Anson Branch Canal
Southern Section - Walsall Canal Junction to M6
December 2009
My exploration of the Bentley Canal led, inevitably, to the Anson Branch which was it's link into the Walsall Canal 'mainline'.
Reed filled bed of Anson Branch Canal
Whereas the Bentley is completely dry and largely obliterated, fate has treated the Anson more kindly. It can be argued that it remains in water throught although I use the phrase 'in water' somewhat guardedly. What that actually means is that the canal bed is wet, but filled with reeds.
Anson Branch Junction with Walsall Canal
The junction with the Walsall Canal is recognisable and the length up to the M6 remained navigable till at least the mid 1970's. The first 400 yards are now clogged with reeds, but not so choked that you can walk acress the canal bed, if you know what I mean.
Bentley Canal Junction with Anson Branch Canal
This short canal has two aqueducts along its length, one over a tributary of the River Rea and then a larger associated bore, which used to contain a railway track but is now used as part of the Monarch's Way cycle track.
Bentley Mill Way bridge over Anson Branch Canal
The junction with the Bentley Canal is dignified by a stretch of open water with a pipe bridge behind, but this illusion of a living canal is short lived. The watered section comes to an abrupt end at Bentley Mill Way bridge, which has it's northern portal bricked up.
Beyond Bentley Mill Way the line of the canal enters the Junction 10 Retail Park, it's exact route visible by a line of trees and a stand of ventlation shafts. One can only assume the the canal bed and cutting was used for infill. This line is emphatically terminated by the towering embankment of the M6 but I was delighted to find a photo of Tony Clayton's boat Linton pressed up against this obstacle in 1974. It is believed that this was that last time any boat made it this far.
Anson Branch Canal track next to Showcase Cinema J10 of the M6
The Anson Branch does have more to offer beyond the M6, but time and light was against us, so we beat a hasty retreat back to Wednesfield Junstion. The remainder of the Anson Branch will still be there for another day's exploration.
I leave you with a photo of one of the last boats to reach the M6 Culvert sometime before 1977
I leave you with a photo of one of the last boats to reach the M6 Culvert sometime before 1977
(Belatedly) Happy Christmas. Do keep going with writing up the lost watery byways of the BCN. They are really enjoyable reading and have fired me up to do the same in the coming year.
ReplyDelete- Mark
Mark
ReplyDeleteThanks - I am glad you have found them of continued interest. I havnt got any more "in the can" and have been pondering the next outing. Maybe a return to the end of the Ridgeacre, but more likely a look at the lost section of the Cannock Extension.
I am not sure whether you meant to say Tony Clayton, as our boat reached the M6 in 1974, and there is a photo on my website at www.tonycanalpics.co.uk
ReplyDelete- Tony Clayton
Tony
ReplyDeleteMy apologies - I intended to go back and correct that, add the name of your boat ant make a link - but forgot. I love your website.
Andy
A comment I dont want to lose.
ReplyDeleteI have just come across this site. I was born on Pleck Road and am now getting on in years. I have just seen the pictures of the Reedswood Anson branch of our canal system. I knew this area like the back of my hand! In the 1940 early 50`s, from Reedswood [Bentley] near the end of the canal we used to hire rowing boats for 2p an hour for kids from Tom Pearsall and used to row along this canal to where the canal turned orange from the Copper works discharge [killing all the fish]. The Anson canal was destoyed with the alteration of Wolverhampton Road Bridge to make way for M6 Traffic. Frank Parkers farm was approximately where the motorway island is. The space between the island and Alumwell school was farmland where we picked spuds for Parker.
On the right at the Reedswood end of Anson canal just inside the Reedswood Park fence was the open air swimming pool [now gone] - mostly not used during WW11 so us kids used to squeeze between the railings and join the frogs in the water.
Bentley common, the quarry, canal, the 'leg of mutton, The Square and Three Perch pools, the burning railway embankment tip' were the haunts of my childhood never to be replaced - destroyed forever by the building of Gypsy Lane estate [Beechdale] and by the biggest motorway bottleneck cock up in the whole of Europe - the M6!