Locks one to six
The upper section of the Bentley Canal lingered on well into the 1970's, with the top four locks navigable till at least 1973, if you didn't mind reversing out.
The sad decay of the area attracted generations of canal enthusiasts and as a result we have a veritable smorsgaboard of archive images - which is just as well because absolutely nothing survives in the present day.
Its hard to pick out the best so I have adopted the more is more approach and i leave you to be the judge.
If I had known how many images would come to light I may have split the post into smaller lengths.
Junction with the Bentley Branch on 1st September 1963 as taken by H E Evans
Photo courtest of the Canal and River Trust's National Waterways Archive
Old Bentley Bridge 1973 Ian Huselbee
Bentley Bridge and Junction 1973 - Ian Huselbee
New Cross Bridge from the Junction Bridge on 1 September 1963 as photographed by H E Evans
Ian Huselbee 1973
Gauging Lock at Bentley Junction 1971 - Edward Paget-Tomlinson
Spring 1984
1986
Feb 1985
Wednesfield Junction 1958
Spring 1984
Spring 1984
Laurence Hogg Collection
Ian Huselbee 1973
Bentley Locks one and two Spring 1984
Bentley Top Lock - Wolverhampton Archive
1973 - Ian Huselbee
Ian Huselbee 1963
Locks 1 to 3 - 1986
John Fellows
Leaving Top Lock A - Farand Radley
1975
1975
Laurence Hogg Collection
Colin Sidaway
Bentley Top Lock by Colin Sideaway
1956 (HNBC Weaver)
Laurence Hogg Collection
1973 Ian Huselbee
Toll House at Wednesfield Junction 1958
BCN Lock Cottage 245 in Spring 1985
1985
The demolished remains of the top lock cottage in the summer on 1985
Bentley locks 1 and 2
Bollard at Lock One - 1986
Top Lock 1973 Ian Huselbee
1976
1976
Balance beam - Lock 1 spring 1984
Top Lock in 1973 Ian Huselbee
Lock One - 1986
Top Lock in1986
Bentley Top Lock and cottage on 1 Sept 1963 by H E Evans
Photo by Steve King
Locks one to three - 1986
Lock 4 - photographer unknown
Lock Two - 1986
1986
Lock 2 Spring 1984
Lock 2 1976
Above Lock Three -1986
Lock 3 to Lock 4 1974 - Photographer unknown
Lock 3 downhill
The decline of Lock 3
Locks 3 to 1- Laurence Hogg
1986
Spring 84
Laurence Hogg Collection
Lock 3 1982 - David Morris
Lock 3 - Feb 1985
Laurence Hogg Collection
Locks 3, 2 and 1 1956 - (HNBC P Weaver)
Colourised version of the above
Lock 3 1973 Ian Huselbee
Bollard detail at Lock 3 in1973 Ian Huselbee
Locks 3 to 1
Laurence Hogg Collection
Lock 4 with Cottage 1975
Locks 4 to 3 - Laurence Hogg
Above Lock Four - Laurence Hogg Collection
Ian Husselbee
Ian Huselbee 1963
Lock Four - Ian Huselbee 1963
Lock 4 on 1 September 1963 by H E Evans
BCN cottage at Lock 4 Ian Husselbee
Ian Husselbee
Lock Cottage at Lock 4 - Ian Huselbee 1963
Ian Huselbee 1963
Ian Huselbee 1963
Laurence Hogg Collection
Well Lane Bridge - Ian Husselbee
Well Lane Bridge Plate in situ
And its current home in the USA, with a copy
OK - perhaps a bit nerdy, but two of the actual nails which held it to Well Lane Bridge....
Lock 4 is buried - Laurence Hogg Collection
Pound above lock Six in 1965 - Ian Husslebee
Pound above lock Six
Weldless Tube Works - A F Radley
A few years before - Laurence Hogg Collection
1975
To Merrills Hall Bridge circa 1966 - Clive Taylor
Lock Six to Lock Five - Laurence Hogg Collection
Lock six to lock five circa 1968 - Clive Taylor
A Site of Locks six and five - F Radley
Weldless Steel Tube Works 1 Sept 1963 by H E Evans
Weldless Tube Works 1947
Locks five and six 1956 (HNBC Weaver)
Locks six and five 1968 (Jack Haddock)
Locks six and five - Laurence Hogg Collection
Locks 6 and 5 on 1 Sept 1963 by H E Evans
Colourised version of the above image
Neachells
Neachells and Merrils Hall Bridge
Merrils Hall Bridge and Weldless Steel with Neachell Branch Junction
Merrils Hall Bridge in 1952 - Revision Point Survey Wolverhampton Archive
Hills Bridge - Peter Kennedy
Hills Bridge
Weldless Steel Tube Co Ltd with Hills Bridge and Watery Lane Bridge beyond
Bentley Canal bed looking south at the Neachell Junction
Looking North to Hills Bridge
Neachell Branch Bridge 1965 Ian Husslebee
Rail Bridge on Neachell Branch - Ian Husselbee
Watery Lane Bridge on Neachell Branch 1952 - Revision Point Survey Wolverhampton Archive
Aerial View of Locks 1 to 4
Photo courtest of the Canal and River Trust's National Waterways Archive
Photo courtest of the Canal and River Trust's National Waterways Archive
Iced up Wednesfield Junction
Photo courtesy of the Canal and River Trust's National Waterways Archive
Wednesfield Junction 1958
Bentley Locks 1-3
Top Lock and Cottage 1973 Ian Huselbee
Bentley top lock from junction bridge
Bentley Top Lock 1958
Bentley Top Lock 1958
Toll House at Wednesfield Junction 1958
Bentley locks 1 and 2
Top lock cottage
In happier times
Navigating lock One in 1971 - Hugh Potter
Courtesy of Canal and River Trust's National Waterways Archive
Locks 1 - 3
Locks one to three - 1986
1977
Lock 3 slides into oblivion....
Lock 3 downhill
The decline of Lock 3
Lock 3
Abandoned lock gates in 1973 (Hugh Potter)
Locks 3 to 5
Courtesy of Canal and River Trust's National Waterways Archive
Bentley Lock 4
Passage blocked out of Lock 4 in 1971 - beneath Well Lane Bridge (Hugh Potter)
Aerial view of Bentley Lock 4
Locks 4 and 5
Lock 5
Pound above lock Six
Today
A Site of Locks six and five - F RadleyCourtesy of Canal and River Trust's National Waterways Archive
Weldless Steel Tube Works towards lock 5 - Mid 1960's Source unknown
1970's - Source Unknown
Weldless Steel Tube Works towards lock 5 - Mid 1960's Source unknown
1970's - Source Unknown
Courtesy of Canal and River Trust's National waterways Archive
Below Lock Six
Neachells Bridge
Aeriel view of Lock 6 and Neachell Branch
Neachell Branch Canal
South of Neachell Junction
Neachell Branch
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).
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