arty69uk Posted December 6, 2011 Report Share Posted December 6, 2011 IMG_6868 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
algy Posted December 6, 2011 Report Share Posted December 6, 2011 I do know arty but not going to say, give the others a go at it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
algy Posted December 6, 2011 Report Share Posted December 6, 2011 error! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted December 6, 2011 Report Share Posted December 6, 2011 Are those houses on Stafford Road? In other words the Black Bear canal near to St. Heath swing bridge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arty69uk Posted December 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 6, 2011 Are those houses on Stafford Road? In other words the Black Bear canal near to St. Heath swing bridge. well done Peter it was.. taken from Northwich Road Swing bridge..cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
middlec Posted February 2, 2012 Report Share Posted February 2, 2012 well done Peter it was.. taken from London Road Swing bridge..cheers Incredible. Many thanks for posting the photo. For years I have been looking for a photo that showed the Black Bear canal in use. I took two photos in the 1970's, one showing the 20 Steps lock underneath Northwich Road Swing bridge (the bridge's proper title at St.Heath) and another along the stretch of the canal, which was then an unused polluted stinking mess. It was filled in soon after, and eventually made into the Black Bear park. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
algy Posted February 3, 2012 Report Share Posted February 3, 2012 Incredible. Many thanks for posting the photo. For years I have been looking for a photo that showed the Black Bear canal in use. I took two photos in the 1970's, one showing the 20 Steps lock underneath Northwich Road Swing bridge (the bridge's proper title at St.Heath) and another along the stretch of the canal, which was then an unused polluted stinking mess. It was filled in soon after, and eventually made into the Black Bear park. My parents used to warn me not go near there when I was a youngster as if I fell in 'Ginny Greenteeth' would drag me under and eat me, made no difference we still used to play around there, although quite a few youngsters lost there lives in the canal. By the way 'middlec it would have made it a bit more difficult if you remove the titles off the bottom of the photos prior to displaying them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted February 3, 2012 Report Share Posted February 3, 2012 Algy you daft sausage.... middlec had said what they were in his post. Life is not always a big quiz you know Middlec... welcome to the forum Great pictures and the Black Bear looked to be a very murky and grubby place in the 70's and great pics of the old lock under the Stockton Heath's bridge too. I'm owning upto my total ignorance of my local SH swing bridge now though as I didn't know that was where the 20 Steps were, I always thought they were near the Walton bridge I've learnt something new again... hurrah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
algy Posted February 3, 2012 Report Share Posted February 3, 2012 Algy you daft sausage.... middlec had said what they were in his post. Life is not always a big quiz you know Middlec... welcome to the forum Great pictures and the Black Bear looked to be a very murky and grubby place in the 70's and great pics of the old lock under the Stockton Heath's bridge too. I'm owning upto my total ignorance of my local SH swing bridge now though as I didn't know that was where the 20 Steps were, I always thought they were near the Walton bridge I've learnt something new again... hurrah Dur!! apologies Middlec it's an age thing, I'll get me' coat and go and photograph those old sewer pipes they have removed from the ground in Greenall's avenue, might be Victorian and once they're gone that's it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted February 3, 2012 Report Share Posted February 3, 2012 Have a nice walk Algy... ps I just started a sewer pipe topic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cleopatra Posted February 3, 2012 Report Share Posted February 3, 2012 Why are they digging them up then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
algy Posted February 3, 2012 Report Share Posted February 3, 2012 Why are they digging them up then? As far as I can ascertain they are digging up a plot of land that is probably not sufficiently stable to build new apartments on and came across these cast iron mains (pipes) in the course of digging out to put new foundations or perhaps they were aware that they were already there in the ground and had to remove them and back fill the trench that would be there when the pipes were removed, again to stabilise the ground. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wireboy Posted February 4, 2012 Report Share Posted February 4, 2012 Incredible. Many thanks for posting the photo. For years I have been looking for a photo that showed the Black Bear canal in use. I took two photos in the 1970's, one showing the 20 Steps lock underneath Northwich Road Swing bridge (the bridge's proper title at St.Heath) and another along the stretch of the canal, which was then an unused polluted stinking mess. It was filled in soon after, and eventually made into the Black Bear park. I love these photos. I walk down the black beat regularly and I have always wanted to see pictures of the canal just before it was filled in. Do you have any more? Just to get bearings, where is the photo of the stinking mess taken? I don't recognise the houses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arty69uk Posted February 4, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2012 IMG_6890 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
middlec Posted February 4, 2012 Report Share Posted February 4, 2012 I love these photos. I walk down the black beat regularly and I have always wanted to see pictures of the canal just before it was filled in. Do you have any more? Just to get bearings, where is the photo of the stinking mess taken? I don't recognise the houses. Sorry Wireboy, regrettably I don't have any more Black Bear photos, but I would love to see any that forum members may have. In fact I have forgotten exactly where I took the photo in the 1970's. It would have been not far from the swing bridge, pointing along the canal towards Latchford. Someone said the footbridge known then as the "Ginny Greenteeth bridge" is just visible in the distance. The fenced land on the left, just a bit further on from Stafford Road, would have been Greenalls I think. Of course, the whole area is virtually unrecognisable nowadays, as there are so many trees, shrubs, and hedges bordering the park that were not there when it was a canal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
middlec Posted February 4, 2012 Report Share Posted February 4, 2012 IMG_6890 Is this the 20 Steps Lock underneath the Northwich Road swing bridge (St. Heath) in the Black Bear canal's working days? Brilliant! Thankyou arty69uk for posting this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
algy Posted February 5, 2012 Report Share Posted February 5, 2012 arty, not 'high jacking' your post mate, but thought I would put more photos of the Old Quay (Black Bear) canal on. A poor quality photo taken from the tower of St Thomas's Church tower 1904, it's possible that the crowd were gathering to watch the canal being filled with water as to the right of the bridge it looks like the shear banking as the water level would have been too high to reach the division between the dark and light area on the photo. The Old Quay canal can be seen winding it's way to Latchford. The name 'Black Bear' only appeared after the Old Quay canal became discontinued, taking it's name from the 'Black Bear' Inn at Latchford. A nice photo showing the 'Twenty Steps Lock' with the area beneath the bridge pleasantly landscaped and freshly painted, sadly not in that condition now!. The tram line catenary wire support beams on top of both ends of the bridge supporting the cables can clearly be seen (clk on photo to enlarge). A quarter section of a postcard, showing barges waiting to lock out of the 'Black Bear' canal into the Manchester Ship Canal. The tram catenary wire supporting beam can be seen to right top of the swing bridge. This map of 1875 shows the 'Twenty Steps' bridge over the Old Quay canal at Stockton Heath, the lock built to allow the section of this remaining length of canal to continue working after the construction of the Manchester Ship Canal known as the 'Twenty Steps' Lock, took it's name from this bridge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
middlec Posted February 5, 2012 Report Share Posted February 5, 2012 Excellent info here. Absorbing stuff. Interesting bit about the 20 Steps Lock being named after the 20 Steps bridge. The locals around here have always said it's named after the 20 steps built down to the lock from the bridge house. Apparently both versions are likely to be true. Someone said years ago they deliberately built twenty steps down to the lock underneath the swing bridge when the MSC was built to tie in with the old bridge name (as the old bridge disappeared on building the MSC ) I posted a photo earlier of the steps, I must be honest and say I have not counted them but it appears as though there are twenty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cleopatra Posted February 5, 2012 Report Share Posted February 5, 2012 I love these photos. I walk down the black beat regularly and I have always wanted to see pictures of the canal just before it was filled in. Do you have any more? Just to get bearings, where is the photo of the stinking mess taken? I don't recognise the houses. I have a couple of black bear photos and here they are - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arty69uk Posted February 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2012 IMG_6889 IMG_69 IMG_6895 IMG_6892 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
algy Posted February 5, 2012 Report Share Posted February 5, 2012 Great photos arty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted February 5, 2012 Report Share Posted February 5, 2012 Algy, in the first one from the church, any idea what the building is in the distance behind Stafford Rd? Maybe on the Priestley College site? Just off the edge of the map. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
algy Posted February 5, 2012 Report Share Posted February 5, 2012 Algy, in the first one from the church, any idea what the building is in the distance behind Stafford Rd? Maybe on the Priestley College site? Just off the edge of the map. Peter, the large property was 'Waterloo House' at the bottom of China Lane, the white building to the left of it, just visible on the edge of the photo is the 'Saracens Head' public House. The the occupier of 'Waterloo House' at one time was the Chief Clerk of Warrington Gas Works, what date that was at the moment I couldn't tell you, although I bet Dizzy could, give her something to keep her quite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted February 5, 2012 Report Share Posted February 5, 2012 Algy, My uncle Ernie Abel (Of the Abel boatbuilding family and father in law of Brian Darlington)used to sail boats along here in the very early days of the canal.... Another of my ancestros was one of the first recorded drownings in the ship canal!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted February 5, 2012 Report Share Posted February 5, 2012 The the occupier of 'Waterloo House' at one time was the Chief Clerk of Warrington Gas Works, what date that was at the moment I couldn't tell you, although I bet Dizzy could, give her something to keep her quite. You sod Algy .... you knew I wouldn't be able to resist Wasn't easy though with no name and and the fact that China Lane only has numbers 3, 5, 7 and 9 on it it 1901 and I can't find the road at all in 1891 not can I find Waterloo House in it's own right on the 'other establishments' pages. Anyway I did manage to find your man the Chief Clerk... He was called Erasmus Jones Smith and was born in Wales in 1861. He is shown on the 1911 census as Living in China Lane with his wife and daughter although the property is not named or numbered. However the original census image of the return he himself filled in does show him as living at Waterloo House, Wilderspool, Warrington. In 1901 he lived at 201 Knutsford Road and he was employed as the Chief Clerk then too. Spookly bit... on the same page were a few familiar names which suddenly caught my eye...he lived 3 doors from my great grandma and grandad In 1891 he lived at 69 Knutsford Road and he was a book kpper. Anyway.... all that was your fault Algy and of course Peter's too for asking the question. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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