1.2 The Lost Canal Basins of Birmingham
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- čas přidán 3. 08. 2024
- This is the second of a seven part series where Andy Tidy tracks down at the lost sections of canal linked to James Brindley's original Birmingham Canal, which ran from Birmingham city centre to Balls Hill near West Bromwich. These include Old Wharf, the Newhall Branch, and the Gibson Branch (now Centenary Square).
Fascinating, thanks
Glad you enjoyed it
Absolutely fascinating history! I never knew this about Birmingham
Another really enthralling video exploring the lost canals of Birmingham that leave the merest traces in the modern city, thank you
Thank you Keith.
What an interesting and eye-opening vlog. I’ve just discovered your channel.
This is marvellous its just been posted on my Facebook group for Birmingham-- Birmingham in photographs now and then . We love stuff like this
A new series will be starting this saturday when I track Brindeys original canal from Birmingham initially to Balls Hill then to Wolverhampton.
If you know Birmingham city centre then you can't fail to be amazed at how far the Birmingham canals reached and although I know about the Birmingham plateau and the sandstone ridge it was quite enlightening to see evidence of it at Farmers Bridge locks
Great and interesting video thanks for sharing 👍🏻
Thank you for showing us the branches that used to be in central Birmingham. Things must have looked so different at the peak time of the canals.
Almost unrecognisable. My aim to to try and blend the old with the contemporary, which is why I am trying this medium rather than a printed book. Glad you are enjoying them. Back in March
Fascinating
Great vlog. Lovely seeing all the old photos thanks.
Very interesting for a local dude whos only ever used canals as a running or scenic walk route, this offers plenty to observe and, espescially, appreciate on my future runs over these routes.
Absolutely!
Loved this episode.. what history of the canals in Birmingham! Glad to see some still exists today.. probably will watch it again..lol.. cheers Andy
It always seems a shame that the area around Old Wharf was lost as it would be a terriffic tourist attraction now.
Fascinating, thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it
Fascinating Video.
Can’t wait to do the Black Country Ring in a few weeks and explore in and around Birmingham city centre. Now with the added knowledge I’ve learnt from your video. Thankyou
I hope you enjoy the trip - its a very varied route which I travel most years one way or another.
@@lifeat2.3milesanhour57 based on the Videos I’ve seen…. I want to book again for next year already and We’ve not even done this trip yet hahaha
the anchor exchange falls directly in front of where the old branch ended on newhall street, maybe the canals are an extension of these miles of tunnels beneath brum!
Many thanks for the info really enjoying your vids well done
Thanks for watching!
The Wikipedia article on Baskerville House says "The site was originally occupied by the home of John Baskerville. He was buried nearby in the area which was known as Easy Hill. When the construction of a canal through the area was proposed, Baskerville's body was exhumed and found to be in good condition. It was placed on display to the public before being buried at Christ Church. The site adjacent to the canal, on the site of Baskerville House, was purchased by the Birmingham Aluminium Company who constructed Baskerville Basin."
John Baskerville designed the typeface which bears his name, and outside Baskerville House is a sculpture with the word Virgil, the first book to be printed with the new typeface. If you are viewing this on a PC it's quite likely you have the Baskerville typeface installed.
Thanks for this added insight into the area. The idea of exhumation and viewing always seems a bit unpleasant....
Centenary Square was never finished as you said due to the out break of war. Baskerville House was only half built which you see on the finish on the rear of the building, they just stopped. The square was also to include a theatre and some other buildings. There is an architects model of the planned development tucked away right on the top floor of the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.
Thanks Matt - I think I have seen a photo of the model but never in real life. I will seek it out next time I visit.
The office blocks on Gt Charles St have car parks at the rear and in the first car park (Scottish Life House car park) you can find the remains of a canal bridge which still looks as if it supports the road above. There a few other traces if I remember correctly as you progress towards Livery Street. The video did not mention the breach that occurred at the end of the Newhall Branch. A narrow boat was carried down the hill of what is now Gr Charles St.
Met this lovely gentleman will out working on the Dudley no1 making one of his videos thanks for all your information.
It was good to meet you.
Great videos mate, love them
Glad you have enjoyed them
Please create more content . I've been through the whole lot , glad I found this channel :) What fascinates me most is the Somersetshire Coal Canal . and the elusive caisson lock prototype yet to be located
The Somerset Coal Canal is on my (long) list! Its not a video but I did cover it in my accompanying blog a few years ago: captainahabswaterytales.blogspot.com/2014/01/somerset-coal-canal-introduction.html
Rumer has it that its beneath a chestnut tree in the grounds of CaissonHouse.
I work in Alpha Tower, and I live on a narrowboat, so this is all interesting stuff.
Keep watching the channel - I almost fly into Alpha Tower in a few weeks!
@@lifeat2.3milesanhour57 if you ask very nicely they might let you up into the shared office space on the 22nd floor - great views.
@@PaulBaird I was making an episode about the basins brindley built and flew the drone high above Gas St Basin and was looking down on HSBC /Alpha Tower.
The Crown Inn on Broad Street (Reflex 80s pub) has a cellar which is cooled on two or three separate sides by what was described to me as an underground river. I wonder, however, whether this was a deliberate diversion of part of the canal's waters.
I would think that given its proximity to the canal, its very likely its cellar is pretty much surrounded ground saturated with canal water
The car park of Scottish Life House in Gt Charles Street contains the remains of the road bridge taking Summer Row over the canal arm and I think there may be other traces at the back of these buildings.
Interesting!
Great videos, I will be looking forward to all the new episodes as they come out. You may want to look at satellite images as well, as I have found them to be quite useful in finding traces of physical history.
Thanks Roger - I do use the satellite imagery a lot to workout what has potential and whats does not. All my resources will be covered in episode seven!
I have used more of the 2d satellite imagery in series two. Let me know what you think. The map aspect is probably the most powerful and also the hardest bit of the process.
One of the arms off gas street wharf went into a bonded warehouse on the other side of gas street
Another lovely extra fact - thanks
@@lifeat2.3milesanhour57 when I was a kid in the seventies there used to be a swing plank so you could cross the non existent lock where the new foot bridge is now. There was always a large Irish wolfhound there which was as big as me, and boats sunk along the jetty that were filled with green algea.
My grandmother used to take me for walks round there.
I had spotted just a couple of those visible remnants in Gas Street Basin when I was there last year. Fascinating. More please.
And you show glimpses (eg at 6:37) of the Richard Dean map. An amazing map that deserves a link?
Glad you like it Chas. I will be taking a good look at Richard's map, with credits, in episode 7.
Great videos, please leave the maps on screen longer so they are easier to read!
I am stretching them to 10 seconds each and using more interactive aspects in series two. This is a bit of a learning process! Because they are so detailed it may be worth pausing on them.
Getting the balance right with the maps is a bit of an evolutionary process!
This city birthed my beloved Black Sabbath ❣️
Indeed!
👍👍👍 to delete the 2 sad thumbs down brilliant work NB Fiddlesticks
Much appreciated
hi,Have an interest in old ordiance survey maps showing ..The Walsall (birchills) stretch,Could you give me any advice on finding these early maps please,Free To View Are The Best Kind,Have had a quick search and keep seeing SHEET NUMBER ,I havnt a clue how to find this info,Would be greatful for any advice you could give on this topic..Great vlogs !!! very interesting.. CHRIS WALSALL.
Hi Chris - I use the National Library of Scotland side by side mapping service which is fab. I mostly use the OS maps from about 1900 : Try this link. maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=14&lat=52.59166&lon=-1.99033&layers=168&right=BingHyb
Where did they get the water from.
Hi Lorraine. The water for the original Birmingham Canal came from catchment basins and reservoirs at Rotton Park, Smethwick and Titford Pools above Oldbury. Also, all the adjacent mine pumping engines emptied theor water into the canal and where the canal had to rise over Smethwick Hill the water was pumped back to the top with steam engines. Later on the canal was linked to the long Wolverhampton level and drew water all the way from what is now Chasewater.
Hello se podrían poner subtitulado en español ? Saludo desde buenos aires
I have though about subtitles but with so many text description for the images I think they would be rather distracting.
Can you go back to north Walsham
I will do more on that canal when I get an opportunity.
Life at 2.3 miles an hour thank you, I love your Chanel it’s very interesting 😍
@@oscarpugh886 Thanks