We were now on new waters, as we hadn't done the Tame Valley Canal before. In less than two miles from Salford Junction we arrived at the bottom of the Perry Barr lock flight. Here was a curious roofless brick building bearing the name Grid House (on the left in the top photo). Any ideas as to what it was for?
Photographer Keith Berry doesn't know either, and he appears to doubt its existence.
4 comments:
Don't quote me on this but I seem to recall hearing(somewhere)that it was part of an earlier back pumping system. Seem plausible?
Graham & Jill are correct. The Tame Valley Canal and of course Perry Barr Locks were built very late in the building of canals anywhere - opened in 1844. (Rushall Canal was finished in 1847) The grid house at the bottom is in a bad state of repair and although a group from the Black Country did a tidy up & fenced it, I'm afraid there is a minority of people who enjoy destroying such constructions. There is another grid house at the top lock. This one has a use - BW use it for storage so it's in a good state. These grid houses were part of a water circulatory system.
The water was pumped up the locks from the canal in the time of commercial use, also using water from Perry Wells, when water stocks were low, from No.2 valve below lock 7.
The Tame Valley Canal was orginally built to releive the congestion at Farmers Bridge Locks. These Perry Barr Locks were referred to as "The New 13" as opposed to Farmers Bridge being "The Old 13".
Hope this helps!
Graham and Jill, and, especially, Brenda, thank you. Interestingly, there seems to be an outflow of water by this bottom lock grid house.. Perhaps the bywash from the lock was routed via the grid house ready for pumping back up the flight.
Hi Halfie, Shadow has just past us heading away from Hillmorton on the Oxford.
Sunday 17.07
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