Heartland

I can only wish them well. These are difficult times where appeals to politicians may fall on stony ground, however. When CRT was set up there was an element for them to find funds from a variety of sources and not rely on a grant. Our current political warlords have a different agenda as to where they distribute cash!

With the RCHS AGM which was held in Lichfield in 1998 we visited Darnford Lane when the lift bridge was a relative new addition. The length of time to get navigations restored demands great dedication.

Thanks folks, it does look like Stockwith

Yus I was on the hire boat behind Steve Crook and I had gone out from Water Travel, Wolverhampton with the intention of going on a week trip to Shardlow. This was our second week trip out with that firm. These trips and with other hirers helped with illustrations in subsequent canal books. Other trips on Hecla also helped, but getting used to the traditional controls on Hecla was very different to a hire boat. Hire boat controls could with some hirers provide a useful speed. In 2006 we had a Shire Cruiser trip to Sheffield and on going up from Rotherham we accompanied a group of boaters with whom we moored at Rotherham. That group wanted to keep us behind them as Sheffield Basin had limited accommodation, after all we were the lowest of the low, hire boaters, not realising our experience with boating. Not every body can afford to buy and keep a boat. Before setting off we told the lead boat we would take water at the lock. After the water stop we then went full speed past them and went to the head of the boats for Tinsley Locks and reached Sheffield Basin first.

When did canal companies use paddle gear made on the slant. What were the advantages of such a practice?

This is a video that shows the restoration progressing toward the Coventry Canal. It would appear that the New Cappers Lane Bridge will not be finished until 2027, but will there be a link through from the Coventry Canal to Lichfield and that when it happens will be a watershed moment

This image for example Hugh Compton Collection in this case Regarding Any ideas ? This canal had narrow bits and wide bits and along the main line a short section of river was incorporated and they also later did the same with two other parts of their network. One of this latter group closed to canal traffic in January 1848.

I did wonder if this was Nottingham Canal having seen images of barges such as these in an RCHS collection

Yes regarding the Daneway. It is the canal bed very recently cleared of vegetation. It presents a better view of the wharf and the entrance to the side basin A CRT image shows the location before closure- Now this image from the 1990's shows a barge wide canal which was close to an earlier river navigation It would be of interest to identify those on the working boat, As to Brierley Hill, the name Level was given to a drain or mine adit into the hillside. Here the adit brought out ironstone and coal and gave its name to the Old Level Furnaces and the New Level Furnaces Later Round Oak ironworks was developed by Richard Smith agent to the Earl of Dudley. Later still the ironworks became a steel works which lasted until the 1980's when the works closed and were redeveloped as the Merry Hill Centre. In our age the Posdisriminators would clap with glee as to removal of the nasty polluters now gone. At the time it was a sad loss for jobs.

Andrew Barclay four couple saddle tank and a ladle waggon, nice pub there once and the street is called Level Street ----- why ? No doubt Victor has steeled himself for any replies that relate to a tree circumference ? And for beer beer etc the pub has gone And, whilst people reflect another for the grey cells and a substantial tree growing on the canal bed!

Braithwaite and Sons had taken the contract for repair and reconstruction of the Thames & Severn (3 1/2 miles) in December 1901. The agreement that was subsequently reached was the supply of clay by the council. So the trucks were probably council leased or owned on the narrow gauge railway. The quality of clay was questioned by the contractor and that led to arbitration in Court in 1904. Whilst the canal opened in 1904, there were further problems and further closures, not the best result for keeping trade.

That is very specific. A Braithwaite were the contractors for the Thames & Severn work. They used a Manning Wardle loco on the contract. Ever come across an image of that loco?

Canal restoration might be a phase of modern times, but there was a previous attempt to repair and restore a canal at the start of the twentieth century. In this view a narrow gauge railway is used to bring puddle clay to canal side, but where was it ?

This image shows a tanker barge and other craft which the CRT mentions might be the Shearwater Canal. Where was, or is the Shearwater Canal? Is it fact or fantasy ? Is it the River Trent and what was the works? James W Cook was said to be the owner of the barges - so it might be the Colne, in Essex.

Sometimes working backwards in family searches works First of all is the Norman, the Norman William Gilbert born in 1920 and died in 1992 ?

Yup Tapton Lock, Chesterfield Canal, at least that is what the Waterways Archive states .

Police carrying guns deserves a comment

Now somewhere up norf where there was gas and gaiters and people left water to run into the sink ?

Water onto coke produced "Water Gas" which was rich in hydrogen and provided a gas in a quick time to supplement gas demand at peak times. Gas Water is mentioned in gas works records and is the liquor that was rich in ammonia salts and had a market for manures and chemical manufacture Chance and Hunt moved gas water to the Oldbury Alkali works by narrow boat and British Cyanides Co Ltd works at Oldbury Thomas Clayton, apart from tar and oil carried gas water to the Oldbury Tar Works and also the British Cyanides works at Oldbury This traffic being bulk liquid traffic, there was also the conveyance of chemicals in carboys etc----- Cowburm and Cowper brought boats to Courtaulds with Carbon Bisulphide, Caustic Soda and Sulphuric Acid. there was also some traffic in Acetic Acid along the BCN to the Coventry Canal.

Some interesting comments that mention barge and narrow boat traffic on canals, but the subject is wider than just tar and oil, with narrow boats there was also the transport of gas water and cyanides and chemicals Whilst Claytons had an important share of the market, there were other firms involved. Yeomans of Oldbury was a case in point. Crosbie moved chemicals by narrow boat. It is a complex subject.

Obviously the proof is in the answer. both have gunned down to the correct answer ...

Does a ford have a base of stone etc for the road traffic to cross? Fords were river crossings, which included navigations, and still exist in some places. Were there any cases of fords across canals. In the early times of canal development there was the belief that a ford might be a cheaper option. How deep the ford might be is a matter for discussion though. Some fords can be traced to roman times and others to medieval times. Oxford is said to have been Oxen Ford.

Another for the little grey cells

Unlike the Kelpies which is definitive art, this sculpture of Bella must be discussed as to value, art etc If the model is a fish could a sturgeon a likely candidate ? For those who know about the West Midlands Bella was given to a skull found in a Witch Elm in Hagley Wood whose murder has yet to be resolved although there was a facial reconstruction made in 2018.