Nelson's Cement Works, Stockton

[Ray T]

Whilst recently reading an article in the canal press, Willow Wren Training to move to the site of Nelson's Cement works, Stockton. I became intrigued as to where the lost arm is.

 

Doing a bit of research I came across this site:

http://www.mirrormis...rks.stocton.htm

 

It not only has some historical pictures of narrowboats but some industrial steam loco's as well.

Also there some pictures of Nelson's trade mark, a cockerel, obviously painted by a "canal artist".

 

 

 

Any way back to the original question where is the arm feeding the site please?

I have scoured Google Earth and found the site but cannot see any evidence of the arm. I assume it is not the arm where Warwickshire Fly boat are as that seems too far away from what I think was Nelson's site.

 

Can any one point me in the right direction please?

 

PS Just found a location of the water tower at 52d 16m N 1d 21m w

Edited April 5, 2013 by Ray T

[GUMPY]

As far as I know its the one next to WFB

Certainly looks so from Google maps

 

Or is that the wrong cement works?

Arm goes under a disused railway bridge just before the works

52d 16m N 1d 21m w doesnt Appear to be near the canal its near Eydon

Edited April 5, 2013 by Loddon

[Tuscan]

As far as I know its the one next to WFB

Certainly looks so from Google maps

 

Or is that the wrong cement works?

Arm goes under a disused railway bridge just before the works

52d 16m N 1d 21m w doesnt Appear to be near the canal its near Eydon

 

 

I think you are right isn't it the arm just before WFB , I'm sure that was the cement arm

[GUMPY]

I think you are right isn't it the arm just before WFB , I'm sure that was the cement arm

This I belive is The Site of The Railway Bridge

http://m.google.co.uk/u/m/dLYvEA

You may well Have to zoom In

 

Location is

52.274780N 1.382023W

Edited April 5, 2013 by Loddon

[Tuscan]

I am wrong

 

Have a look at http://freepages.history.rootsweb.ancestry.com/downloads/griffinsblueliasworkshistory.pdf

 

Nelsons arm to he colliery was at the top of Stockton flight between bridges 20 & 21 past Gibralter pub. Kayes arm is by the side of the WFB and is the one they are talking about I think. The opposite side was Sitwells arm

[Ray T]

I think you are right isn't it the arm just before WFB , I'm sure that was the cement arm

 

 

 

 

This is the Nelson's works, different site to the current Cemex Site.

 

Nelson's water tower is along the hedge line by the buildings mid picture LHS. The little picture symbol is where the tower still exists.

[MartinC]

Whilst recently reading an article in the canal press, Willow Wren Training to move to the site of Nelson's Cement works, Stockton. I became intrigued as to where the lost arm is.

 

Doing a bit of research I came across this site:

http://www.mirrormis...rks.stocton.htm

 

It not only has some historical pictures of narrowboats but some industrial steam loco's as well.

Also there some pictures of Nelson's trade mark, a cockerel, obviously painted by a "canal artist".

 

 

 

Any way back to the original question where is the arm feeding the site please?

I have scoured Google Earth and found the site but cannot see any evidence of the arm. I assume it is not the arm where Warwickshire Fly boat are as that seems too far away from what I think was Nelson's site.

 

Can any one point me in the right direction please?

 

PS Just found a location of the water tower at 52d 16m N 1d 21m w

[MartinC]

Sorry previous post "got away".

 

I am almost certain this is at SP443650 from the orientation of the, now dismantled, railway line, the shadows on the aerial photo and the ladder bridge (no longer in situ) leading to the footpath to Broadwell. Also the Nelson Club is at the South East end of Stockton Village, i.e. nearest to the works.

[john6767]

Is it this location

 

https://maps.google....226.67,,0,22.29

 

When I saw that in the press I assumed, perhaps wrongly that is was here. Presumably that was an arm even it it is not this one.

[Ray T]

Is it this location

 

https://maps.google....226.67,,0,22.29

 

When I saw that in the press I assumed, perhaps wrongly that is was here. Presumably that was an arm even it it is not this one.

 

Having passed that spot many times I did wonder, but to me it seems too narrow.

 

There is an article on Nelson's Cement Works in NarrowBoat Spring 2011 but it does not have any maps.

 

It does however have a photo showing " Jason & Alexandra moored against a landing stage on the Warwick & Napton canal at the entrance to Nelson's Arm......"

 

John6767 I think you are spot on, the edging in the RHS of the inlet is the same as the mentioned photo above.

 

Problem solved, thanks all.

Edited April 5, 2013 by Ray T

[davidg]

"Nelson's water tower is along the hedge line by the buildings mid picture LHS. The little picture symbol is where the tower still exists"

 

The water tower is at 52deg 16'42" N 1deg 21' 20" W, clearly visible on Google earth as the circular structure in the wood to the right of the right hand end of the water filled Long Pit.

 

The railway bridge is at 52deg 16' 50" N 1 deg 21' 13" W and the arm runs to opposite the hedgeline on the towpath side of the canal.

 

I've spent many a happy hour exploring the remains of Nelson's works and pits, if you know where to look the remains of the locomotive shed for the Pecketts can still be found. There were still a number of of turnouts from the narrow gauge railway system in the pits, and one outside the loco shed. Unfortunately a lot of the site was fenced off by Rugby Cement(who bought the works from Nelsons and closed it down shortly afterwards) a number of years ago so access is no longer possible.

 

There was another narrow gauge railway from Griffin's Lime & Cement works (the chimmney on the off side by the third lock down Stockton) which ran under the A426, one end of the bridge is still visible as is the cutting the railway ran in - not to be confused with the much larger LNWR cutting. Griffin's was used as a railhead for Napton brickworks, the bricks being taken round by boat and transhipped at Stockton.

 

There were also extensive railway systems associated with Kaye's cement works, at the top of the arm at WFBCo. and Greaves, Bull & Lakin who had the works at what is now Dowdeswells, by the bottom lock at Stockton. Most of Greaves, Bull & Lakin's pits were landfilled and have now disappeared, though one remains and Kayes is still actively quarried, the clay now being taken to Rugby by lorry.

[Ray T]

Fascinating information, thank you David.

 

This is the picture I referred to earlier

 

 

If you look between the shoulders of the lady and the man sitting on the boat, the canal edging compares favourably to the piccy shown by John6767

Edited April 6, 2013 by Ray T

[Heartland]

There were several limeworks on the Warwick & Napton Canal near Long Itchington and in railway times, three major works- Stockton, Blue Lias and Southham. The Southam Works was served by the Kayes Arm, which is still used, in part for moorings, although the top end passed under the railway to reach the cement works. Blue Lias was close to the canal and Stockton had an arm that passed under the railway also. Looking at the image produced, the view would appear to be consitent with Stockton.

 

Ray Shill

[matty40s]

This can still be used as a winding hole, quite overgrown now though so a bit of hard work for a 70 footer. It is about 400 yards along from the pub - the towpath side concrete is higher here opposite the entrance.

[arpeeuk]

Was along there last summer an met a spritely old chap wandering the towpath. Apparently he had been evacuated to Stockton from Coventry during the war. There was a footpath down through the cement works and across a footbridge over the GU main line just by the arm into Nelsons works that he used to take to get to school. He remembered working boats coming and going from the site and that all the lads used to swim in the cut there.

 

Fascinating glimpse into the past, and don't think he'd been back since the war so I was lucky to meet him.

 

Rik

[tony collins]

The arm behind Warwickshire boats is definitely "Kayes" arm. Long Itchington (aka Southam) was Kaye Cement and had three chimneys. Nelson's Cement works was a mile or so away nearer Stockton and had five. The Nelson works have gone completely now, but the Southam works still exists, (as Cemex), but they no longer make cement there. Both works had rail connections. Apparently the Nelson's quarry is still there and is used for fishing. If you look closely enough, you can see an old arm connection to the Nelson works between bridges 20 and 21 on the offside.

 

I haven't been there for some years, so either the initial information is wrong or Willow Wren have opened up this short arm.

 

Incidentally just above Stockton Top Lock there remains the beginnings of a basin dug out by the Burden Bros when they owned the industrial estate behind the Boat pub. but they stopped work (about 1990) when they found that the connection charge demanded by BW was too high

[Maffi]

Wrong topiic

Edited March 11, 2014 by Maffi

[patty-ann]

Willow Wren have acquired it and are renovating and restoring the site. I attended the last diesel engine course at the old training place and he showed us pictures of their work to date. Grand re-opening planned for Sept 2014

[ditchcrawler]

Could this be the place "Stockton Lime and Cement Works"

Railway line between them and the canal as per the photo and covered in railway sidings

 

http://maps.nls.uk/view/101585434%C2'>

[john6767]

Could this be the place "Stockton Lime and Cement Works"

Railway line between them and the canal as per the photo and covered in railway sidings

 

 

Yes that is the place. I last went past in October and Willow Wren had already cleared the site then. I was surprised by how much old structure has been there all along in the trees. There is a large stone wall that from that map and the pictures in the thread above is possibly what had the railway on it and the bridge over the arm