the Black Country and ends up  joining the Trent out by Alrewas. 
 

 

 

 

Edited February 23 by beerbeerbeerbeerbeer

[Rob-M]

The aqueduct at Salford junction is over the River Tame.

[Heartland]

It is interesting the Tame actually has two branches in the Black Country and there were canal crossings. It flowed through Aston and then onto to join the Trent. There were a number of water mills along the course.

 

[David Mack]

2 hours ago, Rob-M said:

The aqueduct at Salford junction is over the River Tame.

Aqueducts (plural). Both the Birmingham and Fazeley and Birmingham and Warwick Junction Canals have aqueducts over the Tame at Salford Bridge.