Lock House Wenesfield staffordshire

[jeannette smith harrison]

Can anyone help

I have a Census record (1901 Benjamin Wood & Harriet aka Harrison) for a Lock house poss Well or Nell Lane Wenesfield Staffordshire.

I have some info but still unsure of the exact place was this on the Wyley & Essington Canal??

If so there appears to be a lock house with Toll office & does anyone know if the lock keeper

covered all the locks there or where there other lock cottages @ the time.

Many thanks

[stagedamager]

It could have been on the Bentley Canal?

Dan

edit for linky showing Well Lane Bridge.

 

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bentley_Canal

Edited February 10, 2014 by stagedamager

[winja]

It was on the Bentley canal by Well Lane Bridge, I'm prety sure Laurence Hogg has got a picture of it on his video " The Wyrley Route "

[Derek R.]

It would indeed appear so.

 

A look on Google Maps shows the towpath bridge still with water beneath, and the rest of the line built over with Bentley Retail Park. Shown through the link is a letter 'A', almost where a lock house might have been adjacent to Well Lane.

 

http://goo.gl/maps/pgv4g

 

PS It carried on to join the Anson Branch, which adjoined the Walsall.

Edited February 11, 2014 by Derek R.

[winja]

Sorry my text has gone ... this is lock keepers cottage by Lock 4 on Bentley Canal next to Well Lane Bridge Wednesfield

Edited February 11, 2014 by winja

[winja]

Benjamin Wood was 71 in 1901 the census shows him working as a Lock keeper, he must have been pretty fit !!!!

There was a Lock keeper living there in the 1950s but I think he only looked after the Locks from Wednesfield top to the Weldless Tube Works

[David Mack]

Benjamin Wood was 71 in 1901 the census shows him working as a Lock keeper, he must have been pretty fit !!!!

There was a Lock keeper living there in the 1950s but I think he only looked after the Locks from Wednesfield top to the Weldless Tube Works

 

There was also a rather attractive house by the top lock, quite similar to the Telford lock houses on the Shroppie. Best photo of it I can find quickly is below. It was still there and occupied when I boated down what what left of the Bentley Canal in 1974, but has now disappeared under the redevelopment.

 

(photo from here)

[winja]

From another angle

 

[pearley]

Still there in 1982.

[winja]

It SHOULD still be there NOW

[Tony K]

 

There was also a rather attractive house by the top lock, quite similar to the Telford lock houses on the Shroppie. Best photo of it I can find quickly is below. It was still there and occupied when I boated down what what left of the Bentley Canal in 1974, but has now disappeared under the redevelopment.

 

(photo from here)

 

 

 

The same house David and Winja ?

 

 

[winja]

Yes it was at the top of the locks at what is now Bentley Bridge .. it was built on a steep drop so that the front looked like a bungalow and the rear looked like a house with an upstairs and downstairs ( forgive me if I'm mistaken but wasn't there a similar building at Coalpool ?

[angelasoldman]

There was an octagonal toll house positioned just to the left of the bridge in the photo above, demolished in the 70,s i believe.

[pearley]

A lot of infill there when they built the retail park. What is left of the old lock is only a couple of feet above what is now a car park.

Edited February 11, 2014 by pearley

[Derek R.]

Looks like lockie had a fair sized vegetable patch too. Quite a few houses like that on the S. GU. often with an unwanted amount of canal creeping through the walls!

[Tony K]

Yes it was at the top of the locks at what is now Bentley Bridge .. it was built on a steep drop so that the front looked like a bungalow and the rear looked like a house with an upstairs and downstairs ( forgive me if I'm mistaken but wasn't there a similar building at Coalpool ?

 

 

Cheers winja

 

 

Is this where the building your refer to at Coalpool was?

 

[woody 21]

Bentley top lock all gone I remember the old locks we use to pull the boats down to the weldless Tubes gas plant,yes there was little toll house on left, we use to us it to dry off at times,the pub on the retail park has a what looks like the old toll house on the left side, maybe the builders did it as a bit to the past,it just maybe in same spot,must I admit not been doing the tow path for years,

[winja]

Yes Here Marks the spot

 

[Tony K]

That's the one winja - have vague recollections of it, but it was a few 'miles off my manor' in my youth. Note they were still there on the 68-72 OS map - when did they meet their demise?

[winja]

Sorry for unsharp photo but I had bought the camera for 6d from a jumble sale and was trying it out ... it shows (or doesn't as the case may be ) Tom Wood on Christopher James at Wednesfield he had dropped the loaded boats at the top lock and was coming back thro Wenesfield Stop to pick up the empties for us to take back to Lane Head ... this is about 1957 / 8 there is no sign of the toll house you mention on the out side so it must have been on the towpath side..... I'm trying very hard but I just can't remember it

Roland I cant remember you ever going down the locks to the Weldless , so you must have started going down after I left ...Do you remember any of the following of your Dads crew

Billy Dunn.... Stanley Moore .... Tommy Chapman .... Johny ? dont know his other name but he caught a fully loaded boat on the sill of the top lock and sunk it ( I bet Rol was pleased ) and David Webb (Webby)

 

I remember you being at the yard at Lane Head, I think some of your friends used to come with you including a lad from "The United Kingdom" ?

Edited February 11, 2014 by winja

[jeannette smith harrison]

wow

Gentlemen thank you all so much for your knowledge.

You have all helped to draw a better picture in my mind of

their home & the area they lived in..

The house in post five looks identical to an old worn faded photo my great aunt has she told me her mother often stayed with

Harriet & some of her children where born there. The story goes that Harriet often complained that she had no front

garden like family who had lock cottages London way & would often say if I want to wash me feet I just need to step

out me own door fast. I don't know how true this is my Great aunt Lucy is now 92 years old & sometimes gets a little confused

As stated Benjamin was 71 in 1901 & was still around in 1911 although not as a lock keeper he is listed as a retired Boatman. 1901 he had 3 sons @ home aged 33,22 &18 who would have helped him. He also had three

elder sons who where all Boatmen so I expect they helped him when they where home.

My GG granddad Harriet's Brother was still on the boats in 1911 @ Norwood Top Lock & helped work the boats

until three weeks before his death in 1926 aged 84.

[winja]

Found this pic showing the Toll House ... it looks big enough to see ... HOW THE HELL DID I MISS IT

[winja]

This is the view from Coalpool Bridge, the canal house I mentioned would have been close to where the people are fishing , this is 1999 and the house wasn't there then

[Tony K]

Shows up on the 1980-82 OS map, but 'gone' by the 1991-93 edition winja

[RLWP]

Nothing to add beyond saying how much I am enjoying this thread

 

Richard