BCN Books and Maps

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

Seeing as there’s a refreshing interest on here regards the BCN, what books or maps would anyone recommend as a good read?

 

If there is a must read for anyone interested in the BCN what would it be?

Personally I’d suggest starting off with the Waterscape Map of the BCN as a good introduction to the area it covers.
 

Include bloggers and websites too, but I’m more wondering about reference books. 

Edited November 15, 2022 by Goliath

[Rob-M]

I've got a couple of BCN books...

 

The Birmingham Canal Navigations 1950 to 1977 as seen through the lens of Philip Weaver

The other sixty miles

 

I think I might be getting another one for my birthday tomorrow.

 

Andy Tidy's YouTube channel is good for old BCN stuff, https://youtube.com/channel/UCrzW1oor-tk40DovgxICJaA

[Tim Lewis]

A few good Facebook Groups

 

Love the Birmingham Canal Navigations, clean it and cruise it!! | Groups | Facebook

 

(1) BCN Canal Cottages | Facebook

 

Art & Photography inspired by the Birmingham Canal Navigations and environs | Facebook

 

BCN JOEY & DAY BOATS (original & converted) | Facebook

 

 

 

 

[Tim Lewis]

3 hours ago, Goliath said:

Seeing as there’s a refreshing interest on here regards the BCN, what books or maps would anyone recommend as a good read?

 

If there is a must read for anyone interested in the BCN what would it be?

Personally I’d suggest starting off with the Waterscape Map of the BCN as a good introduction to the area it covers.
 

Include bloggers and websites too, but I’m more wondering about reference books. 

 

 A few (most of) my BCN books and Maps:

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

Impressive.

 

Yes, I discovered a copy of this yesterday, which you’d passed onto the BCNS for their website:

 

 

 

 

Ive a copy of the other 60 miles and a few of the Birmingham Canal books.

 

 

Edited November 15, 2022 by Goliath

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

 

im wondering if that’s worth getting a hold of?

I think I can get a copy for £10

would you be able to post images of a few pages to give me an idea, please?

I understand there is no volume 2. 

[Tim Lewis]

It's a typical D & C history, very well researched 

 

 

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

Thanks.

It crops up a lot when searching for books and I wondered if it were worth getting.

I’ll give it a go. 👍

[IanM]

10 hours ago, Tim Lewis said:

It's a typical D & C history, very well researched 

 

 

 

You might want to crop out your address in the first picture!

[Ray T]

Not a book per say, but lots of information.

 

Ruth Collins - Made in Oldbury

 

Thomas William King - Made in Oldbury

 

 

[Mike Todd]

57 minutes ago, Ray T said:

Not a book per say, but lots of information.

 

Ruth Collins - Made in Oldbury

 

Thomas William King - Made in Oldbury

 

 

Looking at the Ruth Collins one, with its then and now photos, highlights just how the landscape has changed with regard to canalside vegetation. The older pics - and I now realise just how many I have seen like this - are very open with little growing anywhere near the canal. Of course, much of the adjacent land was taken up with heavy industrial or mining businesses that would not encourage much to grow.

 

I am not sure how long the policy has been to 'green' the canal environment and, for the most part, I like it but I don't think is is that old. (So long as it does not extend to waterside vegetation!)

 

What it does mean is that when passing through areas that even now are quite industrial, you can have little idea of what lies beyond the trees and shrubs.

[David Mack]

30 minutes ago, Mike Todd said:

I am not sure how long the policy has been to 'green' the canal environment and, for the most part, I like it but I don't think is is that old.

Policy? Or simply the levels of industrial pollution that stunted plant growth aren't now present. And that resources are no longer spent on removing vegetation.

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

18 hours ago, Rob-M said:

I've got a couple of BCN books...

 

The Birmingham Canal Navigations 1950 to 1977 as seen through the lens of Philip Weaver

The other sixty miles

 

I think I might be getting another one for my birthday tomorrow.

 

Andy Tidy's YouTube channel is good for old BCN stuff, https://youtube.com/channel/UCrzW1oor-tk40DovgxICJaA

Happy Birthday.

Did you get your book?

 

I’m waiting for two now.

Ordered the Broadbridge yesterday for £4.50!

And the other I ordered a week ago is Ray Hill’s ‘Silent Highways’. 

[Rob-M]

Just now, Goliath said:

Happy Birthday.

Did you get your book?

 

I’m waiting for two now.

Ordered the Broadbridge yesterday for £4.50!

And the other I ordered a week ago is Ray Hill’s ‘Silent Highways’. 

Thanks, I've got to wait until this evening but hopefully Birmingham Canal History by Phil Clayton will be wrapped up.

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

1 hour ago, Mike Todd said:

Looking at the Ruth Collins one, with its then and now photos, highlights just how the landscape has changed with regard to canalside vegetation. The older pics - and I now realise just how many I have seen like this - are very open with little growing anywhere near the canal. Of course, much of the adjacent land was taken up with heavy industrial or mining businesses that would not encourage much to grow.

 

I am not sure how long the policy has been to 'green' the canal environment and, for the most part, I like it but I don't think is is that old. (So long as it does not extend to waterside vegetation!)

 

What it does mean is that when passing through areas that even now are quite industrial, you can have little idea of what lies beyond the trees and shrubs.

A few years ago, maybe 10?, I was drawing in the changes over old photos.

I think it was Ray Shill’s  ‘Birmingham Canals’ I was using.

I’d find the same spot the photographer stood and taping a sheet of tracing paper over the pages, I’d draw the new view over the top.

Adding the BT tower and apartments over Farmers Bridge for instance.

Plus plenty of trees 😃 ornamental and wild growths. 
 

 

[ditchcrawler]

5 hours ago, David Mack said:

Policy? Or simply the levels of industrial pollution that stunted plant growth aren't now present. And that resources are no longer spent on removing vegetation.

Coir rolls behind wooden piling 

5 hours ago, David Mack said:

Policy? Or simply the levels of industrial pollution that stunted plant growth aren't now present. And that resources are no longer spent on removing vegetation.

https://www.mynottinghamnews.co.uk/great-news-were-greening-nottinghams-canals/

[Tim Lewis]

12 hours ago, IanM said:

 

You might want to crop out your address in the first picture!

It's not a secret 

 

Some interesting archive film here:

 

https://www.macearchive.org/search/field_has_video/1?for=Canal&from=&to=

Edited November 16, 2022 by Tim Lewis

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

46 minutes ago, Tim Lewis said:

 

 

Some interesting archive film here:

 

https://www.macearchive.org/search/field_has_video/1?for=Canal&from=&to=

thanks for sharing, lovely stuff. 

ATV Today: 22.02.1971: Birmingham to Wolverhampton Canal is a favourite👍
 

 

[magpie patrick]

On the greening of the BCN, it has happened everywhere old industry has gone, certainly mining - it is hard to believe now that Radstock was the biggest mining town in this area along with Midsomer Norton, Welton and Paulton, only the odd conical batch (coal tip) gives it away - the older, irregular batches just look like wooded hillsides. It won't be that long and there will only be the miners memorial in Radstock to remind us

 

That happens to be on the line of the short lived branch of the Coal Canal so it's a good excuse to post a picture  

 

 

[Athy]

That has activated a long-dormant cell in my brain. For some reason I remember that in the early 1960s Radstock was the location of a unique steam locomotive. My memory of it is unclear, but I think it was a shunting type of engine, so was perhaps working at a local pit.

[Tim Lewis]

Have found a few more, the Phil Clayton book, bottom left, is excellent new colourful book

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

Yes, I have a copy of the Midlands Canals, top left. 
I’ll look out for the one bottom left 👍

 

The couple of books I ordered have arrived, and prove to be a good read, they’ll keep me occupied for a bit.

 

thanks 

[Rob-M]

3 hours ago, Tim Lewis said:

Have found a few more, the Phil Clayton book, bottom left, is excellent new colourful book

Just had the Phil Clayton book for my birthday, only had a quick flick through so far but looks good.

 

Ordered a copy of Along the Birmingham Canals which was in Phil's bibliography.

[pearley]

The problem with living on a boat is the storage. Even though we've now moved from narrowboat to widebeam the actual shelf space is only a bit more, and Jeannette wants that for her cookery books.

I had a full of my collection about 18 months ago and gave a number to the BCNS to sell but unfortunately reckon I'll need to give them another box full now to make room for the ones coming for Christmas, including Phil Clayton's new one.

Currently have about 20 covering the BCN plus a full set of map reprints. I love looking at maps!

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

On 19/11/2022 at 16:04, pearley said:

The problem with living on a boat is the storage. Even though we've now moved from narrowboat to widebeam the actual shelf space is only a bit more, and Jeannette wants that for her cookery books.

I had a full of my collection about 18 months ago and gave a number to the BCNS to sell but unfortunately reckon I'll need to give them another box full now to make room for the ones coming for Christmas, including Phil Clayton's new one.

Currently have about 20 covering the BCN plus a full set of map reprints. I love looking at maps!

I’ve a few bookshelves and plan on making more. 
One small bookshelf is on a constant change over because I’ll be swapping novels with whoever. 
The other books shelves are for reference books, mainly art books and a small but growing collection of canal books. 

But yeah maps!

Love them. 
Getting the maps out and planning a journey is a great pastime. 
(Journeys never ever go as planned but researching them is good fun)