Shrubbery Basins - Wolverhampton

[Andy Y]

I've been contemplating modelling Chillington Wharf (last pic on this page - http://www.photobydjnorton.com/Stations/WolverhamptonHL.html ) in its run-down 60s/70s state but looking at site maps there was a similar canal/rail wharf a short distance north of that called Shrubbery Basins. This can be found on Old Maps http://www.old-maps.co.uk/maps.html and entering the coordinates 392537, 298150 and scrolling down to the 1956 - 1:2,500map.

 

Online searching has brought up next to nothing so I'd be interested to find what knowledge anyone has of this and when it was closed and the source of any images, I only seem to recall that area being part of the BOC depot.

[Boris]

I dunno about being able to help you, but those photos are fantastic and thanks for posting the link!

[Guest baldrick25]

Isn't this what is called Wolverhampton steel terminal today?. It still exists as it almost did then except for decay and deriliction. If it is that area, I have some onsite images from about 6 or 7 years ago when I managed a site tour ( with pernission incl safety courses in case anyone else attempts)

[Fat Controller]

Isn't this what is called Wolverhampton steel terminal today?. It still exists as it almost did then except for decay and deriliction. If it is that area, I have some onsite images from about 6 or 7 years ago when I managed a site tour ( with pernission incl safety courses in case anyone else attempts)

It's part of the steel terminal, shown as 'Monmore Green' on my Quail (this was the name used for the BOC terminal)- when I last went past, quite a while back, there were SPAs with wire coil being unloaded there. Have you tried Wolves Library and Archives? They have quite a bit on local transport, I recollect from the days when my pal, Liz Rees, was the Archivist.

[Andy Y]

Have you tried Wolves Library and Archives?

 

That'll be on the to-do list now I've seen the maps Brian.

 

The Shrubbery Basin is on the opposite side of the mainline from the main part of the steel terminal. the earlier maps also show spurs into the foundry and a sawmill although those seem to disappear by the intended period.

 

Both wharves are quite appealing as they could be modelled in 6' x 2' and have natural breaks and only recently have we seen similar structures in 2mm.

[The Stationmaster]

I like a challenge - especially a GWR related challenge - but alas the Northern Division is somewhat off my radar and I couldn't really get anywhere at all; the best I could do being some stuff about the GW's Hockley basin; Walsall Street Goods seems to be conspicuous by its absence from just about everything on the 'net although maybe walsall Library could help (I'm sure you've already trodden that path). The only possible lead I can suggest is a look on Ebay for Volume 31 of Tony Cooke's 'Track Layout Diagrams of the GWR' etc which covers that area 'including all branches' which should at least give you some more information about the track layout and - probably - some removal dates.

 

Bit of a shame as Chillington Wharf is fairly familiar in that it was always something I looked out for when passing in the train on my regular trips to Crewe in the late 1980s/ early '90s and occasionally wagons could still be seen in there although I suspect it was more for storage than any traffic use (even if some of the wagons were underload) - but notwithstanding that it always fascinated me as an interesting water to rail interchange (and it still shows up on Google although the track has gone).

 

Edit addenda - Tony is the best source I know for private siding information so if he had any at the time he did Volume 31 it will show where that lead to the north went (and any other possible PSdg connections)

['CHARD]

For novices, this is a nice starter on Chillington Wharf: http://www.railaroundbirmingham.co.uk/Stations/chillington_wharf.php

 

Gut instinct tells me there's more available on the Shrubbery Basin, possibly held by the successor to BWB. I recall when researching Chillington (for non-modelling purposes in 2006), that people familiar with the Waterways Board spoke of data relating to a wealth of similar basins in the vicinity. I know BW as an organisation was under threat by the Coalition's 'bonfire of the quangos,' but seems to have survived. The local HQ used to be near to the NIA, but think Central Shires office has relocated to Fazeley.

[Glorious NSE]

Chillington Wharf I think was part of the steel complex in relatively recent times, I also recall seeing SPAs in there although whether they unloaded there or as Mike suggests it was basically a little bit more siding capacity I don't know - on the modern Bing and Google aerials it looks like it's main use now is for parking trailers for the steel terminal though, the line finishes at a buffer stop just beyond the bridge....

 

Looks to me like there is little left of Shrubbery Wharf apart from the viaduct which gave access to it (reasonable view on Bing birds eye view)...

 

Fascinating bit of industrial archaeology though.

['CHARD]

Chillington Wharf I think was part of the steel complex in relatively recent times, I also recall seeing SPAs in there although whether they unloaded there or as Mike suggests it was basically a little bit more siding capacity I don't know - on the modern Bing and Google aerials it looks like it's main use now is for parking trailers for the steel terminal though, the line finishes at a buffer stop just beyond the bridge....

 

It was labelled as Wolverhampton Steel Terminal in the 70s - possibly in the set of shots Andy's referred to. I know Lady Wulfrun's Flickr collections include(d) some great archive shots. It was most recently used in approx 2003 - I was advised - as a transhipment point from rail to road trailers. The presence of the nearby water just an occupational hazard I guess, by then. More recently it was used as a headshunt, then a wagon storage siding, and since the headshunt was curtailed beyond the bridge (to save money on track access beneath the structure, no reason for the steel handlers to shell-out) it was used for road trailer storage, accessing from the site corner onto Bilston Road. I think that gate has now fallen into complete disuse, and apart from occasional security patrols and 28dayslater urban explorers, the site sees few visitors.

[bike2steam]

Looking thro' Dewey & Williams Wolverhampton Railway Albums 1 & 2 there are 5 pics of the GW, and only 1 of the LMS goods sheds in Walsall Street similar to the pic on the web-site mentioned, not very helpful, but good luck in your search Andy.

[Guest Natalie Graham]

Monmore Green Basin originally belonged to the Chillington Ironworks, hence the alternative name, and were served by their narrow gauge railway. The LNWR took it over in the 1880's and rebuilt it at the start of the 20th Century. The LMS removed one arm of the basin and put in the overhead crane in the 1930's. It is now a listed building, along with crane.

 

Shrubbery dates from 1855 and was served by a line from the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway, later the GWR, along with the adjacent Shrubbery Ironworks and Hickman's sawmills. The GWR worked the basin branch with a morning trip working of the Walsall Street shunting engine which collected traffic from Priestland and departed the basin with return traffic which was attached to the 10.05 to Olney.

 

Both basins closed in 1963.

 

Sorry I can't help with links to photos of Shrubbery, there's quite a lot arounf of Monmore Green. You could try theBCN (Birmingham Canal Navigations) Society. Or maybe BCNPete could help.

[Andy Y]

Or maybe BCNPete could help.

 

 

Both wharves are very tempting from the maps; I shall do a bit more digging around the site at Chillington and see if Wolvo archives have anything. I think a bit of licence-waving may be necessary to get much traffic interest but they're tempting as a factual foundation.

 

Shrubbery still appears on the 1968 map but has disappeared on the 1974 version.

[The Stationmaster]

Just a list of name changes -

 

Shrubbery Basin is labelled by some sources (e.g. Jowett) as 'Walsall Street Goods' and in any event was probably regarded by the GWR as part of that depot although the main goods handling facility was on the opposite side of the LNWR line and immediately alongside the GW line. After the latter closed, and at some time in the 1960s (Cooke says '1966') the Monmore Green goods station branch was connected into the former GWR Walsall Street goods branch just south of Walsall Street Goods depot and Walsall Street Goods became part (the main part as I understand things) of Wolverhampton Steel Terminal.

 

Thus Shrubbery Basin could be referred to by that name or as possibly either Walsall Street Goods (with or without the suffix 'wharf' or basin'). Anyone got the Handbook of Stations?

 

Incidentally I get the impression that things quitened over the years; in 1938 the Walsall Street goods pilot loco started work at 06.30 on weekdays and was authorised 13 hours per day (plus 8 hours on Saturday), but by 1947 it had been pushed back to an 07.00 start with the authorised hours cut to 10 per day and the Saturday also shortened.

[hmrspaul]

This very small collection has a couple of photographs of the canal basin http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/wolverhamptonsteel

 

Is this anything to do with Victoria Basin/Herbert Street goods. There are photographs of the canal part of this in pages 313 - 317 in

Atkins, Tony (2009) GWR Goods Services Goods depots and their operation Part 2B, Wild Swan Publishing,. ISBN 978-1-905184-69-9

Paul Bartlett

[The Stationmaster]

This very small collection has a couple of photographs of the canal basin http://paulbartlett....verhamptonsteel

 

Is this anything to do with Victoria Basin/Herbert Street goods. There are photographs of the canal part of this in pages 313 - 317 in

Atkins, Tony (2009) GWR Goods Services Goods depots and their operation Part 2B, Wild Swan Publishing,. ISBN 978-1-905184-69-9

Paul Bartlett

 

Victoria Basin was another one! The area seems to have been littered with railway connected canal basins - in fact on the GWR line it seems that the three successive larger sized goods depots north of Snow Hill had its own canal basin, viz Hockley, Walsall Street and then Herbert Street/Victoria Basin with the latter very much involved as a trip destination for the working at that end of Wolves as in 1938 it was served by several trips daily although that also incorporated trips serving the works.

[TheSignalEngineer]

Andy

I have a single line pway diagram of the Walsall St depot showing Shrubbery Basin. Will scan and post later.

[Andy Y]

Thanks Paul; it's some time since I last saw those shots of yours. Doesn't it look great?

 

Victoria Basin/Herbert Street is to the north of High Level station, the impressive goods depot is largely intact thanks to its use by NCL before becoming a builders' merchants. Not sure what state it's in now though.

 

Andy

I have a single line pway diagram of the Walsall St depot showing Shrubbery Basin. Will scan and post later.

 

oh, I can see this idea becoming dangerously real! Thank you indeed.

[Mike Bellamy]

served by their narrow gauge railway.

 

This gets better and better - just imagine Andy modelling Narrow Gauge - of course it would have to be 7mmNG and then the rest of the new layout in O gauge

 

Mike

[Ramblin Rich]

All very interesting as a South Staffs expatriate As Mike says, in my commuting days (late 1980s) the view arriving at Wolverhampton could be either the new terminal to the right or Chillington Wharf to the left. I'm trying to remember now, there was also a BOC terminal adjacent to Chillington Wharf, would that have been built over the area of Shrubbery Basin - or possibly the substation shown on the map Andy linked to? To complete the interest in the area, there was also a small steel works just in the junction with the Walsall line with it's own (Yorkshire engine?) industrial diesel...

Given that the main "new" steel terminal was open air for a long time, I always wondered if the wharf area got used for unloading types of steel which needed keeping under cover? All told, it's an interesting area for sure and plenty of scope for some proper urban grot & decay - a nice challenge....

[sixteen 12by 10s]

I think that you need, a base for your research, and can I recommend the Great Western inn, Sun street, I have researched there many times, just watch out for the “girls” on you way out

 

Gary

[Andy Y]

just watch out for the “girls” on you way out

 

And here's me thinking this topic would act as an alibi if I got pulled up for crawling!

 

 

there was also a BOC terminal adjacent to Chillington Wharf, would that have been built over the area of Shrubbery Basin - or possibly the substation shown on the map Andy linked to?

 

Yes; the Shrubbery basin would have been at the back of the BOC depot with the electricity substation in between the two.

 

I have two 3'6" x 2' boards here ready to go which just happens to be the right length for the yard.

[Fat Controller]

I did write a post last night about this last night, but I got an 'Error 404' message when I tried sending it. Out of interest, I dug out a 1970s 'Birmingham and West Midlands Street Atlas'; I know they're not the best maps in the world, but they tend to give reasonably accurate routings for canals and railways.

The map was drawn before Walsall St goods became Wolverhampton Steel Terminal; the railway passing the latter on the Walsall side is still shown as WR, whilst the Stour Valley line is shown as LMR. There is no connection shown between them.

The line that serves the steel terminal these days is shown as leaving the Stour Valley as a trailing connection off the Up line, before curving underneath it to serve a warehouse adjacent to the canal. The street immediately next to this siding is Chillington Street; there is no sign of a basin off the canal.

Another line curves off the Walsall St depot yard, and cuts under the Stour Valley. This is shown as serving a number of sidings, with canal basins between them, with one basin and adjacent rail tracks being covered by a building of some sort. This sounds very much like the arrangement which existed until recently. The second canal basin was on the Wolves side of the yard. There don't appear to be any public roads directly accessing this second basin. There's something shown as 'works' between it and Walsall Street, whilst the opposite side of the main canal has something shown as 'Electricity Works' A line of pylons ends between the Stour Valley line and the basin; this is presumably where the sub-station is. Looking at an early edition of Baker's Rail Atlas, the BOC terminal was shown as being on the northern side of the basin and associated sidings.

I would suggest, therefore, that the wharf that was in use until fairly recently was originally 'Shrubbery Basin', served by the GWR, whilst the wharf nearer Birmingham was 'Chillington Wharf', originally served by the LNWR. The map suggests that they were about 250- 400 metres apart. Over time, it's possible the sites merged, with the whole being known as Chillington Wharf, to give a reference to a named street- there's no reference to a 'Shrubbery' on my map (perhaps the Knights who say 'Neep' had nabbed it?)

[The Stationmaster]

I did write a post last night about this last night, but I got an 'Error 404' message when I tried sending it. Out of interest, I dug out a 1970s 'Birmingham and West Midlands Street Atlas'; I know they're not the best maps in the world, but they tend to give reasonably accurate routings for canals and railways.

The map was drawn before Walsall St goods became Wolverhampton Steel Terminal; the railway passing the latter on the Walsall side is still shown as WR, whilst the Stour Valley line is shown as LMR. There is no connection shown between them.

The line that serves the steel terminal these days is shown as leaving the Stour Valley as a trailing connection off the Up line, before curving underneath it to serve a warehouse adjacent to the canal. The street immediately next to this siding is Chillington Street; there is no sign of a basin off the canal.

Another line curves off the Walsall St depot yard, and cuts under the Stour Valley. This is shown as serving a number of sidings, with canal basins between them, with one basin and adjacent rail tracks being covered by a building of some sort. This sounds very much like the arrangement which existed until recently. The second canal basin was on the Wolves side of the yard. There don't appear to be any public roads directly accessing this second basin. There's something shown as 'works' between it and Walsall Street, whilst the opposite side of the main canal has something shown as 'Electricity Works' A line of pylons ends between the Stour Valley line and the basin; this is presumably where the sub-station is. Looking at an early edition of Baker's Rail Atlas, the BOC terminal was shown as being on the northern side of the basin and associated sidings.

I would suggest, therefore, that the wharf that was in use until fairly recently was originally 'Shrubbery Basin', served by the GWR, whilst the wharf nearer Birmingham was 'Chillington Wharf', originally served by the LNWR. The map suggests that they were about 250- 400 metres apart. Over time, it's possible the sites merged, with the whole being known as Chillington Wharf, to give a reference to a named street- there's no reference to a 'Shrubbery' on my map (perhaps the Knights who say 'Neep' had nabbed it?)

I think not Brian; Tony Cooke's 'Atlas of The GWR etc' shows the two canal basins as distinctly separate - as previously described by various folk in this thread with one distinctly and separately connected off the LNW line (in the way you describe) which is the one still there today and the other connected from the neck of the GWR's Walsall St goods depot via an underbridge in the LNW line. All the pictures on the 'net describing the basin as Chillington Wharf etc match the description of that wharf right through from its existence as Monmore St Goods after the LNWR took it over and there is a pic on one site of it very clearly emblazoned with evidence of LMS ownership.

 

Sounds to me like the street map isn't very accurate in respect of railways and canals.

[Andy Y]

Thanks Brian, there was an electricity sub-station in between the two basin site which would have precluded any merging. Interestingly the 1919 map calls the northern part of the current part of the BOC site 'Shrubbery Oxygen Works' with a siding heading north from the Shrubbery Basin. The 1888 map shows it as 'Shrubbery iron Works' so there must have been a change of use in between those dates.

[Jack]

I've been contemplating modelling Chillington Wharf (last pic on this page - http://www.photobydj...rhamptonHL.html ) in its run-down 60s/70s state but looking at site maps there was a similar canal/rail wharf a short distance north of that called Shrubbery Basins.

 

I believe it was demolished in the 1980's by a bloke with a herring ...

 

... sorry, after 23 posts someone had to make a bad Monty Python joke

 

Seriously though, looks like an interesting project and yes I agree with Mike, definitly your chance to move into the glorious world of 7mm Andy!!