Graham 63 Posted March 23, 2015 Report Share Posted March 23, 2015 The Nottingham Canal and The Railway crossed the Trowell Road in Wollaton adjacent to an area known as Wollaton Bridge. Wollaton Bridge is shown on maps earlier than both the canal and the railway so what was Wollaton Bridge and what did it actually bridge? The old maps show Wollaton Bridge as roughly mid way between the canal and railway bridge. Any views appreciated Regards Graham Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bubblewrap 3,815 Posted March 23, 2015 Report Share Posted March 23, 2015 A River Leen crossing? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,457 Posted March 23, 2015 Report Share Posted March 23, 2015 Did the Leen get over there? The area known as Wollaton Bridge isn't marked here, but it's the point where the road crosses the canal; this is 1880s. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TBI 2,351 Posted March 23, 2015 Report Share Posted March 23, 2015 #1 Not sure what year of maps you are referring to, but there are maps pre-1800 that show Wollaton Bridge as the Nottingham Canal crossing. See this link https://nottinghamhiddenhistoryteam.wordpress.com/2014/11/18/1750-wollaton-early-maps-of-wollaton/ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,457 Posted March 23, 2015 Report Share Posted March 23, 2015 This is the only map I can find which shows the name, and it is obviously bridging the canal. This is 1830s. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TBI 2,351 Posted March 23, 2015 Report Share Posted March 23, 2015 Cliff, did you see my edit at #4? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,457 Posted March 23, 2015 Report Share Posted March 23, 2015 No, But I have now! Great minds etc..... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
littlebro 234 Posted March 23, 2015 Report Share Posted March 23, 2015 The pre 1790 maps are questionable, the canal was built 1792 - 1796? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TBI 2,351 Posted March 23, 2015 Report Share Posted March 23, 2015 Yes, that's why it would be good to know what maps Graham was referring to. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Graham 63 Posted March 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2015 Shown on a map 1774 attributed to Chapman. This was before the canal. This map shows the Strelley Road and The Kings Head which has no canal beside it . Wollaton Bridge is shown here but no canal and no railway . Try to Google Chapman's map 1774 and you will see what I mean Graham Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TBI 2,351 Posted March 24, 2015 Report Share Posted March 24, 2015 Graham, if you click on the link in #4 above you will see the Chapman map 1774 and the Nottingham Canal is actually shown. As littlebro mentioned above, those dates attributed are wrong anyway, as the Nottingham Canal was opened mid 1790's. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bilbraborn 1,594 Posted March 24, 2015 Report Share Posted March 24, 2015 I remember Wollaton Bridge very well. It was a very steep hump backed bridge which carried the Trowell Road over the canal. It was demolished by explosive sometime in the early 1960s. The road is now the only section of Trowell road to be dual carriageway. I have a huge collection of cine film which my dad did in the 1950s, 60s and 70s. One of them shows my uncle coming over that bridge on his moped. One day I'll get all that stuff on DVD. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Graham 63 Posted March 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2015 Maybe its the map that is not reliable !! It would be logical to assume that it was the canal bridge that was the Wollaton Bridge. I have also noticed that several photographs taken of the canal in the 1960s appearing on some internet sites are not technically correct in their location. I have managed to get one changed which purported to show the canal from the Coventry Lane Bridge when it was in fact taken from Moor Lane looking through the railway bridge and Coventry Lane Bridge is clearly visible beyond. Also there are photos of the Wollaton Flight saying they are from the Woodyard Lane whilst I believe that they are from the Old Coach Road. One must always be very careful about the Internet as to whether seeing is believing !! Would it be possible for anyone to post a picture of the bridge before its demolition?? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
firbeck 859 Posted March 25, 2015 Report Share Posted March 25, 2015 The last surviving remnant of Wollaton Bridge, the Bill Posters sign, which I think was bolted to the parapet on the northern side of the bridge, interesting that it says 'CNR' and not 'GNR', a mistake or a flaw in the casting perhaps :- I reckon the bridge was blown up in the summer of 63, very early on a Sunday morning, I wasn't around at the time otherwise I would have gone to watch it, I suspect I was on holiday. The sign was rescued by Steve Wood after the big bang, his father being a police sergeant living just down the road leads me to suspect he was on duty there at the time, he probably just walked off with it, but who would have cared in those days. If you read this Steve and I know you dabble on here sometimes, let me know the full story the next time we exchange e-mails. A few years later on when I was 'acquiring' signs along with Bilbraborn, I coveted that Bill Posters sign so Steve let me have it for the princely sum of 2/6d, coincidentally the price of a packet of 20 Bensons! The sign now resides on my shed at the bottom of the garden in Braintree, a long way from home, it's well bolted on just in case our resident Pykies come sniffing about. Pictures of the bridge in-situ seem to be hard to find, sad when I think of the times I must have crossed it either on foot or on the 'Blue Bus'. I did find this picture when I Googled 'Images', it's taken from the bridge looking towards the colliery and judging by the clothes they're wearing, it must be Edwardian times. The pit must be really stoking up the boilers judging by the amount of black smoke, the house on the left is still there pretty much as it looked then I believe, though I haven't seen it for a few years. Did you know that following the harsh winter of 1963 when they were living in a tent, the Council 'rented' the house out to the local Pykie family, to the neighbour's dismay. They promptly filled the garden with scrap metal and let the poor pony feed on the Colliery sports field and everyone else's gardens, it was a local scandal at the time :- Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bilbraborn 1,594 Posted March 25, 2015 Report Share Posted March 25, 2015 Without bothering to nip downstairs and look, there maybe a photo in Bernard Chell's Nottingham's Lost Canal'. Somewhere in my collection of newspaper cuttings, I have the report into the demolition, but the photo is lousy. If I remember rightly, the demolition team arrived the day before and hid the explosive. Unfortunately it was nearly found by some local youngsters. Imagine doing that today. Interestingly, my dad did a lot of his courting along that towpath. Bet he didn't show much interest in the canal or the bridge. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Graham 63 Posted March 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 25, 2015 Its strange that a bridge that existed for say 150 years has not been recorded somewhere in a photograph or sketch ?? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bilbraborn 1,594 Posted March 25, 2015 Report Share Posted March 25, 2015 Trouble with humped back canal bridges, they all tended to look very much the same to anyone not interested. I wish there were better photos of Old Coach Road bridge where I used to disobediently play as a child. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Graham 63 Posted March 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 25, 2015 Go onto "Britain From Above 1919-1953", type in Wollaton and choose some pictures of the old canal route. Also on "Ipernity" there are pictures of the old canal which you may find interesting though I am not convinced about what they say is the exact location of the photos. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bilbraborn 1,594 Posted March 27, 2015 Report Share Posted March 27, 2015 The bit between Woodyard Lane and the pit was my early childhood playground (god help me when my mum found out). I can shut my eyes and remember every little bit of it as it gradually decayed. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
alanm 4 Posted July 8, 2016 Report Share Posted July 8, 2016 Firbeck - in answer re the canal bridge the house in question is indeed still there and owned by Andy Johnson who lived next door but one to you. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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