TIPTON GAUGING HOUSE
If a new canal use for the Gauging House can be secured, there are many historical facts, which might add to the visitor attraction of the area.
Although conversion to housing might preserve a building whose future, in an unoccupied state, would be less certain should it be targeted by vandals, yet another accommodation alteration may be another opportunity lost.
The BCN Society is fortunate in the use of the restored Engine House at Titford. The Dudley Canal Trust have a similar advantage in the Blowers Green Engine House, which are both important heritage features. There is no reason why the Tipton Gauging House might not join Titford and Blowers Green in the service of community interests.
Neither must it not be forgotten why the house was built in the first place. There was a perfectly usuable station at Smethwick that might have dealt with the day to day requirements of gauging in a similar fashion as the surving Bradford upon Avon Gauge Station on the Kennet & Avon Canal.
During the late 1860's new pressure was being brought to bear by the traders in view of increasing railway companies for a fairer system of sending coal by boat. The prevailing longweight system that made allowances for loss and weights in excess of the ton were treated as "tons" resulted in certain inequalities for coal despatch.
The decision by the BCN to gauge all boats and create gauging tables to verify the loading of all boats led to the reconstruction of Smethwick and building of the Tipton house to cope with the new demand.
It is the sequence of events that led to the building of Tipton Gauge Station that make it a unique structure and a candidate perhaps for a higher grade listing. It certainly deserves better future, having survived this long.
Ray Shill
Industrial Historian
Offline 
Send Email