Route Ridgacre Branch

the midland metro bridge @ black lake

on ridgacre branch, basin south, crossed footbridge, served gasworks. gas street crossed east of gasworks on sandy gay bridge, , there basin after bridge, served swan meadow swa mills. both still evident in 1938, 1966 basin had been reduced tiny stub. next came railway bridge carrying great bridge branch on canal. tramway blacklake colliery crossed canal in 1890, reach blacklake wharf on south bank of canal, colliery marked disused in 1904, , tramway had been lifted. 1966, of wharf had gone, area still used coal yard. next bridge birmingham, wolverhampton , dudley railway, has since been re-used midland metro tramway system.

blacklake bridge carried blacklake lane, a4196, on canal east of white s farm colliery, there basin. open in 1890, disused in 1904, time electricity generating station had been built on southern part of site. basin had gone 1920. on north bank, opposite basin entrance, dartmouth branch began. headed due north, passing under coles lane bridge , hatchey heath bridge. between bridges there 2 basins east in 1890 , 1 west, above albert street ironworks. 1904, western basin had gone, tramway connected works canal. housing had covered area east of canal 1938. hatchey heath bridge carried witton lane, , beyond it, witton lane colliery lay west, while tramway connected terminal basin crookhay colliery north east. balls hill colliery lay little further west, on other side of crookhay lane. coles lane, witton lane , crookhay lane still follow approximately old routes, modern housing has destroyed traces of historical landscape.

the modern terminus, overlooking hateley heath

returning ridgace canal, continued little way past junction , terminated @ basin. coppice colliery lay north, , coppice colliery bridge crossed channel west of basin, colliery disused 1890. colliery bridge eastern limit of modern watered section. stream crossed area near waste tips, , fed canal through sluice. between bridge , basin, halford branch turned off , headed south. on east bank ridgacre oil works, cyclops iron works, waterloo iron works , hall end iron works. ridgacre iron works on west bank. 1904, oil works had become hall end chemical works, , cyclops works processing soap , tallow.

church lane crossed canal @ ridgacre bridge, beyond jesson branch continued south, while halford branch turned east. jesson bridge crossed entrance jesson branch, bordered iron works , ridgacre tube works west , workings of disused colliery east in 1890. 1904, iron works rolling mill, , tube works had become acme iron foundry. oriental tube works had been built on north bank of next section of halford branch 1904, , wharf served hall end brick works, canal turned north pass under church lane again, @ church lane bridge. there large basin beyond bridge in 1890, connected tramways workings east , hall end colliery north. canal appears terminate before bridge 1904, , colliery buildings , tramways have gone. 1966, brickworks , jesson branch had both gone.