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jake_crew

By jake_crew
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Tim Lewis Veteran

Tim Lewis

Posted
Posted (edited)
Thanks for the list CarlT, that'll do nicely.

 

I'll pass it on to Father Christmas's elves.

 

I live north of London but I don't think there's much abandoned stuff round here. B'rum looks very promising though.

 

One of the most fascinating areas in North London for IA is the Royal Gunpowder Mills Museum at Waltham Abbey. not only for the history of explosives but the site had its own railway and Canal network complete with locks and aqueducts!

 

Horribly restricted opening though :lol:

 

Tim

Edited by Tim Lewis
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AMModels Experienced

AMModels

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The Other Sixty Miles: A Survey of the Abandoned Canals of Birmingham and the Black Country by Richard Chester-Browne

 

Britain's Lost Waterways by Michael E Ware

 

Discovering Lost Canals by Ronald Russell

 

 

Lost canals and waterways of Britain (also by Russell)

 

 

http://uk.four.ebid.net/perl/auction.cgi?a...&mo=auction

 

Walking Canals - Ronald Russell

 

Im not the seller on either of these btw.

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bag 'o' bones Rising Star

bag 'o' bones

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Are there any good books people can recommend for exploring old tunnels, inclined planes etc.

 

I'm looking for some Winter walks with the dogs.

 

One I thought I'd do is to walk the line of the Lappal tunnel. The website gives some decent maps, and the field boundaries are still there to pinpoint where the shafts are.

 

But there must be others less well known.

 

Lappal - there's not a lot to see to be honest. Funnily enough I walked the route from selly Oak up to the California tunnel portal site the other day. Not sure about 'over the hill' i've yet to explore that far. Where the Lappal joined the Worcester and Birmingham canal the tow rises indicating a bridge at some time. The canal from the junction to the Giddens Road bridge has been completely obliterated, save for a very short section where you can see the reamains of what looks like a wharf judging from the characterstic edging bricks that have been recently uncovered by heavy machinery. If you do intend to have a look, make it quick as they are going redevelop it shortly.

 

I'm studying at the University of Birmingham and live near Selly Park which the Lappal runs past. If you ever in the vicinity give us a P.M. and we'll go out exploring.

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Lady Muck Veteran

Lady Muck

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Perhaps we could have a links thread.

 

Incidentally I was mooching around the Red Cross Bookshop in Palmers Green today. Came across a book on Enfield armouries (where Enfield Lock is on the Lee) Fascinating book because it had alot of canal history in it. Didn't buy it becuase it was £15 for a second hand book. ( I'm a tight Yorkshirewoman!)

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Tim Lewis Veteran

Tim Lewis

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Perhaps we could have a links thread.

 

Incidentally I was mooching around the Red Cross Bookshop in Palmers Green today. Came across a book on Enfield armouries (where Enfield Lock is on the Lee) Fascinating book because it had alot of canal history in it. Didn't buy it becuase it was £15 for a second hand book. ( I'm a tight Yorkshirewoman!)

 

I used to live in Enfield, I paid £14 for the book new!

 

Didn't realise until I read the book that the 'en' in Bren Gun and Sten Gun stood for Enfield

 

Tim

 

Fascinating site, hats off to the people who put information like this on the net.

 

I have been planning for years to do a similar web site using my photos of London's Canals, don't think I'll bother now :lol:

 

Tim

Edited by Tim Lewis
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bag 'o' bones Rising Star

bag 'o' bones

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Posted (edited)

Below Norbury Junction

 

For those of you who have wondered what was behind the 'Dry Dock' (The first lock) situated at the end of the short length of the Newport and Shrewsbury:

Boat-Jan08120.jpg

The dry dock building is just behind the trees:

Boat-Jan08127.jpg

 

Looking the opposite way towards Newport:

Boat-Jan08122.jpg

 

Towards Newport again. The trees in the background is where the canal must have crossed the stream by a short viaduct of some sort.

Boat-Jan08126.jpg

 

About 200yds towrds Newport looking back up the lock flight towards Norbury. You can just about make out the lock chambres in the grass:

Boat-Jan08111.jpg

 

I don't mind anyone nicking these pictures for a website but please P.M. me first as I have a few more!

 

Towards Newport into the cutting:

Boat-Jan08108.jpg

 

The first 'complete' lock that hasn't been obliterated.

Boat-Jan08105.jpg

 

Technically I had to trespass to take these pictures and involves some pretty awful banks to climb so just bare that in mind if you go to have a look yourself.

Edited by bag 'o' bones
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magpie patrick Veteran II

magpie patrickDonate to Canal World

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Good heavens, I've done a (paid for, guided by the canal society) study of that and notv seen those. Thank heavens they escaped BTC's descrution in the 1960's.

 

Well used to trespassing, it's amazing how often having a camera round your neck, a knowledge of the local canal, and pleading ignorance turns an offensive "what the eck you doin" into a "My father remembers that in use"...

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Lady Muck Veteran

Lady Muck

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Good heavens, I've done a (paid for, guided by the canal society) study of that and notv seen those. Thank heavens they escaped BTC's descrution in the 1960's.

 

Well used to trespassing, it's amazing how often having a camera round your neck, a knowledge of the local canal, and pleading ignorance turns an offensive "what the eck you doin" into a "My father remembers that in use"...

 

I have a book about some of the lost London canals - after reading that website I can only conclude that alot of historians research involves sitting in libraries and very few of them bother to get their hands dirty or go and see for themselves - i.e. scaling walls, camera in hand. It means that the same innacurate information is repeated in book after book. It seems that google maps is very useful in pinpointing old canal courses as well.

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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

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I can only conclude that alot of historians research involves sitting in libraries and very few of them bother to get their hands dirty or go and see for themselves - i.e. scaling walls, camera in hand. It means that the same innacurate information is repeated in book after book.

Certainly not just a London thing....

 

I've lost count of the number of different books that say it's impossible to see straight through Braunston tunnel, for instance.

 

I'd say it was written by those who have never tried it, except that some of the memoirs of working boatmen (or boatwomen) repeat the same myth.

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bag 'o' bones Rising Star

bag 'o' bones

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Posted (edited)
Good heavens, I've done a (paid for, guided by the canal society) study of that and notv seen those. Thank heavens they escaped BTC's descrution in the 1960's.

 

Well used to trespassing, it's amazing how often having a camera round your neck, a knowledge of the local canal, and pleading ignorance turns an offensive "what the eck you doin" into a "My father remembers that in use"...

 

I've of the opinion that as long as you don't damage anything gaining access then all a land owner can do is ask you to leave, which is fair enough.

 

Thing is even though I was trespassing to take the pictures, there were no 'proper' fences to speak other than a few strands of wire to negotiate.

 

If anyone would like to see a few more piccies then I will post if there's any interest.

Edited by bag 'o' bones
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