Compiled by Stephen Birch with images from private collection and Birmingham Archives. Yesterday we started The story of Salford Bridge from its earliest mention in 1290. And finished with the building of another bridge in 1810. The story continues:--- The Story of Salford Bridge Part 2. As mentioned yesterday, there are no images on the bridge built in 1810. Later in 1845 the bridge was widened and lengthened when the new canal system was constructed, the new canal named the Birmingham & Fazeley canal ran was built to run parallel with the Tame river. You could say that there are two bridges in one. The original brick construction was built to cross the Tame while the cast iron bridge crossed the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal. As you can see from the second image showing the cast Iron bridge over the canal by 1906 the area once fields in front of the large Georgian residencies have been replaced by shops and at the back of them roads and houses. Around the new canal system which transported coal for collection around the city, a new community grew. Along with constructing waterways, new Victorian terraces were built for the canal workers and their families. Apart from the main Lichfield Road that was at the crossing of the bridge, this is where Gravelly Hill started just over the bridge at the first shop. other roads were built as more housing was needed, these Victorian terraced roads were named Woodlands, which ran from the corner of Slade Road & Copeley Hill, Bridge Road which was accessed from Copeley Hill and then there was Leamington Road which was accessed from Gravelly Hill and ran parallel with the canal to which both Woodlands & Bridge road was connected. In the third image of the Map you can see one of the Gravel Pits marked, this is how the area got its name. There were many Gravel Pits around the area having been used from the early 1800s. It should also be mentioned that in the Map of 1902, Tyburn Road is not marked, that is because it wasnt constructed until the 1920s. The Fazeley canal was the transport route along which the cottages were built, these form part of Gravelly Hill industrial estate today. Along with the shops, there were Factories like the Lock Works and The Nut & Screw Works. and the railway of course which was built in 1862. With the start of the 20th Century our roads were being used not only by horses & carts, but also trams, firstly during the latter part of the 1880s the Steam trams had run via Aston Cross terminating just before Salford Bridge, It wasnt until 1907 when the line was extended across the bridge and through to Erdington. The Electric era had begun and more vehicular traffic was putting extra strain on the old bridges at Salford! Continued tomorrow...... 1. SALFORD BRIDGE 1878 The brick built construction from 1845 with the River Tame running beneath its arch. 2. SALFORD BRIDGE OVER THE CANAL 1906 The second part of the bridge built in cast iron in 1845 3. GRAVELLY HILL MAP 1902 The map shows Salford Bridge with the Tame River & Birmingham Fazeley canal near the bottom on the right with the new roads marked. 4. SALFORD & THE BIRMINGHAM FAZELEY CANAL been dredged 1913 5. SALFORD BRIDGE 1922 Early open balcony tram travelling over the old bridge 6. GRAVELLY HILL LOOKING TOWARDS OLD CAST IRON SALFORD BRIDGE SEPTEMBER 1922 A much busier road surrounded by the shops. Greens Pork Pies, Cakes & Pastries on the corner of Leamington Road.
Posted on: Sun, 27 Jul 2014 18:00:02 +0000