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Wyrley & Essington branch canal


AMModels

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Have been reading this topic with great interest, having lived on the Mossley Est during the 60s and early 70s. The Sneyd and adjoining sections of the W&E canal were also our playground for many years - the 'fort' (pumphouse), the 'lions den', clambering down the culverts/pipework at the southern end of the reservoir.

 

 

Dug out this photo from circa 1974 of myself and young brother in what we called the 'lions den' Sadly its badly faded, but gives some idea of the depth at that time....

 

 

Scan0002_zpsb62627cd.jpg

 

Yes, I used to play in the Lions Den too (overflow) during the late 70s, early 80s.

 

Great pic, thanks for posting.

 

Do you have any of the Fort or what we called The Castle (valve/pumphouse)?

 

David.

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Sorry Dave - no. Only got one other of me 'posing' on what was the 'sandy' beach with the reservoir in the background. Obviously back in those days which certainly wasnt the digital image age we are now in, regretably I didnt have the capability or realise the importance of taking pictures that may have some historical significance in later years.

 

In fact those couple of of pictures were taken on what was then a 'novelty' format - a polaroid bought for me by the wife (then the girlfriend) - the type that produced 'instant' snap shots where you developed the film 'onsite' holding the film/plate under your armpit for a minute or so before pealing back to reveal the result......and pretty expensive they were if I remember - about £3 for a film of about 8 to 10 shots

 

Fingers crossed that someday such images do turn up........

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Hi AMModels, David and Lawrence

 

Looking at the 1902 and the 1945 google map the more it appears to make me believe that what we can recollect seeing of the brickwork of the pump house was most likely just the inner rear wall ‘set’ against the ‘dam wall’ of the reservoir.

 

Pumpingstation_zps82e2c317.jpg

 

Sneyd_zpsd2ac260d.jpg

 

 

From my memories ‘the wall’ complete with ‘engrained archwork’ was set further back from the canal line as indicated in the ordnance map. But hey ho – I’m trusting grey cells from nearly 50 years ago......

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Hi AMModels, David and Lawrence

 

Looking at the 1902 and the 1945 google map the more it appears to make me believe that what we can recollect seeing of the brickwork of the pump house was most likely just the inner rear wall ‘set’ against the ‘dam wall’ of the reservoir.

 

Pumpingstation_zps82e2c317.jpg

 

Sneyd_zpsd2ac260d.jpg

 

 

From my memories ‘the wall’ complete with ‘engrained archwork’ was set further back from the canal line as indicated in the ordnance map. But hey ho – I’m trusting grey cells from nearly 50 years ago......

The retaining wall with arches may well have been just that. the dam isnt very thick on that face and strengthening would seem a obvious thing to be there. As it is not a resevoir anymore there is no regular dam inspection there now, but there would have been in the past.

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I also remember the original Sneyd Inn which is now replaced with a more modern building.

 

 

 

Me too David. In the 60's the locals also used to refer to it as 'Ebbies' - not sure if the license was actually in the wifes name (trying to picture the sign above the door), but the 'gaffer' was John Ebdall (may have spelt that surname wrong?)

 

 

Spoke to my young brother today (the one in the picture of the lion's den) He reliably informs me that he's got a picture of the lock and the Sneyd Inn taken circa 1900. he also said he photocopied it some 15 years or so ago and the then licencee of the Sneyd Inn had it framed and hung it in the pub. Dunno whether its still hanging in there........but he promises me he'll fish his picture out and pass onto me to post it on here. ( My grey cells must be really on the wane, because he tells me that I first showed him the picture some 35 years ago !!!)

Edited by Tony K
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Me too David. In the 60's the locals also used to refer to it as 'Ebbies' - not sure if the license was actually in the wifes name (trying to picture the sign above the door), but the 'gaffer' was John Ebdall (may have spelt that surname wrong?)

 

 

Spoke to my young brother today (the one in the picture of the lion's den) He reliably informs me that he's got a picture of the lock and the Sneyd Inn taken circa 1900. he also said he photocopied it some 15 years or so ago and the then licencee of the Sneyd Inn had it framed and hung it in the pub. Dunno whether its still hanging in there........but he promises me he'll fish his picture out and pass onto me to post it on here. ( My grey cells must be really on the wane, because he tells me that I first showed him the picture some 35 years ago !!!)

 

Now that is fantastic news, I am really looking forward to seeing that image. I would be confident to say that it would probably be the earliest photographic evidence anybody has in their private collection.

 

Not sure I would want to go into the Sneyd Inn nowadays, it would be like stepping into the Cantina at Mos Eisley (Star Wars) :)

 

Thanks, a very interesting piece of historical information.

 

David.

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Another bit of trivia - sorry readers, not about the canal - but the Sneyd Inn. When the original Inn closed down in the early 80s(?) they had a bit of a 'party' on the last night to mark the occasion.

 

At the close of business that night, young brother 'took' the 'Banks Milestone' pub sign, embossed with the name 'Sneyd Inn' as a momento.

 

For a few years he kept the sign in his bedroom, but for many years it has stood propped up against the rear of a shed in my dads garden. I popped round this afternoon to check its condition as its been at the mercy of the elements for so long.

 

Not as large as I originally thought I recollected - stands about 5ft tall. Being made of some form of chip/pressed board it has seen much better days, but as it has stood facing the shed the 'artwork' is still clearly legible

 

I'd better take a photo of it next time I visit just to record 'the event' for posterity before it deteriates further

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In the 60's the locals also used to refer to it as 'Ebbies' - not sure if the license was actually in the wifes name (trying to picture the sign above the door), but the 'gaffer' was John Ebdall (may have spelt that surname wrong?)

 

 

 

Just another thought David - the father in law (RIP) lived at 204 Canalside, Sneyd Junction in the 30s and 40's. 204 Canalside was a house that actually stood below no 1 lock, right on the junction of the canal opposite the BWB buiding/yard (if that is still there?) His father worked worked for BCN/BWB for 56 years - 1906 to 1962, probably hence why they lived there. The father in law followed in his dads footsteps and worked as a brickie on the canals before/after the war.

 

I can remember venturing slightly 'further afield' and playing in that house many times in the late 60s which was then derelict

 

Whilst I (and my generation) typically referred to the Sneyd Inn as 'Ebbies', in the many chats I had with the father in law over the years about the Sneyd Inn he always called it 'Giles' as I understand 'the Giles's owned the farm house/inn many many years earlier

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Here you go David - Sneyd farm house, later to become Sneyd Inn - certainly looks a little more picturesque than how how I remember it did in the 60s and 70s

 

 

SI_zps8bc72a37.jpg

 

Tony, that picture is absolutely amazing.

 

It is incredible how the landscape has changed and agreed it does look like a postcard compared to 70s and 80s.

 

I am trying to get my head around this, presumably the photo was taken from the bank of the reservoir?

 

This must be lock number 4 and further on would have been the top lock number 5?

 

Thank you so much for posting this, a great snapshot of Bloxwich history.

 

David.

 

Ps I have shown my Father the photo and he remembers it as Giles but said he thought the building was white and faced the canal side.

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Hi David – there’s nothing wrong with your father’s memory – the building appears to have changed radically sometime during the next 50/60 years.

 

At the time this picture was taken the 1902 maps do not appear to recognise it as a public house or inn and from what I’m led to believe it was still a farm house owned by ‘The Giles’ family.

 

1902 map

 

Sneyd1902_zpsb537a582.jpg

 

1919 map

 

Sneyd1919_zps13e8f03b.jpg

 

The Sneyd Inn I also remember back in the 60s was rendered and painted white. As your father points out, access was indeed also from the ‘front’ door facing the raised towpath and lock, I think slightly to the left hand side of that tree that stands in front of the building. That entrance was probably introduced for ease of access.(?)

 

I can remember looking out of windows on the ‘southern’ side in what was the bar then.

 

As you entered the Sneyd from that ‘new’ front door there was a glass roofed area to the left of the building with the toilets to the far left hand side. Families used to sit in that area as it was still the days that you had to be 18 to go into a bar.

 

That ‘glass roof’ may have been attached to the wall of what remained of that building/barn to the left hand/northern side, but I’m hypothesising there

 

According to little bro, re the building behind, there was one part wall of this still standing pretty much to the end and it bore the work of graffiti artist named ‘Brocka’ whoever he was

 

Certainly looks like the picture must have been taken from the far bank of the reservoir just before lock 4, but that bank looks like it changed beyond recognition as half way up on the lhs of the photo, slightly higher than the lock gates, there appears to be some curved brickwork at the top of the grassed bank

 

Just noticed from looking at the 2 maps above, you can note the structural changes that appear to have been made to the buildings over just that relatively short period of time......

Edited by Tony K
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Sneyd Reservoir, was at the 510 ft level and had been enlarged by the BCN to 19 acres during 1849. The BCN was also responsible for the provision of a steam pumping engine erected in 1854 for pumping water back from the 473 level. Boulton & Watt provided the engine and two lancashire boilers the steam. By 1909 the feeder had become broken and disrupted by subsidence caused by mining operations at nearby Wood Farm Colliery. The engine and boilers were sold for scrap in April 1909 and the building taken down to a lower level, which I presume were the remains that survived.

 

Water was also supplied by Norton Canal Colliery and this was considered sufficient, if only for a brief period. Norton Cannock Colliery closed in 1910 and the plant was offered for sale im October that year. The BCN then installed a Tangye Oil Engine to pump water from the reservoir and provided a second oil engine in the 1920's. Where and how these engines were housed needs further research to establish a definitive history. They were said to have been disposed of during the War.

 

The question of traffic after Norton Cannock closed also deserves further investigation. There was a pit called Sneyd that was part of the Hilton Main and Hollybank operation which operated at this time and Great Wyrley Colliery sent coal along the tramway to terminus basin. Great Wyrley had become the property of the Nook & Wyrley Colliery Company from 1926, but whether Colonel Wilson the 2ft gauge Manning Wardle tank locomotive continued to work traffic along the tramway to Wyrley Bank terminus remains another question to be established.

 

This locomotive was also scrapped during the war, so perhaps there was traffic, perhaps intermittent, from the Nook pits to and down the Sneyd locks.

 

In addition to the pub shown in this correspondence, there was Sneyd House, which became the BCN offices during the war, when they decided to move out of Daimler House to avoid the bombing.

 

Ray Shill

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Thanks for that extremely interesting post Heartland. Fascinating to read that history of the Sneyd that I only knew in its derelict condition in the 60's.

 

My younger brother knows an elderly gentleman (now in his 80's) who I'm led to believe lived in Sneyd House sometime during the 60s until it was purchased from him in the 70s. Info is a little vague at the moment, but my brother is arranging a meeting in the next couple of weeks with the gentleman who advises that he still has documentation relating to Sneyd house, including plans of it.

 

As I learn more, or lay my hands on any paperwork that may be of interest, I'll keep you posted.

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In 1984, Kathryn Evans, the daughter of local historian Jim Evans, produced a survey of the Sneyd Reservoir, for an O Level Course. Amongst the remains discussed were:

 

1 The remains of the gauging house, a two storey structure, the existing wall was 1 metre thick

2 Bbrick pipe out of reservoir to pump house/ gauging house

3 Brick arch at end of canal arm

4 Canal arm- brick lined

5 Brick sluice opposite archway and slot for sluice gate

6 Remaines of sluice gate at lock 2

7 Brick base for water pump

8 Weir at south end of Sneyd Reservoir

9 Remains of Lock 1

 

Ray Shill

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I have a copy, but I also think it is important to clarify that the "gauging house", and the pumping engine house (as partially demolished) are or are not the same structure. Maps appear to indicate that they are the same.

 

Ray Shill

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Below is a map of Sneyd resevoir from Old Maps, it is the 1902 version 1 2500 which names the pumping station. The arm coming in from the Wyrley level (still partly traceable) is shown in darker blue, the pumping station is shown in pink along with Sneyd house and offices. The wall was between locks 3 and 4 which had the arches in it, but the crossing extant in the 1980's was not the draw bridge which is clearly shown next to top lock. Both Barry Lycett and nyseldf remember these features but not the pump house, on latter OS maps it is gone. Lets hope Ray can post those pictures up.

 

gallery_5000_522_64122.jpg

 

 

Lawrence - the building immediately south below Sneyd House intrigues me. I cant recollect any 'rain guage' - if that what it was - back in the mid 60s' Presume it had vanished by then? Have you (or Ray) any information concerning this building? Its purpose in relation to the canal/reservoir?

 

 

As we crossed lock no4 to the reservoir and descended down the slope to the waters edge I have hazy recollections of a walled expanse (perhaps 20 to 30ft long by 15 ft high??? )in that north corner with a grilled sluice channel set in it. However it was pretty overgrown with brambles which inhibited the natural curiosity of us 'exploring' kids back then.

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Lawrence - the building immediately south below Sneyd House intrigues me. I cant recollect any 'rain guage' - if that what it was - back in the mid 60s' Presume it had vanished by then? Have you (or Ray) any information concerning this building? Its purpose in relation to the canal/reservoir?

 

 

As we crossed lock no4 to the reservoir and descended down the slope to the waters edge I have hazy recollections of a walled expanse (perhaps 20 to 30ft long by 15 ft high??? )in that north corner with a grilled sluice channel set in it. However it was pretty overgrown with brambles which inhibited the natural curiosity of us 'exploring' kids back then.

 

Cant help on the "rain gauge" but the walled expanse did have the feeder set into the top, some of that is still there I think,

Laurence

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Me too David. In the 60's the locals also used to refer to it as 'Ebbies' - not sure if the license was actually in the wifes name (trying to picture the sign above the door), but the 'gaffer' was John Ebdall (may have spelt that surname wrong?)

 

 

A correction - whilst we did refer to the Sneyd Inn as 'Ebbies' a friend reminded me that it was also known as 'Bilstons' and the licence was actually in the name of Edna Bilston. With the passage of time I must have drempt up the name Ebdall :blush:

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Had quite a lengthy chat on Saturday with a friend who used to live in the prefabs in the 50s before the Mossley Estate was built. Really interesting some of the tales - wished I'd got a tape recorder running

 

He advises that the buildings immediately 'south' of Sneyd House were stables.

 

What I found incredible was his information regarding the 'rezza man' who used to 'stop' people going over the Sneyd. He recollects that the 'rezza man' actually lived during the 1950s in that building shown on the maps as the pumping station

 

Sometime before 1958 the building was left unoccupied and was subsequently 'demolished' by children who actually 'pulled it down' in 1958

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Looking at the later large scale maps, it seems that a house or structure remained on the pumping engine site after the engine house was pulled down. So I suppose what K Evans noted was the house structure. She shows an image of the back wall which was built into the embankment of the canal arm. In the image is a fireplace and there is mention of plaster on the wall.

 

Ray Shill

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I also decided to check one of my cottage rental lists- an earlier one when the cottages were numbered in 5 districts- District No 4 was the Walsall District; In this list:

 

1 Sneyd Top Lock

2 Sneyd Top Lock

4 No 3 Pond Sneyd

7 Sneyd Junction

8 Sneyd Stop

 

When the numbers were amalgamated, 200 or thereabouts was added to these numbers. It would seem that 4 refers to the house attached to the pumping engine. If it survived through to the 1950's there would have been a 2xx plate on the side of this structure.

 

Ray Shill

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Great stuff Ray - thats my recollection of of what was 'left' of the building in the 60's, just brickwork set into the embankment.....

 

Along with others avidly following this topic, I would love you to do a bit of scanning and posting of the docs and pictures you have of the area.

 

Your cottage rental list is also interesting........ parden the question, when does this date back to? It would certainly be interesting to learn what buidings were originally assigned no 3, 5 & 6 and no longer 'mentioned' in it.

 

Slightly off topic I would assume that building no '7' carried the postal address of 204 Canalside Sneyd Junction during the 30's and 40's as this was the residence of my late father in law

 

RS_zps5a2cd4c4.jpg

 

This building was derelict in the late 60s when I was a child, although I notice on the OS maps from the 1950s it appears then to be described as 'Canal Museum' sometime following the 'vacation' from it of my father in laws family

 

SneydJunction_zps1871317b.jpg

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