Jump to content

North Circular aqueduct breach


MoominPapa

Featured Posts

Browsing through my Chrissie present book, a copy of the Shell Book of the Inland Waterways, I came upon a mention of a breach of the North Circular aqueduct in 1962. Googling finds this but nothing else. Enough to show that it was a fairly dramatic incident, but nothing more.

 

Going over there, I've wondered what it would be like if the contents of the canal was dumped onto the road below. Does anyone have any more info about what it was like when it really happened?

 

MP.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Browsing through my Chrissie present book, a copy of the Shell Book of the Inland Waterways, I came upon a mention of a breach of the North Circular aqueduct in 1962. Googling finds this but nothing else. Enough to show that it was a fairly dramatic incident, but nothing more.

 

Going over there, I've wondered what it would be like if the contents of the canal was dumped onto the road below. Does anyone have any more info about what it was like when it really happened?

 

MP.

It could have been reported in Waterways, the BW house magazine. They have full sets inn the archives at Gloucester and Ellesmere Port.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Browsing through my Chrissie present book, a copy of the Shell Book of the Inland Waterways, I came upon a mention of a breach of the North Circular aqueduct in 1962. Googling finds this but nothing else. Enough to show that it was a fairly dramatic incident, but nothing more.

 

Going over there, I've wondered what it would be like if the contents of the canal was dumped onto the road below. Does anyone have any more info about what it was like when it really happened?

 

MP.

 

 

The IRA tried in 1939!

 

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=22274

 

Tim

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Have they lowered the carriage way since '39? Stupid, I know, but from the aqueduct the carriage way looks like it's much lower below it.

I guess it's widely known, but perhaps not everybody is aware ?

 

The current aqueduct only dates only from 1993.

 

It was a new structure when the North Circular was widened at this point, (the old one did not have two troughs with the central island, I think ?).

 

Obviously the level of the canal would be unchanged, but I guess it's possible the road got re-engineered at this time ?

 

From the top, I always think this structure looks older than it actually is.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ta!

 

I thought it looked 'different' - but difficult to judge as I've only been across it and never (knowingly) underneath.

It's only since coming back to boating, that I have actually become aware if driving under it, what it actually is. From down below, it looks much like any other rail or road bridge that might go over a major road.

 

Somehow it doesn't look anything like as far up, from down below, as it appears to be looking down from the top.

 

I don't know why I find it one of the more fascinating bits of the Paddington Arm, but if OH is at the tiller, I normally clamber on the roof to look down on the world below.

 

Sometimes we are moving faster than that damn traffic is!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

new structure when the North Circular was widened at this point [in 1993], (the old one did not have two troughs with the central island, I think ?). Obviously the level of the canal would be unchanged, but I guess it's possible the road got re-engineered at this time ?

 

Picture from office block's fire escape in March 1978gallery_7537_1_336058.jpg

and from the canal it was not particularly noticeable until passing over it gallery_7537_1_97943.jpg.

For comparison, from the canal in 2006:gallery_7537_1_48012.jpg

and towards the Travelodge which has I think just refurbished the old office building and closed in their fire-escapegallery_7537_1_329896.jpg

Haven't any photos which shows the relative height of the two structures

Edited by PeterScott
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Would I be correct in thinking that the 'original' aqueduct dates from the 1930s modernisation programme. It certainly has that concrete look of the 30s programme. What was there before that one?

Well the original structure was I believe 1930s, but I doubt had to to with the modernisation program.

 

I'm happy to stand corrected, but I'm assuming it was first put there in the 1930s for no other reason than that's when they built the road that passed under it ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've got some black and whites somewhere with water leaking quite badly from the old one. I think I took them just before Christmas '92, we'd tied up above awaiting the team to re-water the aquaduct during some preliminary work prior to the new one being built alongside. One firm I worked for was on the Beresford Industrial Estate at the time, which is immediately to the left of Peter's photo and on the other side.

 

I also remember a period when the River Brent overflowed badly. The entire length of the N. Circ was under three feet of water from the Harrow Road junction to well beyond the aquaduct. Must have been around the same time as when Catford and Lewisham were badly flooded.

 

Some interesting history of the River Brent HERE. Better still - the G.U. and Heinz!

 

It flooded again in 1999 when a water main burst. Burst main. A bit more HERE.

 

Derek

 

When the canal was built, it was built amongst relative countryside through Stonebridge Park. I'm guessing the 'New' North Circular road would have been built beneath the canal, and therefore built around 1933.

Edited by Derek R.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1991

 

121035735.jpg

 

Under construction in 1994

 

121035692.jpg

 

The new aqueduct was built alongside the old one then over an eight week period the old aqueduct was demolished and the new one slid into place.

 

Tim

Edited by Tim Lewis
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is it me or is that vehicle on the right hand side at the end of that film fitted with a woman, I mean gas bag ontop? :lol:

 

They're funny looking things gas bags... :lol:

 

One could say the same of some men.

 

It could have been a bag containing 'producer' gas for propulsion, but also a sheeted load of bulk produce.

Is the reason for a canvas/pvc whatever roof on a 2cv to allow for expansion of the drivers output?

 

Derek

 

Compare Tim's last shot with the one from the opposite direction in 1999 when the main burst (small pic only)

That must be 25' deep or thereabouts.

 

_292567_flood300.jpg

Edited by Derek R.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The new aqueduct was built alongside the old one then over an eight week period the old aqueduct was demolished and the new one slid into place.

Tim

 

When they demolished the aqueduct, my partner went past there then, in his old narrowboat. They had a crane and your boat was craned out, put on a truck and then driven to another spot then craned back in - all free of charge. he says it is the fastest his boat had ever travelled.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When they demolished the aqueduct, my partner went past there then, in his old narrowboat. They had a crane and your boat was craned out, put on a truck and then driven to another spot then craned back in - all free of charge. he says it is the fastest his boat had ever travelled.

 

If I recall correctly the free craning was only introduced once the original stoppage overran . This was something negotiated by the local IWA who had fought a vigorous battle against the original proposal to close the canal for a much longer period especially when it was noted that the canal was only closed for one day when the 1930's aqueduct was being constructed!

 

Tim

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.