Staffordshire Bone China

30 Dec, 2004 in art pottery by admin

Staffordshire Bone China

Birmingham Canal Network

It has been voiced many times that Birmingham has a larger canal network than Venice and its Gondoliers. In making that statement, which has no doubt been made by many of Birmingham's population over the years, it would be very interesting to determine how many Brummie's have actually taken the trouble to walk and explore the Birmingham canal network?

Running between the daily hustle and bustle of Birmingham, is a canal system where some of the examples of Birmingham's industrial heritage still, fortunately, remain.

Areas close to Broad Street have pubs and streets named after the canal builders and the industrialist who financed the building of them. One such name is that of Brindley Place, named after canal builder James Brindley.

Brindley was a millwright by trade and mainly involved himself in the building of watermills. Born in 1716, his engineering and construction knowledge was mainly self taught and not always successful, however, he quickly learnt through trial and error. His first experience of building canals came when the 3rd Duke of Bridgwater wanted a canal built to connect his mines in Worsley to the centre of Manchester. With the assistance of Brindley and funded by the Duke of Bridgwater, the Bridgwater canal was completed in 1764 and later extended to the Mersey Estuary in 1776.

Brindley was also responsible for introducing the technique of clay puddling which made the sides and bed of the cutting watertight.

Although the building of the canal virtually bankrupt the Duke, its construction was a long term success and industrialist, including Josiah Wedgwood, who at the time was transporting china clay, by sea, from Cornwall to Liverpool suddenly took note.

In Birmingham a meeting was called by businessmen proposing a link from the coal mines of the Black Country to Birmingham and the Birmingham Canal Company came into being.

On the 24 February 1768, the Parliament of the day gave the go ahead for a route stretching from New Hall Street in Birmingham to the Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal passing through Smethwick, Tipton and Bilston. James Brindley was appointed engineer at a salary of £200 per year and a local committee was given the task of raising some £50,000, the money needed to build this section of canal.

Access to a part of the canal that Brindley built can be approached from Birmingham Broad Street, where a set of steps lead down to the canal past the Birmingham International Convention Centre and Birmingham Symphony Hall. Once on the towpath follow the path under two footbridges until the Malt House pub is reached. The pub is a survivor of the numerous malt houses that fronted this side of the canal and where grain was stored for the brewing of ale in the 1800's.

The island that can be seen in the centre of the canal is the hub of the Birmingham canal network as it marks the junction of Brindley's canal, Telford's Main Line canal routes and the Birmingham and Frazely Canal.

From the Malt House pub, cross over the canal via the footbridge towards the Birmingham National Indoor Arena and walk down to the canal side with the canal on the right, the towpath runs under the road to the Framer's Bridge Locks. An engineering spectacle waits with the viewing of thirteen continuous locks running towards Paradise Street on the Birmingham to Frazely Canal. The locks and Bridge are named after a local landowner and gun maker of the 1700's, called James Farmer.

Near the first set of locks is an old toll office where canal users had to pay a toll based on the weight and type of cargo they carried. Continuing along the towpath to Paradise Street and crossing over onto the other towpath it is possible to continue back along the canal along James Brindley Walk to the toll office.

The steps at the end of the James Brindley Walk allow access to Cambrian Wharf. The basin next to the footbridge is all that remains of the original Newhall Branch of Bindley's canal. This is the site of Birmingham's first canal which commenced at Newhall Street. In 1937 the Newhall Branch of the canal was acquired by the then Birmingham Corporation and drained to make way for civic redevelopment.

Brindley and his team of engineers took four years to build the original canal and they found themselves solving the various problems they faced as they were encountered. One such problem was encountered at Smethwick where the plan to build a tunnel under the Smethwick Summit had to be abandoned due to ground conditions. Brindley finished up by going over the hill through the construction of six locks. Brindley's canal was a contour canal which, where practically possible, looped around contours to avoid gradients.

From Cambrian Walk the toll house can again be reached via the foot bridge and one can follow the towpath under Tindal Street Bridge walking past the canal junction and the Birmingham National Indoor Arena. This is the commencement of Thomas Telford's New Birmingham Main Line. Whilst standing in front of the Birmingham National Indoor Arena and looking across the canal and underneath the footbridges, an inlet to part of Brindley's original Main Line can be viewed, now called the Oozells Street Loop.

Over the years the maintenance of the canal tended to be overlooked and by the early 1800's the canal was suffering badly due to this and in 1820 the Government, as an aid to boosting the economy by commissioning public works, sent Thomas Telford to Birmingham to inspect the now neglected canals.

Telford was unimpressed with Brindley's meandering canal which looped back and forth through the city, obviously constructed at the time to easily pick up the various warehouses of the day. Having looked carefully at the canal, Telford's proposal was to rebuild it in its entirety along a much shorter and straighter route and also making the journey from Birmingham to Tipton lock free. The route taken eventually became known as the New Main Line, and when opened in 1829 was some five miles and also at that time, five hours shorter in journey time.

Continuing along the towpath with the canal on the left, it passes under Sheepcote Bridge where the remnants of Corporation Wharf can be found and the now closed Fiddle and Bone public house which is now part of The Roundhouse, a circular terrace at the junction of Sheepcote Street and Vincent Street. The Roundhouse is one of the city's best known pubs and music venue.

At the Vincent Street Bridge the canal can be crossed by using the adjacent steps to street level, crossing the road and then heading back to Brindley Place along the other towpath.

On this side of the canal there is a footbridge and this is where the other end of Oozells Street Loop rejoins the New Main Line. Along this section of the Loop are moored narrow boats which are home to some of Birmingham's community.

Continuing back along the towpath towards Brindley Place, the Birmingham National Indoor Arena can be seen on the other side of the canal. This was once the site of numerous railway sidings and owned by the Birmingham Canal Company.

The canal side area around Brindley Place was home to numerous warehouses and railway sidings; however, it is now home to Shops, Restaurants, stylish Bars and Cafes, the Ikon Gallery and the Natural Sea Life Centre.

Following the towpath from Brindley Place, there next appears Broad Street Tunnel which passes under the road before emerging into Gas Street Basin. At the end of the towpath is a bridge leading to the Mail Box, home of designer brand shops, cafes, bars, waterside restaurants and hotels.

Many of the aforementioned items of interest can be found in other sections of Activ Birmingham, see the Information pages and What's Going on in Birmingham. Remember, if you do decide to walk along the towpaths be alcohol free or you may get wet.

Be safe.

About the Author

This article was brought to you by Activ Birmingham, your complete online guide to Birmingham and the surrounding area with local businesses, community events, houses for sale, cars, great days out and much more.

Im looking for information on Royal park fine bone china staffordshire pottery, can anyone help please?

ROYAL STAFFORD CHINA - 1952 onwards, there's a variety of mark's also the porcelain has a printed mark

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