I’m in the process of featuring the Stratford-on-Avon canal in the Photos by Canal section. Browsing my libraries, I found I didn’t have any decent photos of the Kings Norton junction. So, as today was bright and sunny (damn cold as well!), I jumped in the car and drove the 5 miles hoping it wouldn’t cloud over and there would be boats passing to enhance the scene. I arrived at around 11:30 and encountered six boats in the space of 40 minutes – pretty good for this time of the year. Five were coming from the South up the Worcs and Brum and turning right along the Stratford – my (groundless) guess is that they were cruising the Avon Ring.
Luckily I managed to get some shots of them passing Bridge 1 with its two gate Stop Lock at the start of the Stratford. This was built in 1802 to stop water being lost from the Worcs and Brum.
But the really fantastic scene was the junction itself with the splendid footbridge 72 over the northern section of the Worcs and Brum. Here I met Kevin O’Donnel, a very friendly ex schoolmaster, with his two handsome dogs Belle and Fleur so named by his daughter who studies languages. You can see Kevin in the gallery below, he loves to come and sit on the bench by the junction and watch the boats pass – his daily perch during walking the dogs – so lucky for him!
He told me that he used to bring his class down to the canal and explain the parallel transport systems of canal – rail – road, to give them an appreciation of our heritage – very applaudable.
We discussed the major companies that provided work in past decades for many Birmingham people – the Austin works (nearby) and Fort Dunlop (tyres). He pointed out that the canals were used by the Luftwaffe to find their way to the Austin to drop bombs; at the time it was producing planes and arms for the war effort as well as cars – the Longbridge complex was just two miles from this junction. There is a new plant there now, designing the and assembling the new breed of MG cars for the Chinese owner, the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation – I’ve been on a visit there and it’s very high tech and very impressive.
Below is a gallery of photos I took – click on a photo to display an enlarged view.
