Brades and The Gower Branch

Brades and The Gower Branch

The Brades is one of five connection between Brindley's Old Mainline and Telfords New Mainline, but has the distinction of having the sole surviving staircase pair of locks on the BCN (there were two others to my knowledge but both were privately owned and have been lost.

Claytons tar Tanker Frome rising into Brades Top Lock - BCNS Archive

Brades Locks - BCNS Archive

The following three images were probably taken at Brades and show how a single handed boatman could move two narrowboats as a single entity, with the butty in front:

Photographer unknown -  BCNS Archive

Brades 1956 - Source Sandwell Archive RPS

Postcard of the Brades circa 1930 BCNS Archive

Brades Works Basin - Source Sandwell Archive RPC

Brades Works Basin 1956 - Source Sandwell Archive RPS

Brades Works Basin - R S Gregory

Brades Works Basin - Source Sandwell Archive RPS

The above photos have been assembled from various sources, including those freely found on the internet. My thanks go to the many photographers alive and dead who have contributed to this collection and in so doing, are keeping the memory of these lost canals alive. These images are reproduced for ease of research are are not necessarily the property of this blog, and as such should not be used for commercial gain without the explicit permission of the owner (whoever that may be).