BCN Bridges

Following the piece on Bradley Maz Sinclair has made the following
observation

"Thank you for your intersting article. Back in the 1970's the
Droitwich Canals Trust was given a simple iron bridge of early design
from the Bradley Canal at Darlaston by B.W.. We physically carried the
curved sides to our lorry on the road.It was placed in a field by Lock
4 above Porters Mill with the intention of using it across the mooring
basin in Vines Park at some time in the future. Regards Max"

BCN and the associated West Midland Waterways drew on the skills of local
ironmasters and iron founders who provided a number of iron bridges that
fulfilled various roles as

(1) Side Bridges for Towparth
(2) Turnover Bridges
(3) Road Bridges over the waterway
(4) Foot Bridges over the waterway
(4) Aqueducts

Those who know the BCN will be well acquainted with the Horseley Company,
whose engineering works, foundry and furnaces were located at Tipton beside
the Toll End Communication.

It was there that iconic structures such as the Galton Bridge across
Smethwick Deep Cutting was cast. Building the New Main Line led to a number
of side and turnover bridges being supplied by Horseley to the BCN such as
those dated 1827 at Deep Cutting/ Old Turn Junction and the 1824 Bridge
known as Pelsall Works Bridge over the Wyrley & Essington Canal

The Horseley Bridge dated 1829 is an enigma. This bridge crosses the Wyrley
& Essington Canal to carry the towpath over the main waterway to the
Anglesey Branch. As the original canal feeder was not converted into a
navigable canal until the years 1850/1851, the purpose of erecting a bridge
there in 1829 is not clear. It is generally assumed the bridge was moved
from another location, probably from a section where construction of the
Stour Valley Railway caused diversion of the BCN.

The names of other iron founders are perhaps less well known, but a list of
these might be useful to put together and also deserving further research.

For example

(a) Toll End Iron Works- bridges New Main Line at Dudley Port and Junction
of Netherton Tunnel Branch

There were several Toll End Ironworks located near the BCN Walsall Branch
including those that belonged to John Bagnall & Sons and another that were
owned by Motteram & Deeley

(b) New Main Line at Ladywood- Thompson, Astbury & Co

Astbury and Co were located in Rolfe Street

(c) William Whitmore iron Founder Lionel Street, Birmingham

Perhaps most well known for the manufacture of Edstone Aqueduct, Stratford
upon Avon Canal.

(d) John Bradley & Co, Stourbridge
The two canal basins into the Bradley Works, one built before the other.
They were spanned by a brick and an iron footbridges to carry the towpath
of the Stourbridge Arm. The iron footbridge carries the name John Bradley,
Coalbrookdale. It is generally accepted that this bridge was made before the
foundry was established at Stourbridge (John Bradley & Co- did make bridges)
and the supplier was Coalbrookdale- that is the Coalbrookdale Company famous
for the Iron Bridge over the Severn. However it is not usual for makers to
also give the customer. James Foster trading as John Bradley & Co were
asociated with the Barnetts Leasowe Furnaces near Jackfield after 1821.

(e) Highfields Foundry- Thomas Perry
Thomas Perry owned the Highfields Foundry, which was located at Ettingshall
on a branch off the Bradley Loop not far from the Bankfield Ironworks
recently discussed on Canalscape. They provided the side bridge that carries
the towpath over the entrance to the Chillington Ironworks Basin ( Later
Monmore Green Interchange Basin).

Ray Shill
13 08 2007