Rectangular "cut out" on the Staffs and Worcs

[Theo]

There is a rather strange rectangular "basin" cut out of the offsideof the Staffs and Worcs IIRC it is below Rocky Lock. It's much to small for a 70' boat. Does anyone know what it was for?

 

TIA

 

N

[Thorfast]

A 50' boat?

[zenataomm]

 

 

 

I've just copied this from Google Earth

[furnessvale]

There is a rather strange rectangular "basin" cut out of the offsideof the Staffs and Worcs IIRC it is below Rocky Lock. It's much to small for a 70' boat. Does anyone know what it was for?

 

TIA

 

N

I have wondered about that myself.

 

Two thoughts come to mind.

 

1. While they were digging the rock cutting they came upon a section of badly fractured rock that had to be removed.

 

2. They needed stone for a nearby structure and that bit was used as a quarry because of the good quality of its rock.

 

Pure guesses of course.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

[bottle]

.

Edited January 30, 2015 by bottle

[arbutus]

The “basin”, as shown in the photo occurs just after the canal crosses the river Stour on an aqueduct and the canal then immediately turns 90 degrees. A few hundred yards past the “basin” is Stourton junction.

 

I assumed it was mini stone quarry.

 

If you are looking for a house and have a spare £1.2 million, the house and pool that you can see as you go over the aqueduct and immediately before you swing right and pass the “basin”, is for sale. The plot includes the land around the “basin” asked about by the OP.

 

I’ve often wondered whether a narrowboat could navigate through to the pool from the canal and moor by the house.

 

That would be some end of garden mooring.

 

Photo numbers 22 and 23 in the sales guide show what you see from the canal.

 

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-46387012.html

[Dorlan]

According to J. Ian Langford's book 'Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal', there are two small quarries between the bend and Stourton Junction. The rock is Bunter Sandstone and was probably used in the construction of the canal as it a 'particularly massive freestone', blocks of which may have been suitable for hanging lock gates.

[Dorlan]

J. Ian Langford has three theories for the existence of the 'basin' on the bend.

1: It may have been the intention to connect the far end of the basin with the Stourbridge canal with staircase lock flight, rather than the existing locks.

2: A reservoir to conserve water coming down from the Stourbridge Canal.

3: The third theory was that it may have been constructed as a fish pond for the Prestwood Estate.

[DHutch]

2. They needed stone for a nearby structure and that bit was used as a quarry because of the good quality of its rock.

When put like that, it sounds very plausible.

 

 

Daniel

[keble]

Whatever, it's a really interesting stretch of canal!

[David Mack]

The “basin”, as shown in the photo occurs just after the canal crosses the river Stour on an aqueduct and the canal then immediately turns 90 degrees. A few hundred yards past the “basin” is Stourton junction.

 

I assumed it was mini stone quarry.

 

If you are looking for a house and have a spare £1.2 million, the house and pool that you can see as you go over the aqueduct and immediately before you swing right and pass the “basin”, is for sale. The plot includes the land around the “basin” asked about by the OP.

 

I’ve often wondered whether a narrowboat could navigate through to the pool from the canal and moor by the house.

 

That would be some end of garden mooring.

 

Photo numbers 22 and 23 in the sales guide show what you see from the canal.

 

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-46387012.html

 

I've always rather fancied taking a boat in there. The lake seems to be joined to the canal, with just a bar across to stop us lower life forms disturbing the rich man's peace.

[Theo]

Thanks for all the suggestions, chaps.

 

N

[Peter Reed]

The lake was originally constructed as part of the Yarrtantons cut in1868 to provide a link from the River Stourbridge navigation to Stourbridge. This was never completed.