De Do Do - The last DM3?

www.russellnewbery.co.uk/Register

The journal of the Russell Newbery Engine Owners & Enthusiasts Club

De Do Do - The last DM3?

The Stourbridge Canal

Membership tops 250!

Issue 69Spring 2011

2 RNR Newsletter : Spring 2011

WHO’S WHORUSSELL NEWBERY REGISTER LTD

Vice Presidents: Lady Carol Stamp, Mrs Susan Gibbs, Dav-id ThirlbyWeb site: www.russellnewbery.co.uk/RegisterThe Russell Newbery Register is a non profit distributingcompany limited by guarantee.Founded: 1994 Registered in England No: 346943Officers:Chairman (Director): David Kay Phillipst: 01562 700365 m: 07831 285559Secretary (Director): Kevin McNiffm: 07866 424988 [email protected]: Norman C Mitchellt: 01452 415420 [email protected] (membership, finance): Rob Davies55 Noddington Lane, Whittington, Lichfield, Staffs. WS149PAt/f: 01543 432079 m: 07801 [email protected] (newsletter)Editor: Kevin McNiff (as above)Production: Andrew Laycock m: 07870 [email protected] (merchandise): Neil MasonHillcrest, Chapel Lane, Westhumble, Surrey. RH5 6AHt: 01306 889073 [email protected] Organiser: Kevin McNiff (as above)Webmaster: Andrew Laycock (as above)

RUSSELL NEWBERY REGISTER PROPERTY LTD

A non profit distributing company limited by guaranteeFounded 2004 Registered in England No: 5316384Directors: Stephen Burt, Clive Henderson, Rob Davies

RN DIESEL ENGINE CO LTD

4 Oak House, Royal Oak Way North, Royal Oak IndustrialEstate, Daventry NN11 8PQ t: 01327 700023

The Register’s associate Company provides new engines,spares and re-builds.

Managing Director: David Kay Phillips t: 01327 700023Field Engineers: Ian Crompton m: 07831 841108Richard Milligan m:07973 826260

All Enquiries: [email protected]

Corporate Member

CONTENTSFront cover: The iconic view of the Red House glass conefrom lock 9 on the Stourbridge Canal. (Photo Andrew Lay-cock)Back cover: NB Callisto near Fradley Junction. (Photo Wa-terway Images)

3 CHAIRMAN’S CHAT FROM THE EDITOR MEMBERSHIP TOPS 250

4 NEWS FROM THE WORKS AGM NOTICES BOATS FOR SALE

5 WATERWAYS FESTIVAL 2011 Formerly the “National”

RNR ACCOUNTS RALLY UPDATE DROITWICH CANAL NEWS

6 DE DO DONorman Mitchell’s account of the birth of NB Arthurcomplete with the centenary coloured DM3

RCR UPDATEImportant information on membership application andrenewal

8 THE STOURBRIDGE CANALAndrew Laycock presents a potted history of our 2011rally venue and the surrounding canal

Unless otherwise noted, Copyright © Russell Newbery Register, 2011

With the changes in fuel andadditives, the prospect of a breakdown mayhave potentially increased.

Remember that RNR members benefit from adiscount on all levels of cover so why not join upthis year.

And while we are on the subject, filters are avail-able from the RN Diesel Engine Company.

Next editionAll contributions for the Summer 2011edition will be gratefully received. Donot worry about format — in true RNfashion the editorial team can cope withalmost anything!

Copy deadline is 15th July 2011

3RNR Newsletter : Spring 2011

News since Christmas seems to have been very slow butone must go on.

The gas bill arrived a few days ago, which was quite re-warding after the winter we have had. We replaced theboiler last year and the house wall cavities are all insulat-ed, the result is a smaller gas bill.

NB May has withstood the winter well; thank goodness Idrained tanks and pipes before the heavy frosts, so nodamage to the system.

I must thank all members for all your good wishes for a fullrecovery from my operation, my surgeon is quite happy

that all is clear of cancer but he still can’t fit a speechvalve until my throat has healed completely. Eleanor’s lipreading skills are still needed for me to communicate. Sheis improving, some days I have to use my writing board,and my writing is terrible, but we manage.

The RNR Rally this year is being held at the Bonded Ware-house in Stourbridge, which is most convenient for us, it’sabout four hours running from our home mooring and Ithink that we can manage a journey of that distance.

See you soon, have a safe journey.

A quick word from ‘Er below decks’. Yes, David is pro-gressing very well, is now pottering in the garden andchecking on the boat now and again. I am looking forwardto seeing you all at the Rally – let’s hope we haven’tblinked and missed the summer!

See you, best wishes

Chairman’s Chat

From The EditorSpring has sprung and what a great start towhat we all hope is a great cruising season.Of course there are already doom merchantswho speak of drought conditions but when Istarted on my first canal holiday in thespring of 1976 – now that was year of thedrought!

No doubt you’ve carried out the all-impor-tant pre cruise checks and are now either onthe cut or about to set out; so whether youare coming to the RNR rally or just goingboating, have a good road!

When you ring RNDE at Daventry and get theanswer phone – please don’t hang up! Jody isvery much on hand to get your spares pickedand dispatched and if you have an urgentneed, her mobile number is on the answerphone message. Why lose your 10% discountgoing elsewhere? Rally goers remember toorder any filters etc and Jamie will bringthem with him.

In this edition we feature the building of NBand Andrew has taken time out from

essential bar preparations for Stourbridge togive us an insight into the Stourbridge Ca-nal.

Here’s hoping there is enough water in theBCN for us - and everyone else going to thePelsall Rally!

MembershipAlthough a quiet period we have just topped the 250 markand, like your investments, this figure can go up or down!A warm RNR welcome to:

Jeff Perring, Mbabane, Swaziland. NB Blanche

Mark Rowland t/a Star Class Carrying, StocktonNB Callisto

Fred & Sadie Heritage, Whittlesey NB Lynx

[Callisto will be carrying diesel and solid fuel for sale. Ed.]


News from The WorksWell, here we are at the start of what BW call the boating season but, to some of us, it never ends and that is true ofRN Diesel Engine Co.

Although Allister has now finally left the ‘PLANT’ , we are still operating, albeit on a skeleton basis, in order to maintaina positive cash flow during these difficult times. Spare parts sales are holding up well and although the factory is cur-rently only manned by Jody on a Monday, parts can be ordered by email to [email protected] or left on theanswer machine and will be picked up and actioned within seven working days, alternatively, where urgent, Jody canbe contacted direct on her mobile.

Whilst attempting to offer every assistance to members we as for your understanding and forbearance as we have tomanage the business in these difficult times. We do see our ability to weather out the slow down in the economy andlook forward to still being around when conditions improve.

Notice is hereby given that theAnnual General Meeting

ofRussell Newbery Register Property Ltd

will be held atThe Bonded Warehouse, Stourbridge

onSunday 19 June 2010 at 1.45pm

AGENDA

1. Apologies

2. Minutes previous AGM

3. Chairman’s Report

4. Director’s Report

5. Presentation of Accounts y/e 31/12/10

6. Election of Directors

7. Appointment of Accountants

8. Any Other Business

Clive Henderson Secretary

Notice is hereby given that theAnnual General Meeting

ofRussell Newbery Register Ltd

will be held atThe Bonded Warehouse, Stourbridge

onSunday 19 June 2010 at 3.45pm

AGENDA

1. Apologies

2. Minutes of previous AGM

3. Chairman’s Report

4. Director’s Report

5. Presentation of Accounts y/e 30/11/10

6. Election of Directors

7. Appointment of Accountants

8. Any Other Business Kevin McNiff

Secretary

Very reluctantly offered for sale: 70 ft traditional narrowboat, powered by factory remanufactured DM 2. Shell byGraham Reeves, to a modified design, and fitted out (no expense spared) in light oak by Blue Haven. Designedand built with long term cruising in mind with all "mod cons" forward of the engine room and entirely traditional

behind. Full details can be seen on ABNB's web site at www.abnb.co.uk, the boat is called "Jasmine" and is ref-erence number 1761.

NB “Frederick” is For Sale:

60' Stoke-on-Trent Boatbuilders, 1989. IWA Rally winner for best professional boat that year. DM 2 from Upmin-ster (not Vero!). 2 + 2 berths, Webasto CH, Squirrel stove, 2 pump-out toilets, lounge inc arm chairs

Price £43950 More info at www.lonportbrokerage.co.uk

Dave and Nessa are having a new boat built which will have a DM 3 fitted. [3-pots are getting everywhere! Ed.]

**** Boats for Sale ****


The Waterways Festival 2011There will be so much to see and do on the banks ofthe Trent and Mersey Canal when Burton upon Trenthosts The Waterways Festival, previously known asthe National Festival and Boat Show, from Friday 29th

to Sunday 31st July 2011.

This new date is a change from the normal practice inrecent years of holding it over the August Bank Holiday,and has come after significant consultation with exhibitors,attending public and IWA volunteers who are all vital to thestaging of the event.

Nestled to the East of Staffordshire, the historic brewingtown has been chosen for the second time to host theannual celebration, with up to 30,000 people expected toattend.

The three day festival is an exciting and colourful extrava-ganza packed with an array of attractions all aimed atproviding an educational and fun day out for all the family.

Around 350 boats, many decorated, will line up along thewater’s edge. Heritage crafts will also feature strongly atthe festival, with historic working boats on display.

The event is renowned for its high quality entertainmentand history lovers will be drawn to the major Viking battlere-enactment and living camp being staged by the worldfamous Regia Anglorum.

With a reputation for vivid and dramatic entertainment, theMikron Theatre Company will debut a new waterwaysshow called Hell and High Water. There is much more tosee, including live music, water activities and fairgroundrides.

The festival will also host up to 250 exhibitors so whetheryou’re interested in boats and chandlery or just wish tobrowse the many speciality stalls, including clothing, artsand crafts, jewellery and speciality food and drink, thechoice is extensive.

The event itself is organised entirely by a small army ofvolunteers gathered from canal enthusiasts and many fromthe local community of the host area. If you’d like to getinvolved and become a volunteer please contact AnnMayall on 01488 682504.

Make sure you put the date of this national IWA event inyour diary! Advance tickets can be purchased online atwww.thewaterwaysfestival.co.uk. Ticket prices: Single DayAdults £8 (On Gate £10), Single Day Concessions £7 (OnGate £8) and Three Day (day time only) Ticket £15 (OnGate £19). Children under 16 GO FREE when accompa-nied by an adult.

Details supplied by Karen McElroy - Festival Press Office

Income 30.11.10 30.11.09Donations/Dinner 250 2718Mem.Subs 2617 2725Merchandise 1348 1774Rally 4193 3668Rally Raffle 515 8923 594 11479 __________ ___________

Cost of SalesDinner 0 2878Open Stock 313 481Purchases 940 1724Rally 3347 3465Raffle Don'n 515 550Newsletter 1463 1393Don’n BMS 200 6778 10491Close Stock 162 6616 313 10178 _______________________________________

Gross Profit 2307 1301Bk Interest 1 1 _________ ___________ 2308 1302

ExpenditureDepreciation 262 256Secretary 385 597Subscriptions 47 47Sdry Expense 194 209 888 1109 ______________________________________Net Profit/ 1420 193(loss) ________ _________

BALANCE SHEETFixed Assets 786 786Depreciation 750 36 487 299

Current AssetsStock 162 313Debtors 0 0Cash at Bank 2337 1503Rally ResFnd 1000 3535 2155CreditorsDue in 1 year 0 0 ________ _________Net Assets 3535 2155

Russell Newbery Register LtdAnnual Accounts for year ended 30 November 2010TRADING & PROFIT & LOSS

Rally UpdateThe final list of boats planning to attend is now 61 (thelargest rally entry ever), with 2 camper vans and 1 comingby car. A full report and pictures will be published in thesummer edition.

As always at the AGM, suggestions for next year’s loca-tion are taken away and we then choose a venue basedon facilities and available space for around 60 boats. In2012 the location will be in the South, followed by Mid-lands in 2013 and the North in 2014.

If you are not attending but would like to in future years,please let us have your suggestions on locations and theywill be put “in the pot” along with those made at the AGM.

Droitwich Canals NewsOfficial opening is 1-3 July with many events planned. David Wheeler [Chairman of Worcs Birmingham & DroitwichCanals Society] says if all goes to plan, the canal will be open to navigation by the Spring bank holiday - in time for RNrally folk to divert via Droitwich on the way to or back from Stourbridge.


During 2009 the Russell Newbery marque celebrated itscentenary; in recognition of this all the engines built werepainted in the distinctive colour of ‘Manchester Red’ indeference to their city of origin. Out on the system nowthere are a single cylinder, a twin cylinder and a threecylinder, each having its own distinctive sound as follows:One pot – Do Two pot – DeDo Three pot – DeDoDo

Having foolishly decided to order a new boat I had theeven more crack brain idea of owning a centenary 3cylinder and that is where we start! Cruising back from theRally in 2009 via the annual Historic Boat Gathering inBraunston we met up with a couple of chaps with RWDavis Northwich Traders built just down the G&S fromsunny Gloucester. We started thinking, me of a DM3 inred, Pauline of that washing machine she always wantedto keep me turned out ‘nice’. Another 10ft was to answerall our desires and so we popped down to Saul JunctionDry Dock to meet the man of the moment, Phil Trotter. Ihad phoned him and asked what delivery would be on a70ft Trader, his reply was sometime in 2012 if I was to jointhe list but he just happened to have a hull they werebuilding for themselves and if I were quick we couldsecure that very one!

When we met him it was rather daunting, stories of Phil’sintransigence littered the waterways towpath tattle andthere we were in the holy of holies, Phil’s office. We knewenough about the Northwich Trader to recognise thesuperb quality of their steelwork, paintwork and fit out, weneeded to ask some pertinent questions though. CouldPauline have a washing machine fitted, “well I suppose so”says Phil; what windows were best we asked “9 inch or 12inch portholes are all we do and the smaller look the best”was the reply. “What engine do you want?” we were asked,

“possibly a Gardiner?” he said, “no thanks I want to buy anRN DM3” says I. Pauline pushed a note into my hand withthe prompt “bow thruster” on it but I made her broach thequestion! “Well, it can be difficult getting off the bank in astrong wind, especially as you get older, at your age youneed al the help you can get!” was the reply, so we wentfor one, the delivery date was 17th May at 2:15pm so Philcould have a cup of tea after his lunch and we could get tothe RNR Rally in time; we will not disclose the year as itmay cause embarrassment to some!

The hull had reached gunwale level and looked super sowe agreed and signed on the dotted line. Next was to getthe DM3 on the road so to speak, a call to the factoryasking could they produce a 3 cylinder received a positiveresponse so we placed the order. A few slight mods tonormal were agreed, a PRM 500 box with PTO for thehydraulic pump for the thrusters was no problem. I droveover to Holland to visit WillDo the water jet thrustermanufacturers to see what it was all about and placed anorder. The quote we received was in Euros (funny moneyin those heady days) and it was only a smidgeon more toadd a pair of rear water jets to the system so we did! Nowwe were all set for a wait till completion.

The DM3 began to grow, though rather slowly and Jabberwas pushing Allister to meet the deadline, that beingcompletion before the VAT returned to 17.5% at Christ-

mas. Well it was a close run thing but our trailer had theDM3 in place well before Christmas. We discovered theengine bearers needed to be some 32mm higher due tothe change of gearbox and Davis’s readily accommodatedthis. The prop size was sought by the boatbuilder and wewere told the engine manufacturer would have therecommended size, try as we might Jabber back at the‘plant’ was in General Motors’ mode and said to ask theboatbuilder! Impasse, asking around Ian Crompton cameup with the recommendation direct from the RN Altrin-cham records; this was for a 27” x 23” pitch Lister patternweed clearing prop. “What on earth do you want an oldthing like that” we were told, “haven’t seen or fitted one inyears!” So we compromised, the Lister pattern went outthe window but we kept the size! A prop like ours wouldprobably suit a Gloster Gladiator for combat use, talkabout fly!

At last we were asked to deliver the engine to the boatyard; it had stood in all its glory and shrink wrap in ourworkshops at our company premises since coming fromDaventry. Well the engine was duly craned in through thesoft spot and mounted, correctly aligned and shimmed tosuit, the boat transferred to the fitting out shed and awaythe fitters went. On a visit one day we were told the engine

was ready to run so we duly started it; wow, Paulinescreamed and ran from the shed, Craig Glassonbury, theboatyard General Manager, explained the terrible noisebeing due to the fact it was running in the shed! He alsoexplained that they never silence a 3 cylinder Gardiner3LW so that was what they had done fitting the DM3. Alasand alack she rushed into Phil and said you can take thatcrock of c—p out and stick a Gardiner in instead. Craigsuggested a silencer as a peace offering and we proceed-ed in harmony again.

Well all the bits and pieces started to go in, the generator,the Webasto heater the Morso stove, the Wallas dieselfired hob and separate oven plus the washing machine,tumble drier, fridge, freezer and dishwasher were allaccommodated and we moved her to the commercial fuelsuppliers just down the cut at Frampton-on Severn wherewe filled the tank which sits on the base plate just aft ofthe engine ‘ole with the 88 gallons it holds. It is ratherimpressive moving sideways using the bow and sternthrusters together, especially when there is only 72 ft to

DE DO DO The most recent new build DM 3 from the RN works in Daventry.Norman Mitchell tells the story of NB Arthur.


moor in between two boats outside the oil depot. Off intothe Marina at Saul we went and loaded some personalbelongings. The first trip was to be to Gloucester Docks tomoor outside our flat block on West Quay; we noticedrather a lot of black smoke from the stack as we wound onthe power but dismissed this as a running in trait. Whenwe left Gloucester on the following day in the rain andwind, the smoke appeared to be worse, that was probablydue to the rain washing the smuts all over the cabin topand me! At one point we worried that they would need toclose Gloucestershire International Airport thinking theIcelandic volcano was up to its old tricks but the rain curedthat. Richard Milligan’s assistance was enrolled and hediagnosed the fault as a rather short excess fuel pawl onthe rack. Telephone diagnosis is normally reserved forNHS Direct but he was spot on, now after his ministrationsthe DeDoDo runs sweetly and has given up smoking!

You may wonder where the name came from. Paulinecalled the engine a Dodo, after all it was the last DM3 builtto date and she thought it might become extinct!† OurChairman David Kay Phillips expanded on the descriptionat the AGM in Ellesmere Port by adding the De in front torepresent the classic sound of a three cylinder, Dedodo!Our new boat is named ‘Arthur’ after, and as a tribute to,Pauline’s late father who saw the boat just before his 92nd

birthday last November; unfortunately he died on NewYears Eve/Day peacefully in his sleep.

Well, we expect to have flown up the Severn to Stourport-on Severn and on to the Staffs ands Worcester to get tothe rally by the time you read this article. We are confidentthe boat and its superb engine will attend the rally withpride and pomp, then we must rush off to Braunston to

commentate on the Historic Boat Parades on the lastweekend in June to see some really old RNs in workingboats still going strong. Why not come along to Braunstonfor a bit of fun, some cheek, a little real ale or so and lotsand lots of fellowship with the HNBOC crowd. We will begoing to Stoke Bruerne to visit and then to a GrandJunction Lodge meeting in Banbury, by boat. Any Masonsamong you or others going that way please contact me asthe event is white table that is with our ladies present atthe social part and I shall be pleased to invite you to ‘TheBoaters Lodge’ summer meeting. We normally meet in theBoat Inn, Stoke Bruerne in the winter season on a fewMonday evenings.

† Arthur’s DM 3 will very likely be the last new build DM3 asmajor components such as the block, crankshaft and crankcaseare not available and not cost effective to produce one-off. Stockof parts for building DM2s are still on the shelf. [Ed]

Leaving Gloucester Lock at Warp speed!

River Canal Rescue (RCR)RCR have recently re-structured the basis of discountsthat ‘club’ members, including RNR members, enjoy. De-tails are as follows:

15% - on joining + 5% for applying online*5% - on renewal.5% - on Direct Debit payments5% - No Claims Discount up to max. 15%* Note: New members please do not apply online, tele-phone on 01785 785680 to apply and 20% discount(joining plus online discounts) will be afforded.

If you are a member I suggest that you ring them whenrenewing to ensure that the correct discounts are applied.

Russell Newbery Register and R N Diesel Engine Co havean agreement with River Canal Rescue to provide Regis-ter members with a nationwide Breakdown and RecoveryService.

River Canal Rescue operates 24 hours a day, 365 days ayear. Their Russell Newbery trained staff are equippedwith the most up-to-date mapping technology and tools toprovide a fast and efficient service.

Further information and details of membership levels canbe found on www.rivercanalrescue.co.uk. If you have acar you probably have AA/RAC/Green Flag etc. member-ship providing roadside breakdown assistance. If youhaven’t already done so, why not join RCR to have thecomfort of waterside breakdown assistance.

The Mighty E6We had hoped to include two articles in this edition about the RNE6 but have run out of space - a very good position for me as edi-tor since I now have a head start on the Summer issue.

As a taster however, the picture right shows an E6 on the dy-namometer at Dagenham. This “dyno” is the very one now in theworks at Daventry.


Stourbridge Canal — seven miles of canal packed with interestI am especially glad that this year the RNR Rally is takingplace on the Stourbridge canal. It is my favourite canal fortwo reasons. Firstly it was on the banks of this canal thatmy boat was build. Secondly, for a short canal, it has eve-rything.

Actually neither of those two statements are 100% true.There is an eight foot length of my boat which was con-structed on the Warwick & Napton canal when we had herlengthened in 2003. And the Stourbridge canal does nothave a tunnel. It did once, a 56 yard bore under BrettellLane.

The eastern end of the Stourbridge canal starts with anunusual feature — an end on junction. A few yards belowDelph bottom lock, only a very observant boater will noticethe change from the Dudley No1 Canal. There is a smallgap in the cast iron rubbing rail protecting the towpathbank, the rail closest to the lock has “BCN” cast in its up-per surface. This is the only indication of Black DelphJunction.

This would not have been a junction at all if the originalplans of 1775 had come to fruition. The plan was for a sin-gle canal from Stourton to Dudley. However, the Birming-ham Canal company objected. In April of the followingyear, two separate parliamentary bills for separate canalswere passed. Although sharing many shareholders, thetwo companies were separate undertakings. The Stour-bridge was one of the most prosperous canal companies,it remained independent until nationalisation in 1948. TheDudley, incurred high capital costs building extensions,including the No2 line to Selly Oak, and high maintenancecosts as a result of subsidence caused by mining. Conse-quently, in October 1845, the Dudley Canal companyagreed an amalgamation with the BCN. A few months ear-lier, the BCN had reached an agreement with the London& Birmingham Railway which included a dividend guaran-tee in return for land on which to construct railways.

Like most of the canals of the Black Country, the banks ofthe Stourbridge east of Wordsley were, until the middle ofthe 20th century, lined with industry. However these werenot the heavy metal industries and collieries of the Dudleyarea, but brickworks, glassworks and brass foundries. Thereason is the underlying geology, earth with high silicacontent.

Five furlongs from The Delph is a railway bridge carryingwhat was once the Stourbridge to Dudley portion of theOxford, Worcester & Wolverhampton Railway. TheOW&WR became a major competitor of the StourbridgeCanal. Relations were never friendly, at times acrimonious.In 1854 a dispute concerned transshipment at Wheeley’sironworks basin, which ran parallel to the canal almost thewhole distance between the railway bridge and BrettellLane. The canal company threatened closure of the basin,but eventually an agreement was reached. This includedthe construction of the Bromley and Stourbridge inter-change basins. The march 1989 edition of WaterwaysWorld contains a detailed description of the dispute.

Another dramatic event occurred at Wheeley’s bain in No-vember 1903 when the canal collapsed into mine workingsunderneath. The coal miners were legally required not to

mine coal within 12 yards of the canal line. However, thiswas difficult to enforce and often ignored. The area aroundBrettell Lane is riddled with mine workings, as two of themain Black Country coal seams are close to the surface.The Broach seam is a mere 40 feet down and the famousThick seam about 200 feet under. Fortunately the 1903breach, or “crowner-in” occurred on a Saturday afternoon,so there was no loss of life. However, two pit heads and awinding engine fell into the cavity and three miles of thecut were drained.

Mining subsidence was probably the reason why BrettellLane tunnel was opened out and replaced by a bridgeknown as Long Bridge. The opening out appears to havetaken place over several years, starting around 1858. Evi-dence of the tunnel lies in the remaining narrow sectionand a small visible part of the old wall at the southern end.

The right angle bend at Brettell Lane is due to the line ofthe canal following the contour avoiding the outcrop of theDudley ridge. The geological events which created thisalso caused the coal seams to rise to the surface, which inturn lead to the early establishment of mining in the 18thcentury, and thus the industrial growth that required thecanal for transport. Very few traces of the early coal pitsnow remain on the surface. What was once a haphazardcollection of pits, brick works and industrial villages is nowsubsumed by 1930s and 1950s housing estates.

Another right angle turn occurs one mile seven furlongsfrom Delph, at Leys Junction. If you get the impressionthat you are turning off a branch, you are indeed correct.Whilst the current practice is to denote the Delph to Stour-ton route of the Stourbridge Canal as the main line, the1776 act specified otherwise. The main line was Stourtonto Stourbridge, with a collateral cut from Wordsley to theFens and a further branch from that at The Leys to TheDelph. Today the line heading north from Leys Junction isknow as the Fens Branch. Originally it ran for nearly a mileto terminate at Brockmoor Basin, also known as Wide Wa-ters. Adjacent to this, but at a higher level, is a reservoir,Grove Pool. Two additional reservoirs, Middle and FensPools were added soon after the canal opened to cater forthe growing traffic. Brockmoor Basin was lined with wharfs

Dadford’s Shed and the the Red House glass cone seenfrom the bridge across the short pound between locks 9and 10.


for the numerous local collieries and brickworks. As thesepits became worked out in the early 20th century trafficdeclined and the basin closed. The canal company trans-ferred ownership of the last bridge before the basin to Dud-ley Council who, in 1936, replaced it with a culvert.Officially this is still the limit of navigation, but the channelunder Brockmoor Railway bridge is blocked with part ofthe bridge decking. An attempt in 1986 on a friend’s boatcame to a halt at Creesset Lane Bridge, which wasblocked with submerged bricks. The furlong reverse toBrockmoor Junction (¼ mile from Leys), was painfullyslow due to the amount of weed.

At Brockmoor Junction the cut heading north west is theStourbridge Extension Canal. This was built by a separatecompany, although the majority it’s shareholders were al-so backers of the Stourbridge Canal. Originally the exten-sion line was planned to join up with the BCN Main Line atBloomfield, requiring a tunnel at least a mile long. As builtit only ran for 2 miles to near Kingswinford, with branchesto Ketley Quarry and Leasowes Colliery. It opened in 1840,but its profitable and independent life was short lived. Thereason was railway competition in the shape of theOW&WR. In fact, the railway company bought the canalunder the terms of it’s enabling Act of 1846. The same actenabled the OW&WR to acquire the Stratford on Avon Ca-nal. Until their railway was opened, the two canals werethe only revenue source for the OW&WR. Later theOW&WR became part of the Great Western Railway. Rail-way interchange traffic kept the extension canal relativelybusy until the Second World War. Most of this traffic wasto the Bromley interchange depot, sited close to Brock-moor Junction. Today the only navigable portion is the firstfew hundred yards past the remains of the interchangedepot to the site of Bromley stop lock. A few years ago BWinstalled mooring rings and a fence on the offside, along-side the now closed railway line. It certainly is an attractivemooring site, but little used. Maybe that is because thefence has a gap in it.

For those navigating west, the descent to the Severn val-ley resumes at Leys Junction. The “Stourbridge sixteen” orWordsley flight of locks have a total fall of 145 feet, so theaverage fall of just over 9 feet makes these deeper thanmost locks on the BCN. However, averages are deceptive.

The first three locks are effected by mining subsidence.The top lock is now about 3½ feet deeper, note the extrasix courses of brickwork above the original sandstone cop-ings at the lock tail. Further down the effects of subsid-ence lessen, as to the west of geological fault the coalseams are too far below ground to have been exploited by18th and 19th century mining techniques.

The ‘Sixteen’ are, in my opinion at least, the most interest-ing flight of locks in an urban environment. This is bothfrom a photogenic and archeological point of view, so bestto take your time navigating them to investigate and appre-ciate. One place to stop is between locks 4 and 5, as theSampson and Lion pub backs on to the towing path. Out-side the pub sign is an illustration of this biblical story,whilst inside Banks’s beers and good value traditional pubmeals are available. This pub was originally one of a pair,its “twin” was on the off-side of the canal below lock 2. Al-though not standing there now, you have probably visitedit as it is the Bottle and Glass which is now located insidethe Black Country Living Museum at Tipton.

Lock 5 is substantially unchanged from its constructionover 235 years ago. Unlike many of the others on the flight,it still retains the original sandstone capping on both sides.Due to erosion from tow lines at most other locks the cap-ping on at least one side is now of blue diamond patternbricks. However very little original Stourbridge paddle gearsurvives (apart from a set in the museum at Gloucester).Most of the gear on the flight is second hand BCN, includ-ing a number of gate paddle sets which are now attachedto short stumps to work ground paddles.

At Buckpool the gradient of the hill steepens. To overcomethis, Thomas Dadford (junior) the engineer in charge ofconstruction, decided on a staircase pair for locks 9 and10. Probably he was influenced by the staircase locks onthe nearby Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal at Botter-ham and The Bratch. However, just like at Bratch, the ad-ditional water requirements of a staircase lead toreplacement by the current arrangement with a side pondbetween two conventional locks. This pond, known asJake’s Pond, is behind the lock cottage and is connectedby a culvert. The change tool place in the mid 19th century.Unusually for the ‘Sixteen’ the pound below lock 10 wid-ens to form a basin on the towing path side, necessitating

Almost all of the remaining length of the Stourbridge ExtensionCanal between Brockmoor Junction and the site of Bromleystop lock.

Tail of the top lock at The Leys showing the additional brickcourses on top of the original coping stones.


a bridge. This small basin may have been a public wharfor it may have been provided as a waiting point for boatsusing a dry dock which once existed alongside lock 11. Asmall community know as The Dock grew up here, it onceconsisted of half a dozen cottages and an off-license andgeneral store. The later were well patronised by passingboaters.

Alongside the next lock is one of the iconic buildings of theStourbridge canal. This is inaccurately known today asDadford’s Shed, since it was built at least 100 years afterDadford resigned his post of engineer in charge of con-struction. This large wooden transshipment warehouseoccupies the restricted spit of land between the lock andthe side pond, the non rectangular plan leading to the in-teresting taper and slope of the ridge. Originally it handledcorn and other agricultural produce, later Thomas Bantockused it as a base for his railway carriage work. Now it isthe home of Ian Kemp’s heritage boatyard.

The bridge below lock 11 is, correctly, named Dadford’sBridge after the engineer. Between this and the nextbridge, which is the main Wolverhampton to Stourbridgeroad, the canal runs along side the Stuart Crystal Glass-works and another iconic building, the Red House glasscone. This glass works was founded in 1796, some twentyyears after the opening of the canal. However, glass mak-ing in the region dates back to the early 17th century whenglassmakers from Lorraine found the accessible depositsof fireclay and coal ideal for glass production. Manufactureof fine crystal glass developed from the middle of the 18thcentury. At one time many similar glass cones dominatedthe skyline of the Wordsley area. The Red House cone,the last remaining complete example, is now a scheduledancient monument. Well worth mooring up and visiting,not the least as admission is free.

Beyond lock 12 the intermediate pounds lengthen as thegradient of the hill reduces. Below lock 13 the offside bankwas once protected by two half sunken concrete narrow-boats of First World War vintage. One of these was re-moved in 1989 and is now at the Gloucester Waterwaysmuseum. The other is now buried under the new wharf forthe glassworks visitor moorings. The bottom lock of theflight is situated against a bluff of Bunter sandstone, nearthe confluence of the Wordsley Brook and the River Stour.

If you had visited the Stourbridge canal in 1961, you wouldhave come across official notices stating it was

“UNSUITABLE FOR THE PASSAGE OF VESSELS”. TheBritish Transport Commission had carried out virtually nomaintenance work since regular traffic died towards theend of the 1950s; they included the Stourbridge on a list ofcanals to close in 1962. This situation angered the Staf-fordshire and Worcestershire Canal Society (S&WCS) andthe IWA. Opposition was vocal and direct — the IWA delib-erately located their 1962 National Rally at Stourbridge.However the arm was impassible, blocked near Coal-bourne Brook Bridge by silt and rubbish. The BTC refusedto cooperate with any voluntarily organisation, likewiseAmblecote Urban District council as in their opinion thecanal “had outlived its usefulness”. As boats converged forthe rally it was clear none would make it to the site without drastic action. David Hutchings, then chairman of theMidlands Branch of the IWA, brought in a drag-line exca-vator. Just as this was to start work on 25th July, two BTCofficials arrived and threatened legal action if the bucketbroke the surface of the water. The resulting altercationlead to widespread publicity and even a House of Com-mons motion. The mounting embarrassment of the BTClead to their capitulation on 28th July. Two days later a fulllength boat loaded with dredgings reached the end of thearm.

This was one of the significant turning points in recent ca-nal history. In January 1963 BTC were replaced by BritishWaterways Board, who permitted S&WCS members toundertake some maintenance on the Stourton locks. Res-toration of the ‘Sixteen’ was to be dependent on local in-terest interest, something the canal society and the IWAhas shown in abundance. The eventual outcome was aprogramme of complete restoration, S&WCS membersand other volunteers undertook the task of cleaning outthe lock chambers prior to BW staff rebuilding them. A reo-pening ceremony took place in May 1967, with an officialcruise from lock 11 to Stourton Junction. Forty four yearslater we would call this an example of ‘Big Society’ in ac-tion.

The one mile three furlongs Stourbridge Arm follows thecourse of the River Stour, but at an elevated height. It wasonce lined with glassworks, iron works and brass foun-dries, but is now largely through residential areas. One ofthe more historic foundries, The Stourbridge Ironworks,was served by the two arms which leave the canal at thesharp bend at the one mile post. Towing path bridgesspan both arms, the earlier one being of iron cast atCoalbrookdale, note the inclusion of the owner’s name,John Bradley, in the casting. Under the jurisdiction of laterowners, Foster & Rastrick, the foundry produced early rail-way locomotives, including the Agenoria for Lord Dudley’sShut End railway and the Stourbridge Lion the first steamlocomotive to run on rails in America.

The final ¼mile of the arm runs northwards to terminateoutside the Bonded Warehouse, the third iconic building ofthis canal. You will be able to learn about the full history ofthis building, and of the canal company offices across Ca-nal Street at the rally.

The Bonded Warehouse is both the original and currentterminus of the canal, but from 1830 to 1965 a 230 yardextension ran under High Street to terminate in a basinwhich is now the site of the Mill Race Lane trading estate.Here was located Stourbridge gas works, served by Tho-

Former GUCCC craft at Ian Kemps boatyard at Dadford’sShed


mas Clayton day boats, the low bridge precluded mostcabin boats. Also located here was the railway goods in-terchange depot, built by the OW&WR as resolution to thedispute with the canal company.

Back at Wordsley Junction the final stretch of the Stour-bridge Canal heads roughly west to meet with the Staffs &Worcs. Underneath the roving bridge for the town arm tow-ing path is an extended narrows which was one a gaugingstop with a toll office. Next comes a two arch aqueductover the River Stour, this has sandstone pillars with bluebrick facing. Just beyond the aqueduct is the currentboundary between the West Midlands and Staffordshirecounties.

This section is an absolute gem, and the following descrip-tion taken from the 1989 edition of Pearson’s BirminghamCanal Navigations Canal Companion, is spot on. “Thesetwo miles of the Stourbridge Canal are among the loveli-est on the inland waterways. If this seems a strange, con-tradictory claim at the edge of the Black Country, on theverge on the BCN, then you must come and see for your-self. Perhaps this sense of beauty is exaggerated by theprecarious nature of its setting. Whatever the explanation,there fell upon our research crew a mood of heightenedperception, a rare happiness which comes from the dis-covery of something wonderful that you had not anticipat-ed, but rather come on by accident. The pound,encroached by bullrushes, wound beguilingly like a gor-geous barefoot girl wandering across a dewy, mushroomymeadow.” [The Rally organisers are still attempting tobook this maiden for the rally. Ed.]

But beauty comes at a price! The underlying rock here isthe Dune or Lower Mottled Sandstone, it is very soft andporous and the strata is inclined down from the canal to-wards the river. Dadford was aware of this problem, sothe portion immediately adjacent to the river includessome heavy retaining walls. Nevertheless there havebeen some spectacular breaches. One occurred in 1976near Bell’s Mill; another in September 2008 near thesame spot. The repairs to this last one cost £650,000 andthe canal was reopened in December 2008. Howeversome remedial work in April 2009 necessitated anotherde-watering, during which BW discovered that their con-tractors had make a mistake with the profile of the recon-structed length. Another leak at the same spot requiredyet more work in February and March last year.

A summer evening’s idyllic boating - would you have guessedthis is a Black Country canal?

Half way along this rural section is Newtown Bridge, afine example of an unmodified original brick and stonebridge dating from 1776. Adjacent to this bridge is theyard of Black Country Narrow Boats. David Bough startedthis enterprise in 1982, primarily producing boats basedon a traditional tug design. One of these, Rag Doll, wasthe boat used for the ‘Rosie & Jim’ children's TV series.Many other builders, some who started as David’s appren-tices, replicated this design. More recently production wasconcentrated on a lighter, smaller cruiser style of boat.One of the real characters of the recent canal scene, Dav-id passed away in January this year.

Even in this rural idyll are traces of old industry — in thiscase sand quarries. Sand was required in the glass mak-ing industry and for use in foundry moulds. A winding holeabove Stourton locks was extensively used by boats car-rying sand back to Stourbridge, Wordsley and Brierley Hill.The landscaped gardens of the houses on the offside byStourton locks 1 and 2 are on the site of old sandpits. Be-side lock 2 is a lock cottage, a cantilevered split bridgetakes the towing path across the tail of the lock beforediving under the Wolverhampton to Kidderminster Road(A449). The last two pounds have extensive side pondsand large overflow weirs, another relic of once extensivetraffic. The side pond above lock 4 once extended into a100 yard long basin running parallel to the Staffordshire &Worcestershire Canal. This may have been to off load lo-cal goods so avoiding S&W tolls, or it may have been alay-by for boats awaiting loads. Today it is an unusualwater feature in a private garden.

For a junction between two old and one time busy canals,Stourton Junction is a rather quiet and lonely spot. Mostof the traffic from the Stourbridge headed south on theS&W, so toll collections were undertaken at Stewponylock on the S&W. Although the roving bridge at the junc-tion carries a S&W name and number plate (33), it wasbuilt by the Stourbridge company and is similar to thosebetween Stourton and Wordsley. The elegant fingerpostat the junction, made from redundant lock beams, wasthe first such signpost erected by the S&W Canal Societyin 1977.

Stourton seems a world away from The Delph, but it isless than six miles, or just one page of the old styleNicholson’s canal guides. But what a lot of history ispacked into those miles, and the twenty locks. As theysay in the Black Country, “it’s Bostin!”.

The pound between Stourton locks 2 and 3 is often low. NBLynx proceeds gingerly earlier this year.

De Do Do - The last DM3?

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