Wrapping up series two of Canal Hunter

Wrapping up series two of Canal Hunter
April 2019

For the readers who don't subscribe to Canal Hunter on YouTube, but like to follow my exploration of lost canals, here are all the links to the second series.

The second series follows the extended Birmingham Canal out to Wolverhampton and the Staffs and Worcester Canal at Aldersley, exploring the lost sections which attach to it.

1. Titford branches including Tat Bank, Causeway Green and Portway Branches.

2. Oldbury Loop plus the Chemical Arm and Rattlechain Lagoon

3. Toll End Communication Canal and the Haines Branch

4. Wednesbury Oak Loop to Bradley

5. Bradley Locks and Gospel Oak Branches

6. Basins of Wolverhampton

7. Around the Wolverhampton 21 Locks\

Whilst not on the BCN, I also made a short video in Manchester looking for the Manchester and Salford Junction Canal

With the trees coming back into leaf and the undergrowth obscuring the remains on the ground, that brings my hunt for lost canals to an end for the season. However, I suspect that my enthusiasm for canal linked history will result in a few more videos over the summer! 

Happy Hunting.

Chillington Wharf - a backstage pass

Chillington Interchange Basin Wolverhampton
April 2019

As part of my Canal Hunter video series I was given a supervised visit to Chillington Wharf by kind permission of the owners, DB Cargo (UK) Ltd. 

This is, to the best of my knowledge, the best preserved interchange basin on the BCN, It comes complete with its canopy and loading crane.

If you have ever passed on the Main Line Canal you will have probably glimpsed it and wondered what is behind the barbed wire. Well, here are some high resolution photos which you may find interesting.

The black and white image was taken in about 1990.

There used to be a second arm to the basin, but this was demolished and was replaced by the iconic crane structure and its overhead rails.

I picked up a lot of video footage as well which I will include in the next Canal Hunter episode, but given the significance of the site I thought you may like to linger over the photos at your leisure.

Please be aware that this site is part of a working rail / road interchange and is surrounded by barbed wire for good reason!