Cape Arm

[Heartland]

Laurence Hogg in presenting an image of the London Works, has touched on an important subject, the use of the name for a location might have an alternative location.

 

The London Works on the Cape Arm was associated with the firm of Fox, Henderson and later GKN, that on the Oldbury Loop was initially the Oldbury Steel and Sheet Iron Co. The later worked up pig iron into wrought. whilst Fox Henderson made structural ironwork such as station structures (and of course the Crystal Palace), before it was incorporated into what became the GKN empire.

 

The long canal frontage in the image is consistent with the waterway that ran from near Whimsey Bridge around the north of Oldbury to rejoin the Old Main Line canal near the Brades, and not the cramped waterway that passes from Cranford Street Bridge to the tunnel that passes under the feeder embankment.

 

Both the Oldbury Loop and the Cape Arm have a common ancestry in that they both formed part of the original BCN Old Main Line. The Oldbury Loop was cut off with the shortening between Whimsey Bridge and the Brades. The Cape Arm became a byway with Thomas Telfords improvements to the BCN (1826-1829).

 

The Cape Arm and the associated long basin came to serve a number of different inudustrial prenises including various ironworks and for a short time a blast furnace.

 

Today what is left of the Cape Arm still runs through the ruins of the GKN site. Part is filled in and all await an uncertain future. This future id said to include a new Hospital, but what of the waterway. What future has this?

 

Best Regards

 

Ray Shill

[magpie patrick]

Not quite sure what point you are trying to make, but here are a few thoughts.

 

I remember the area around the Cape Arm of the Birmingham Canal Navigations being cleared, six years ago or so. I guess the credit crunch scuppered any redevelopment. Given some of my clients I suspect it will have a bright future, although the entrance under the (now disused) feeder from Rotton Park is a bit unpreposessing.

 

The Cape Arm is part of the Old Main Line: unlike many other lengths it was truncated rather than left as a loop, one of the reasons was that it would have allowed boats to avoid a toll island. I have on many occassions imagined a toll keeper scratching his head and pondering why no boats went past and paid a toll.

 

The name Cape comes up a lot, Cape Horn, Cape of Good Hope... it features at sea and on the canals. I don't know why.

 

And moving to another company, that may have been part of GKN, all the iron bridges around the BCN are from the Horsely Ironworks. If you drive on the M60 round Manchester, or travel by train between Brinnington and Bredbury, you will see a huge single span bridge over the motorway. It was installed in 1988 in 24 hours, and was built by the Horsely Bridge Company.

[Derek R.]

Cape, as will be known is a geographical element, but within an urban or industrial complex more likely to have been picked up from a pub name, or 'works' name, themselves being derived from such places as Cape of Good Hope etc - old landmarks from East Indiamen days, and signs at one time of prosperity, industry - trade.

[Laurence Hogg]

The tunnel under the feeder which is the start of the Cape loop remains contains the remains of what may well be a BCN round top motor tug icebreaker like "Byrd". You cannot get near it now because of silting, past the tunnel is a wharf and then Crawford st bridge, this is bricked up and canal piped through to the rest of the arm, wharfage remains in place until you hit the stopped off junction with the cape arm, here the srm shoots off and loop remains detectable but infilled. In the arm there is a bridge over the arm under which lies a complete wooden joey boat just submerged but visible (visible on google earth). The arm then continues in water quite a way but is covered by a concrete floor of a former factory, why this should be I have no idea except peraphs they used the water for cooling?

 

The site is accesible at the moment and worth a look before all of the industrial "scape" is lost.

Edited April 24, 2012 by Laurence Hogg

[Heartland]

Just as a rider on what Laurence mentioned, there are two tunnels side by side leading to the BCN main line. The one was simply a basin that terminated under the GKN works site, which the 1919 distance tables call Guest Keen and Nettlefolds Mill Basin. This basin is immediately south of the Cape Arm entrance. If I remember correctly from taking boats past these entrances the Cape Arm had a suspended iron gate at the far end. Does any other boater recall seeing this.

 

Ray Shill

Edited April 27, 2012 by Heartland

[magpie patrick]

Just as a rider on what Laurence mentioned, there are two tunnels side by side leading to the BCN main line. The one was simply a basin that terminated under the GKN works site, which the 1919 distance tables call Guest Keen and Nettlefolds Mill Basin. This basin is immediately south of the Cape Arm entrance. If Irecall correctly from taking boats past these entrances the Cape Arm had a suspended iron gate at the far end. Does any other boater recall seeing this.

 

Ray Shill

 

Yes, and I think it shows up in one of the pictures in "The other sixty miles"

 

I can only assume that the factories served by the Cape Arm felt a need to be able to close the entrance.

[Max Sinclair]

Not quite sure what point you are trying to make, but here are a few thoughts.

 

I remember the area around the Cape Arm of the Birmingham Canal Navigations being cleared, six years ago or so. I guess the credit crunch scuppered any redevelopment. Given some of my clients I suspect it will have a bright future, although the entrance under the (now disused) feeder from Rotton Park is a bit unpreposessing.

 

The Cape Arm is part of the Old Main Line: unlike many other lengths it was truncated rather than left as a loop, one of the reasons was that it would have allowed boats to avoid a toll island. I have on many occassions imagined a toll keeper scratching his head and pondering why no boats went past and paid a toll.

 

The name Cape comes up a lot, Cape Horn, Cape of Good Hope... it features at sea and on the canals. I don't know why.

 

And moving to another company, that may have been part of GKN, all the iron bridges around the BCN are from the Horsely Ironworks. If you drive on the M60 round Manchester, or travel by train between Brinnington and Bredbury, you will see a huge single span bridge over the motorway. It was installed in 1988 in 24 hours, and was built by the Horsely Bridge Company.

The Cape Brewery was on Cape Hill alongsie GKN's works. I cycled to GKN from Worcester every day in 1950 to 54 We were the largest Nuts Bolts and Screws works in the world.I used to avoid the drunken brewery workers on my way into work in the mornings.

Edited April 27, 2012 by Max Sinclair

[Heartland]

Max

Of course is refering to the Henry Michell, later Mitchells and Butlers, Brewery on Cape Hill, which has now been demolished, and I suppose after cycling towards this Brewery one had to turn up Grove Lane to reach the GKN site. It is here where the new Hospital is proposed to be built.

 

I should mention that I raised this topic when the picture of the London Works was published on this site, and the general suggestion was the former GKN works were the subject of the image. However, I have always believed, this image was the London Works in Oldbury. Hence the observation of chance confusion of sites, with the same name.

 

Another example is the location where the Grand Junction Canal Carrying Co steamer, Pincher, exploded Grand Junction Records indicate the locoation of this sad occurence was at Yardley Wharf. This has been interpreted by some as at Yardley near Birmingham with suggestions being made for the Yardley Wood Wharf, Stratford upon-Avon Canal. A newspaper search has found that the explosion happened at Yardley Gobion Wharf situated in modern day Milton Keynes.

 

Ray Shill

[RLWP]

For those not so familiar with the BCN

 

The Cape Arm on Google Maps

 

Richard

[Derek R.]

I had not known there was a Yardley Wharf in Birmingham, and when reading the short report on PINCHER's exploding boiler (December 1875), took it to be Yardley Gobion as the incident happened between London and Birmingham. Richard Thomas has a little here.

 

Back to the Cape arm; Laurence, the tunnel you mention at the start of the arm - is that at the entrance at the main line? (Just getting my bearings). And is the Joey represented by the line of shrubs growing in the shadow of the basin at the bend in the isolated section?

And is this the entrance to the former GKN factory? Both sides of the road? (Quite likely). and HERE?

Still some good brickwork available here.

 

Coincidentally, the name Hartland is that of one of the lost engine drivers on PINCHER, and Heartland Furniture occupies one of the buildings in Cranford Street!

 

Derek

[Heartland]

I had not known there was a Yardley Wharf in Birmingham, and when reading the short report on PINCHER's exploding boiler (December 1875), took it to be Yardley Gobion as the incident happened between London and Birmingham. Richard Thomas has a little here.

 

Back to the Cape arm; Laurence, the tunnel you mention at the start of the arm - is that at the entrance at the main line? (Just getting my bearings). And is the Joey represented by the line of shrubs growing in the shadow of the basin at the bend in the isolated section?

And is this the entrance to the former GKN factory? Both sides of the road? (Quite likely). and HERE?

Still some good brickwork available here.

 

Coincidentally, the name Hartland is that of one of the lost engine drivers on PINCHER, and Heartland Furniture occupies one of the buildings in Cranford Street!

 

Derek

 

 

Just that there is no confusion between myself and Laurence Hogg, my reference for this website is Heartland, but thanks to Dereck R for for some useful links.

 

Ray Shill

[Laurence Hogg]

I had not known there was a Yardley Wharf in Birmingham, and when reading the short report on PINCHER's exploding boiler (December 1875), took it to be Yardley Gobion as the incident happened between London and Birmingham. Richard Thomas has a little here.

 

Back to the Cape arm; Laurence, the tunnel you mention at the start of the arm - is that at the entrance at the main line? (Just getting my bearings). And is the Joey represented by the line of shrubs growing in the shadow of the basin at the bend in the isolated section?

And is this the entrance to the former GKN factory? Both sides of the road? (Quite likely). and HERE?

Still some good brickwork available here.

 

Coincidentally, the name Hartland is that of one of the lost engine drivers on PINCHER, and Heartland Furniture occupies one of the buildings in Cranford Street!

 

Derek

Hi Derek, yes thats is the tunnel you see from the main line, the joey is partly under the crossing of the cape arm, you can just see the gunnel on google earth.

[Derek R.]

Think I may be able to see something opposite the tunnel entrance, but I'll wager there's a boat under that row of vegetation in the shadows HERE.

 

BCN has always fascinated. So many ghosts.

[Capt Ahab]

I had a look at the Cape Arm a few months ago and posted on it here:

 

http://captainahabswaterytales.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/cape-arm-part-1.html

 

and here:

 

http://captainahabswaterytales.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/cape-arm-part-2.html

 

An interesting arm for redevelopment.

 

Andy

[Laurence Hogg]

Think I may be able to see something opposite the tunnel entrance, but I'll wager there's a boat under that row of vegetation in the shadows HERE.

 

BCN has always fascinated. So many ghosts.

Immediatly below where the veg ends you can see a submerged gunnel, its not a shadow on the water. I dont think there is a boat in the veg, that was a series of concrete pipes used as planters once, the boat is just south of the veg where the road goes over and over the boat.

These pictures are from 2006 but its the same today:

 

 

THESE PICTURES SHOW THE OVERBUILT CULVERTED CAPE ARM AND THE ROUTE OF THE CAPE LOOP:

 

Edited May 7, 2012 by Laurence Hogg

[Capt Ahab]

Immediatly below where the veg ends you can see a submerged gunnel, its not a shadow on the water. I dont think there is a boat in the veg, that was a series of concrete pipes used as planters once, the boat is just south of the veg where the road goes over and over the boat.

These pictures are from 2006 but its the same today:

 

 

THESE PICTURES SHOW THE OVERBUILT CULVERTED CAPE ARM AND THE ROUTE OF THE CAPE LOOP:

 

Laurence - I a guessing you managed to obtain a legitimate entrance to the site. I walked right round it but it was sealed up as tight as a drum - no gaps in the perimeter at all. A fascinating corner of the BCN.

Andy

[Laurence Hogg]

Laurence - I a guessing you managed to obtain a legitimate entrance to the site. I walked right round it but it was sealed up as tight as a drum - no gaps in the perimeter at all. A fascinating corner of the BCN.

Andy

Andy,

If you go to the gatehouse (not the entrance of Cranford st) in Keen st and ask to photograph the canal they let you through, its only yards away from them, you can see the boat and the section of the cape arm covered over. I had a peep a couple of months back on a Sunday, no problem.

[Capt Ahab]

Andy,

If you go to the gatehouse (not the entrance of Cranford st) in Keen st and ask to photograph the canal they let you through, its only yards away from them, you can see the boat and the section of the cape arm covered over. I had a peep a couple of months back on a Sunday, no problem.

Thanks Laurence - I will return for another look.

[PeterScott]

This is how it was a few years ago:

 

The tunnel acquired a boat-prohibition notice

for a couple of years but this has now disappeared. Have been awaiting the final collapse of the guillotine gate, but it seems to hang on determinedly.

[ed to add pic]

Edited May 11, 2012 by PeterScott

[Heartland]

Peter Scott's post shows the two portals under the towing path and canal feeder embankment. These would have been made at different times. That with the suspended gate was the entrance to the Cape Arm and interestingly shows reconstructed brickwork above the arch. The other and narrower arch spans the entrance to the screw works basin.

 

Ray Shill

[PeterScott]

Peter Scott's post shows the two portals under the towing path and canal feeder embankment.

Hi Ray - they're both of the Cape Arm but at different times: 2012,2010 respectively iirc: compare the pattern of the new/old bricks on right end of arch. Angle is slightly different but the guillotine gate is there beyond the 'no entry' sign.

 

I wondered if a boat had tried to pass the guillotine and generated an enthusiasm to put up the notice - which either fell off or was removed by another boat keen to try.

 

(apols for delayed reply)

[Laurence Hogg]

Restoration of this arm would not be difficult, why is no one interested? WAKE up BCNS, this is on your patch, Crawford st bridge is bricked up but only as security for the now none existent GKN works. Theres plenty of depth in the arm but a fair amount of junk which could be easily removed. Great safe offline moorings, another "Engine arm" - C&RT WAKE up too.

Edited August 25, 2012 by Laurence Hogg

[Heartland]

Hi Ray - they're both of the Cape Arm but at different times: 2012,2010 respectively iirc: compare the pattern of the new/old bricks on right end of arch. Angle is slightly different but the guillotine gate is there beyond the 'no entry' sign.

 

I wondered if a boat had tried to pass the guillotine and generated an enthusiasm to put up the notice - which either fell off or was removed by another boat keen to try.

 

(apols for delayed reply)

 

Thanks, Peter that explains the notice being on one but not the other.

 

Best regards

 

Ray Shill

 

Restoration of this arm would not be difficult, why is no one interested? WAKE up BCNS, this is on your patch, Crawford st bridge is bricked up but only as security for the now none existent GKN works. Theres plenty of depth in the arm but a fair amount of junk which could be easily removed. Great safe offline moorings, another "Engine arm" - C&RT WAKE up too.

 

I have often thought the Cape Arm would make useful long-term moorings. However the fact that the site has been earmarked as a site for the new Hospital which ties the hands of the BCNS and other groups, for the present. Yet talking to Sandwell Council should not be ruled out! A much more useful project at the present would be support to restore Bradley Locks.

 

Ray Shill

[Laurence Hogg]

I have often thought the Cape Arm would make useful long-term moorings. However the fact that the site has been earmarked as a site for the new Hospital which ties the hands of the BCNS and other groups, for the present. Yet talking to Sandwell Council should not be ruled out! A much more useful project at the present would be support to restore Bradley Locks.

 

Ray Shill

 

So whats wrong with a hospital with a water feature and moorings?

 

Really Ray? Which is easier and more useful?

The Walsall is the least popular canal on the BCN whereas the main line lacks moorings. Look at the reality, a canal in water with a blocked bridge or a flight of buried locks, dropped bridges and filled in canal.

Edited August 25, 2012 by Laurence Hogg

[Max Sinclair]

So whats wrong with a hospital with a water feature and moorings?

 

Really Ray? Which is easier and more useful?

The Walsall is the least popular canal on the BCN whereas the main line lacks moorings. Look at the reality, a canal in water with a blocked bridge or a flight of buried locks, dropped bridges and filled in canal.

A young doctor friend of mine lived on a narrow boat while training at Birmingham University so why not a line of boats at the proposed hospital lending colour to the scene.