Back to Brum.

When we were ready to go we decided on a walk round the Local Nature Reserve as the sun was shining and it felt nice and warm. The land was owned by the Earl of Dudley and it contained coal mines, clay pits, blast furnaces, iron foundries, boiler works, timber yards and brickworks along with boat yards. When the mines closed and the other industries fell away. The Earl left the land to the Council and stated that it was not to be built in.

The four bridges at the junction are Grade II listed and were built in 1830. When the Netherton tunnel was opened in 1858 it was to relieve the congestion at Dudley and Lapal Tunnels. However the canal that it was connecting to was a contour canal and so would have problems of it's own. The Boshboil and Bumble Hole arms were actually a loop of the old canal. They used the waste from cutting the tunnel to build an embankment that cut off the loop and left what is there today. There were three mines in the area, Windmill End and Warren Hall No.1 and No.2. When the Windmill End pit was dug in 1830 it started to flood. A pumping engine was installed in 1831 but the Cobb's Engine Engine was installed in 1836. The water removed was added to the canal. It was shut down in the 1920's during the General Strike and when restarted it couldn't cope with the flooding and the mines were closed soon after. The Engine was closed in 1925. The small steam engine pump was removed and was sent to the USA for Henry Ford's museum.

This canal basin was where boats loaded coke and breeze. (Breeze is the fine particles of coke). The coke ovens were just near the basin. They also loaded coal from the Warren's Hall Pit No.2 that was up the hill. The coal arrived by an inclined tramway.

The Cobb's Engine House and canal junction from Tansley Hill.

A touch of spring colour in the woods.

After our walk we set off after topping up with water at the well used visitor centre about 1120. Once through the other side of the hill the sun had gone and it was cold and drizzly. The New Main Line runs next to the railway for much of it's route. None of the drivers waved!

Different style bridges from the same Company from different dates.

The Old and New Lines run parallel and were connected by the Smethwick pumping station that pumped water up to the higher Old Main Line.

The New Main Line cut of the loops of the old contour canal but they were retained for access to the companies that had set up along them. On the left can be seen one entrance to the Soho Loop that served the Soho Foundry that was a ground breaking factory. The old canal would have crossed to the nearest arm on the right that became the Cape Loop and Arm that was then continued to what is now the Winson Green loop. The second entrance on the right (hidden by a bush) that was the entrance into a factory from the New Line.

We moored up down the Oozells Loop and straight away the rain and hail started. We settled in for the final 'Line of Duty' on the box. We managed to get a signal right between the buildings.