Hi,

I wonder if anyone can help me please.

Whilst cruising the Birmingham & Fazeley canal recently,we passed under a factory built over the canal. In Nicholsons it's referred to as Factory Tunnel but with no other info. A search of Google doesn't give any info either. I emailed the BCN Society,but to date have not had a reply. I asked a guy working for C&RT and he said he'd delivered coal to the factory and said that they called it Berlick but wasn't sure of the spelling. Googling various spellings of Berlick didn't get me anywhere. Birmingham Library has all it's reference books packed away & the Museum has very little about the canals & couldn't help. This is driving me nuts so I wonder if anyone here could shed some light on why this factory was built,what was made there,or any other relevant information. I am asking purely out of curiosity as I find canal side buildings fascinating. Thanks in advance,

Fred.

I've often wondered what this is, and how it ever came to be built there.

 

I've no idea, I'm afraid, but for those who wonder what is being talked about, I found this....

 

gravelly industrial estate, Erdington but other than that no idea

Edited January 29, 201313 yr by hamsterfan

No idea either, though very familiar with it. I seem to recall when we used to go that way in my yoof (1970s) it was there but smaller. The current structure with its concrete pillars, surely can't be that old?

Google "factory over canal tyburn road" got me to this:

 

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/records.aspx?cat=187-cr1590&cid=6-1-6-51#6-1-6-51

 

Which has:

 

B.I.P. Tools Ltd., Tyburn Rd.: new canteen over canal. CR1590/1199 1958-61

 

So now at least we have a timescale, what the building is for, and the name of the company.

 

MP.

yes but its only part of the entire structure which is much bigger and i assume was built for a single purpose rather than the current industrial estate uses

Hi,

Thanks for what you've suggested so far. Googled B.I.P.tools & got British Industrial Plastics.

Thanks again,I'm on my iPhone,will research some more when I get the laptop.

Fred.

Not convinced on the "British Industrial Plastics" answer, because a bit of Googling tends to give you stuff about a single storey building, which I'm struggling to see that massive building as.

 

Could be wrong though!

 

The impression I have always had, (and I actualy find the thing a bit spooky!), is that it is just a building that for some reason was allowed to be built over the canal at a time when canals were not considered very important, and you could do that kind of thing. Not a million miles different from the way, for example, that much of the Farmer's Bridge flight has stuff built straight over everything.

 

What you pass under are just concrete floors, I think, and I don't really see any evidence that it was built over the canal to actually make use of the canal for any kind of transport.

 

But again could be wrong, though.

 

The impression from images on Google Maps is that it is probably an out of use building.....

 

Linky 1

 

Linky 2

 

I now expect a post from someone telling me they work in there!

Edited January 29, 201313 yr by alan_fincher

There are IIRC mooring rings under there on the offside. There also appear to me to be blocked up apertures in the wall on that side, and I've always believed that boats must have delivered and/or loaded under there at some past date.

There are IIRC mooring rings under there on the offside. There also appear to me to be blocked up apertures in the wall on that side, and I've always believed that boats must have delivered and/or loaded under there at some past date.

Yes, you are right.

 

That fuzzy YouTube video does show at least one highly pixelated patch on the wall that may have related to loading, or unloading something from boats.

 

I guess little commercial canal traffic was passing that way much later than about the mid 1960s though, and the structure never "feels" particularly old, so is it "old enough"?

Yes, you are right.

 

That fuzzy YouTube video does show at least one highly pixelated patch on the wall that may have related to loading, or unloading something from boats.

 

I guess little commercial canal traffic was passing that way much later than about the mid 1960s though, and the structure never "feels" particularly old, so is it "old enough"?

The satellite view shows several long parallel structures, of which the one over the canal is the end one. Therefore there could be a hole in the wall for delivery to the adjacent building, in use before the structure over the canal was built. Ill have a closer look next time we pass.

I've often wondered what this is, and how it ever came to be built there.

 

I've no idea, I'm afraid, but for those who wonder what is being talked about, I found this....

 

I picked up a tyre on the prop coming out of there

A concrete structure like this one could easily date back to to the thirties.

What we love about that stretch is though it's so grotty, and Troutpool and New Troutpool bridges seem so misnamed, we've often seen kingfishers around there, once actually under this structure!

I have never been to this place but I think it is great that people can see the wonder and the beauty in structures like this. Too often, people fail to see the magic that surrounds them!

A concrete structure like this one could easily date back to to the thirties.

 

Yes, however I am pretty sure I remember it being quite different when I first did it in the 70s - much more ramshackle.

 

Yes, its certainly not the worst part of the B&F!

Some Factory Tunnel picces from the TNC vaults...

 

 

In No. 1, Tom Foxon describes this factory as the Birlec. He talks of spending the night there in the dark after running aground and having to wait for another boat to pull him off.

 

Link to Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birlec

 

Regards

Pete

In No. 1, Tom Foxon describes this factory as the Birlec. He talks of spending the night there in the dark after running aground and having to wait for another boat to pull him off.

 

Link to Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birlec

 

Regards

Pete

 

 

Some Factory Tunnel picces from the TNC vaults...

When were those taken?

When were those taken?

The first three 20/08/2011

The last one 22/03/2004

I only posted these as they are better quality than others I have and show the mooring hooks and loading bays.

From the I970's I don't remember it looking any different....unlike the Aston Flight!

I went through there last summer and thought it was fascinating but also a bit eerie and spooky. Its good to read about some history of it.

Hi again,

Thank you all for the information so far,I couldn't get on here before 'cos Wetherspoons called last night

and I've been out all day.I intend to get down to the Tunnel over the next couple of days and have a look

"off the boat" by walking a friends dog.I have to admit I didn't pay a lot of attention as I passed through

on the boat so this time I can look at details.The name Birlec corresponds to that given by the C&RT guy so

there has to be somewhere that coal could be unloaded.Thanks also for the link to Graces Guide,that could

help in future searches about derelict industrial buildings.It may be sad but such things fascinate me.

Fred.

Apologies if it has been said, but where exactly is this factory over the canal, in canal terms? I'd like to visit.

I'm sure I remember seeing a 70's style factory/office building over a canal somewhere near the M6, J9/10 perhaps. I think it's been demolished now. I also recall a canal, or what appeared to be a canal, that went under Picadilly Tower in Manchester.

Here:

 

http://goo.gl/maps/rt4xE

 

or here:

 

http://goo.gl/maps/tBccb

 

Richard

Edited January 30, 201313 yr by RLWP