3.5 Wyrley Bank Branch Canal - Sneyd area

An exploration of the abandoned Wyrley Bank Branch Canal, part of the Birmingham Canal Navigations near Walsall. This is the first of two episodes exploring this 3.5 mile canal and in this video we look at the area around Sneyd Junction including its basins, locks and reservoir, as well as the Essington Branch which lifted the BCN to it highest point.

[@rogerclarke3291]

I went to send school just after it first opened in1982. i remember the old pub and when all the locks were still there. I always wondered about the ditch next to the reservoir. thank you for this awesome video. you have answered many questions i"ve asked since iwas a kid. Thank you .

[@sbragg62]

Wow!! Brilliant video, very much appreciated. Took me back to my childhood. I remember the old reservoir, played over there for hours has a kid. I now have memories of the "Lions den", which I had forgotten about, I used to go through it. Also remember climbing up the "Castle" (which I never knew was an old pumping station) so thanks for educating me 😉 I also have vague memories of the "Sneyd Inn" and a small wooded area which lay at the back of it, where I used to climb the trees. Best years of my life over there, many fond memories, would love to find out more.

[@lifeat2.3milesanhour57]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@cherylburton3430]

Enjoyable vlog, we live on the estate next to the path you were on by Sneyd. By the way Cheslyn Hay and Great Wyrley are still 2 separate villages, although they have sort of merged over the years. I was born in GW and its still very much Wyrley and Cheslyn especially between the schools.

[@lifeat2.3milesanhour57]

Thanks Cheryl - My challenge with these videos whose audience is often not local is to provide a geographic location which means something to them and I figured Cheslyn Hay has a higher profile on maps than GW. You are of course, absolutely correct. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@narrowboatflorencerose4938]

Spent a nice two weeks moored exactly where lock one use to be, nice area with plenty to see, good vid, thanks..

[@keithhaynes9462]

Wyrley bonk

[@davidwalters3266]

A good short documentary Andy. There are some inaccuracies with info though. The first still pic that depicts that it is Lock 4 is actually Lock 2. The southern overflow is what was known as the lion's den. I have some still pics of the pumping station from the 1970s.

[@lifeat2.3milesanhour57]

Thanks for the clarifications - trying to get the images in the right order when there are no descriptions can be a bit of a challenge! Just wait till we reach the Cannock Extension and my attempts to get all the photos in the right order.

[@lifeat2.3milesanhour57]

Re Lions Den - is that the overgrown one or the one next to the pumping station? I would love to put the pumping station images on my blog is you can e-mail them to me? [e-mail]

[@davidwalters3266]

@@lifeat2.3milesanhour57 sent you a couple of emails with clarification points and photos.

[@davidwalters3266]

@@lifeat2.3milesanhour57 do you have a link to your written blog Andy?

[@lifeat2.3milesanhour57]

@@davidwalters3266 This link takes you to the index of lost canals. captainahabswaterytales.blogspot.com/p/bcn-backwaters.html

[@lrmwharf864]

Happy New Year from the South Coast

[@lifeat2.3milesanhour57]

And to you too!

[@martinlayton8959]

I'm enjoying your series, I will attempt to re-enact some of them too :) However, you say that when the Sneyd burst it flooded Shenstone & got as far as Drayton- I think that was Chasewater which also burst in the rains of 1799, the water from there would have pretty much followed the line of the A5.

[@andrewdennis6654]

Yes, "Chasewater" did fail in 1799, the water channelled along the Crane Brook, which is still fed by the outfall from the reservoir today. The brook sort of parallels the A5, but crosses in the same place a the M6 Toll. More at brownhillsbob.com/2014/04/03/swept-everything-before-it/

[@btudrus]

Do you know whether a restoration was considered?

[@C...G...]

a pea gnu year andy! :-)

[@lifeat2.3milesanhour57]

That took a couple of readings to sink in!

[@C...G...]

@@lifeat2.3milesanhour57 :-)