Goliath Posted January 9 Report Share Posted January 9 (edited) 10 minutes ago, David Mack said: The eastern end of the Oldbury Loop. Virtually no trace now remaining. 👍 just a bit of a curve into the towpath the other end of the loop I couldn’t spot at all, no evidence at all to my untrained eye. Edited January 9 by Goliath Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Mack Posted January 9 Report Share Posted January 9 15 minutes ago, Goliath said: the other end of the loop I couldn’t spot at all, no evidence at all to my untrained eye. Nothing visible from the towpath, but over the hedge there is still a very short length in water. A lot of the towpath bridges over redundant arms and loops were removed in the late 60s/early 70s when as part of conversion from town gas to natural gas, trunk mains were laid along the towpath. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goliath Posted January 9 Report Share Posted January 9 (edited) I see, I read that bit had been left to feed a factory with water for cooling. I shall look again tomorrow, I plan to pass back that way again. Another I looked for was the Toll end Branch. I was thinking that came out at the 3 furnace bridge but it doesn’t does it, it came out at Caggy’s Yard. Edited January 9 by Goliath Branch not loop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob-M Posted January 9 Report Share Posted January 9 Junctions can often be spotted by the curve in the towpath you spotted or a change in the edging of the towpath and sometimes what appears to be an unexplained widening of the canal which would have been to have sufficient length to enter\exit an arm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goliath Posted January 9 Report Share Posted January 9 3 minutes ago, Rob-M said: Junctions can often be spotted by the curve in the towpath you spotted or a change in the edging of the towpath and sometimes what appears to be an unexplained widening of the canal which would have been to have sufficient length to enter\exit an arm. Yes I was keeping a keen eye on the edging but it’s been through so many changes it’s not easy. But that’s why it’s all so interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Pegg Posted January 9 Report Share Posted January 9 I didn't know one end of the Oldbury loop was there. Something to look out for next time I venture that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goliath Posted January 9 Report Share Posted January 9 (edited) Further along from Steward Aquaduct towards Smethick are these remains of a bridge. It’s too narrow for a train? Ain’t it? What it for? Edited January 9 by Goliath Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Mack Posted January 10 Report Share Posted January 10 (edited) 2 hours ago, Goliath said: Further along from Steward Aquaduct towards Smethick are these remains of a bridge. It’s too narrow for a train? Ain’t it? What it for? I suspect that is the Oldbury Branch railway. Single track route which left the existing line at Langley Green Station, ran to Oldbury Town Centre and terminated at a goods station/ interchange basin on the west side of the Oldbury Loop. Edited January 10 by David Mack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goliath Posted January 10 Report Share Posted January 10 On 09/01/2023 at 18:25, David Mack said: Nothing visible from the towpath, but over the hedge there is still a very short length in water. A lot of the towpath bridges over redundant arms and loops were removed in the late 60s/early 70s when as part of conversion from town gas to natural gas, trunk mains were laid along the towpath. right 👍 found it, I was looking in the wrong place there’s a concrete edging and culvert that gives it away. I’d read that it was to feed a factory for cooling, you can see the pipes and the back of the pump house. For the big Edwin Danks factory https://madeinoldbury.co.uk/articles/edwin-danks/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Mack Posted January 10 Report Share Posted January 10 8 minutes ago, Goliath said: https://madeinoldbury.co.uk/articles/edwin-danks/ Nice aerial photo of the west end of the Oldbury Loop and the goods station/interchange basin in that link. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goliath Posted January 10 Report Share Posted January 10 (edited) I reckon you could pick a square mile pretty much anywhere on the BCN and there’d be endless work fathoming it all out over its 250 years of history Edited January 10 by Goliath 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heartland Posted January 11 Author Report Share Posted January 11 The Bridge near Spon Lane carried a tramway from Kenricks Old Works across the canal to the new works which had been built on and near the spoil banks which by 1790 had covered over lock 8 and lock 7 of the original Summit Locks. Lock 9 chamber was at Spon Lane Bridge with the bridge "hole" bricked up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray T Posted January 11 Report Share Posted January 11 The elbow of water top LHS has since gone along with most of the rest of the arm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Brightley Posted January 11 Report Share Posted January 11 5 minutes ago, Ray T said: The elbow of water top LHS has since gone along with most of the rest of the arm. That's the Griff Arm (or Griff Hollows Canal) at Bermuda Village, Nuneaton, picture probably taken in the late 1970's. The water seen in the photo to the left of the dual carriageway is still there, but enlarged into a bigger lake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray T Posted January 11 Report Share Posted January 11 (edited) Yep. Edited January 11 by Ray T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray T Posted January 11 Report Share Posted January 11 Another photo of the Arm end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Brightley Posted January 11 Report Share Posted January 11 Ok here's one from me. Clue: it's a basin which served a colliery which closed in the 1920's, but the basin wasn't filled in until about 1970. It is now an area of public open space and the houses behind are still there. Image from RCHS Online Media Archive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray T Posted January 11 Report Share Posted January 11 Looks a bit like Anglesey Wharf but I don't think it is, wrong shape at the end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Brightley Posted January 11 Report Share Posted January 11 1 minute ago, Ray T said: Looks a bit like Anglesey Wharf but I don't think it is, wrong shape at the end. No, not Anglesey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Pegg Posted January 11 Report Share Posted January 11 1 hour ago, John Brightley said: No, not Anglesey. Cannock? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Brightley Posted January 11 Report Share Posted January 11 (edited) 4 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said: Cannock? No, not Cannock area. Another clue. It's in the West Midlands County (just) but not on the BCN. Edited January 11 by John Brightley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Pegg Posted January 11 Report Share Posted January 11 12 minutes ago, John Brightley said: No, not Cannock area. Another clue. It's in the West Midlands County (just) but not on the BCN. Wyken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Brightley Posted January 11 Report Share Posted January 11 (edited) 16 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said: Wyken Correct. Well done. It's actually Alexandra Colliery basin, off Deedmore Road, Coventry, which was accessed from the old Wyken loop of the Oxford Canal. The basin was used for the loading of coal from both Alexandra and Craven collieries, the latter closing in 1928. The basin and the loop were both filled in in c1970, but all the route can still be followed as it is public open space. The housing in the photo is in Orion Crescent. https://maps.nls.uk/view/115634344#zoom=2&lat=5820&lon=8400&layers=BT map.pdf Edited January 11 by John Brightley 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Pegg Posted January 11 Report Share Posted January 11 14 minutes ago, John Brightley said: Correct. Well done. It's actually Alexandra Colliery basin, off Deedmore Road, Coventry, which was accessed from the old Wyken loop of the Oxford Canal. The basin was used for the loading of coal from both Alexandra and Craven collieries, the latter closing in 1928. The basin and the loop were both filled in in c1970, but all the route can still be followed as it is public open space. The housing in the photo is in Orion Crescent. https://maps.nls.uk/view/115634344#zoom=2&lat=5820&lon=8400&layers=BT map.pdf 195.92 kB · 2 downloads Less than 2 miles from my childhood home but not somewhere I was aware of. I knew the Oxford used to run south of the M6 but didn't know there was a further colliery basin other than Wyken itself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heartland Posted January 13 Author Report Share Posted January 13 RCHS image 210075 is simply marked on the RCHS website as Oxford Canal. The information is minimal as it comes from the Derek Hadley Collection, a friend of the late Edwin Shearing. However the society is keen to know the location so can John please give the reason why it is Alexander Colliery. apart from the map of course. The Alexander Colliery was served by LNWR Wyken Colliery Branch Railway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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