New Main Line heading out of Birmingham
November 2025
Its a bit tricky to define the area heading out of Birmingham towards Smethwick and Tipton, but its a stretch of canal which is rich on history.
H E Evans was certainly fascinated by the area and he left behind a great collection of photos from the early 1960's, offering a fascinating insight into the canalside landscape 60 years ago.
At some point I will try and track down these locations and turn the archive photos into a set of "then and nows", and probably a Canal Hunter video, but for now I though I would order them in sequence as you leave the city, ready for the next phase of the project.
Please note that the H E Evans photos come from CRT's National waterways Archive and my thanks goes to them for maintaining them for us all to enjoy.
A scene vastly altered by time. This was the western entrance to the Oozells St Branch taken from Vincent St on 3.11.1963
Source H E Evans CRT National Waterways Archive
Icknield Port Road / Monument St Bridge in 24.11.63
Source H E Evans CRT National Waterways Archive
Near Soho Junction 25.3.62 Source H E Evans CRT National Waterways Archive
Crossover of Icknield Port Loop (right) with Soho Loop (left) 24.11.63
Source H E Evans CRT National Waterways Archive
24.11.63 Source H E Evans CRT National Waterways Archive
Harborne Railway Bridge (LNWR No2 under Northbrook St on 24.11.63
Source H E Evans CRT National Waterways Archive
Lee Bridge carrying Dudley Road (built in 1826) 24.11.63 Source H E Evans CRT National Waterways Archive
Western entrance to Soho Loop at Winson Green 24.11.63
Source H E Evans CRT National Waterways Archive
Winson Green Toll House near Soho Branch junction in 27.11.60 Notes say it was present on 25.3.62 but gone by 3.11.63
Source H E Evans CRT National Waterways Archive
Crossover Bridge at Winson Green Island 24.11.63 Source H E Evans CRT National Waterways Archive
BCN New mainline near Soho Foundry with the entrance to the Cape Arm on the right 25.3.62
Source H E Evans CRT National Waterways Archive
Entrance to the Cape Arm on 24.11.63 Source H E Evans CRT National Waterways Archive
Crossover Bridge into the "Avery Loop" (I have never found a better name for it) opposite the Cape Arm entrance in 24.11.1963 Source H E Evans CRT National Waterways Archive
A classic industrial skyline approaching Smethwick Junction on 20.10.1963 Source H E Evans CRT National Waterways Archive
Short unnamed arm near Smethwick Junction to the rear of Cornwall St on 24.11.63 Source H E Evans CRT National Waterways Archive
View south from Rabone Lane Bridge (lattice bridge carried railway to Foundry Lane Gasworks Source H E Evans CRT National Waterways Archive
Looking north towards Smethwick Junction from Rabone Lane Bridge 24.11.63 Source H E Evans CRT National Waterways Archive
Smethwick Junction on 20.10.63 Source H E Evans CRT National Waterways Archive
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