Dudley No. 1 Canal - and no further

Sunday, 31 January 2010 18:00

The only way out is back where we came from!

This is why - the Dudley Tunnel

The narrowboat size gauge at the North Portal of the Dudley Tunnel makes us realize how "big" (the profile) of Epiphany is. we would need to be much lower in the water and much narrower across the roof!

Narrowboat gauge is swung over the canal to measure boats

Still, we are only here for the Museum - the Black Country Living Museum that is, although moored outside the Tunnel behind the trip boats makes us a bit of an exhibit too!

So what did we think of the Black Country Museum? Wonderful and worth the money (it is quite pricey, especially if you are a family!). I can only give you our highlights but there are lots of photos on our album so I will put the link at the bottom of this blog!

Talking narrowboats - well working ones - there are a few here to see. The famous and the not so famous.

 Kildare and its current "Motor" President are moored at Castle Fields Boat Dock

Kildare was built around 1913 for Fellows, Morton and Clayton (FMC) and is a "Butty" - usually pulled by a horse or a steam boat. President (1909) has been lovingly restored too and is a "Steamer". These boats can be seen at Historic Boat Rallies and always draw a crowd.

I was fascinated to visit the Bakery and the Baker in residence was very informative. It (the bakery!) was rescued from Birmingham Road, Oldbury. It has been rebuilt as it was and houses two direct coal-fired ovens and a "trow" in which the dough would be mixed by hand. The fires heated a large oven behind and the Baker had to "batch bake" for the whole community.

The Baker and one of his coal fires

The Baker had to prepare the bread for the men before they went to the mines. As the ovens take 3 hours to come up to temperature, it was a very early morning for him! The Delivery Boy delivered the bread to the local families before he went to school and came back after school to clear up!

We chatted to him for a while and then came back to see his bread!

This is an illustration of the "Living" bit of the Black Country Museum. There are "characters" in the shops, around the museum and on the transport. Many of them stay "in character" but we managed to get them to chat more generally! Visits can include school lessons, "old" photographs of yourself, demonstrations of skills and historic transport rides.

Another fascinating place was the Pawnbrokers!

Understanding Pawnbroking a bit more now, we wonder if it was a good system. Perhaps we could learn a few lessons from the past about debt control!

We "took our life in our hands" - or rather put them in the guide's hands and went down the Mine. It is from the 1850s and is a "drift mine". We walked down into it, with only a dim torch (to mimic the candles miners used) to see our way. It is very, very dark when these are turned off! The roof is very low in places and we all had hard hats on - a good job because I managed to hit my head a couple of times. (Now you know how it feels! ed.) I had to bend and poor John had to be almost on his knees at some spots - not good for a long back!

The Mine workings on the surface are Racecourse Colliery. Much of the Museum site was once mined for coal, limestone, fireclay and ironstone. The tram in the photo below provides transport from the Tram Depot to the Transport Depot.

We indulged in a bit of nostalgia at the Transport Depot - I was back in my school days, catching a London Bus from Upper Norwood to Crystal Palace and then on to Sydenham! Bring back the hop on - hop off Red Rovers, Boris!

The stairs were always fun - mini skirts were not the most dignified things to wear when climbing them!

We enjoyed visiting the various other buildings on the site - here are some photos of them:

The Newcomen Steam Engine House

A Quarry workers cottage - Pitt's Cottage

The 1845 Woodseton Turnpike Toll House

Inside was nice and cosy and the occupants chatty!

The story goes ... When the coach stopped to pay the Toll to cross Lord Dudley's land the men got out to do their "necessary" and if unable to make the earth closet they would use the nearest corner! The buttresses either side of the front door were to discourage thie practice!

Toll House buttress and "look out" window

Cradley Heath Working Institute is set in the 1930s

Upstairs is a memorial to Mary MacArther - one of Britain's prominent Trade Unionists in the early 20th Century  - who led the women who were fighting for more than 2½d an hour making chains. The offices downstairs have an authentic 1930s feel and sadly for us we recognised some items that we had seen on our Fathers' desks. And then, anyone for tea?!

Show your age too ....

The Institute was opened in 1912 built with the money remaining after the Chainmakers strike and has an auditorium which is still used.

Working Womens Federation Banner over auditorium stage

Talking of Chainmakers, we watched one in action

We would thoroughly recommend a visit to the Black Country Museum - there is so much to more see and do and it is still developing. We also recommend Hobbs Fish and Chip Shop - delicious chips if you don't mind queuing!

John also fancied something from the Gentlemen's Outfitters!

Here is the link to OUR photo album with OUR pics of the Black Country Museum, enjoy! - Clickety Click ......