Wyken Slough

Hello Tim, not sure about the name Neal. I know one was Pettifer, that faced the slough, and opposite was Bond whose back door faced the slough, the other three not sure of. This was wartime, think you may be talking later?

Tim, about 1900 there was a bridge over the original canal, Eburne bridge, but the school I believe must be after the war? Manor House, the row of houses you see on 348 were only built in 1939, completed as the war began, but the big ack-ack gun placed behind them broke the windows the first time it fired. Until they were built it was fields over to Grange Road.

Manor House and locals, Your photo on 348, the row of houses are opposite to my house, the old train track to the pits ran alongside both, but here at the side of the house at the pavement was where they cut the rail line. By the side of the end house across the rail track was a buffer, a two foot square about six feet long piece of solid wood, on stout iron legs. On the far side two metal buffers that only a train could push in, and at the height of train buffers. Here six of us could sit at a time. On the other side of the fence was an enclosed pathway then the power station entrance. Lower down where the pathway crossed the line to Grange Road was also the line junction that branched off to the power station. What is at the side of the houses now was not there years ago.

Thank you for that info' Kaga, that is really interesting. I have only ever seen one picture of a train on that line (I think it is on the the other side of the power station near Blackhorse Rd).

Manor House I would say this has just left Hawkesbury Halt, and nearing the Bedworth Road bridge, Blackhorse Road on the left. The field on the right had a Tiger Moth land in the early thirties, causing a minor sensation, no one had seen an aeroplane so close before. Perhaps Philip can date it from the train.

C.E.T. April 1966:

C.E.T. 1953:

C.E.T. 1964:

20A-Manor House, You still taking photos of the old place, or just can't keep away? The first photo you put on here was a 1927 one, that showed my cousin as a boy, when he lived there. His father owned the slough. He lost his life in a bomber over Germany later - very touching for me. Thank you. The old rustic bridge at the far end has been mended since my days sitting with my grandad selling fishing tickets and punting the houseboat about the pool, and Sammy the swan that lived with mate on the pool, and wouldn't let any other swan land for a good 7/8 years - they were a formidable pair truly. Every year they raised their young and when the time came they left the pool, never to return, and we helped Sammy and his mate to survive the bad winters. Many air and water battles I witnessed. All other water fowl kept clear, they sat around and watched from the cover of the reeds - it was truly rural, brutal and natural, until man came along and spoilt the rhythm of the seasons, trying to make it more beautiful, and spoilt it completely.

Hi, the old house is actually under the motorway, I am good friends with Fred's son.

Hello & welcome, Wayne B, Pull up a chair & be comfy.

Hi, I am wondering if anyone can help. I went to Alderman's Green infant and junior school, also lived on Alderman's Green Road in the 70's. I remember a young girl drowning in the canal on her way home from school, she had been with a friend and was in my year at the junior school. It has been in mind quite a lot recently and want to remember her name.

Looking through the newspaper archives there is a report of a Susan Gilder drowning in the canal in 1975, Margy.

Hi Margy, welcome to the forum

Hello to you Margy, from me. It was possibly the final straw in the decision to close the link arm of the Oxford canal. The straight section still remains. Canals were not valued for recreation like they are now. One of the dismantled bridges can still be seen crossing the River in Spon End. Friends of mine bought a house in Potters Green, around 1965, where the canal at the back of Ringwood Highway, resembled a ditch. I can't ever remember boat traffic. I remember watching the footbridge being taken up & away, as that wasn't needed. At the back of my mind, there may have been a similar tragedy earlier on that section of the canal, known as the Wyken Arm. The Boat pub gardens used to back on to the canal. Hence its name.