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There are 8 images on this page it will take some time to download, be patient and you will see all that is worth seeing at Windmill End and Bumble Hole. This is probably the best known site on the Black Country Canals so it's only possible to show it with many images. This area was once an active area of coal mining based on the South Stafordshire coal field. The 9 meter thick coal seam was a major natural resource mined here and also extensively throughout the Black Country.
The Black Country covers an area of about 50 sq miles, it was so named from the time when when its coal, iron ore and limestone mined at shallow depths ruined the landscape with pits, quarries and slagheaps gave rise to hundreds of black furnaces, foundries and forges belching forth flames and smoke for 24 hours a day, making iron and steel caused not only the land to become black but the air aswell.
This is no longer the situation, most heavy industry has now closed and the old pits long closed the factories are closed and knocked down, most children in the blackcountry have nver seen a piece of iron smelted, nor a lump of coal mined, they would be hard put to to recognise a lump of coal, and they wouldn't know what to do with it if they had a lump.

NETHERTON TUNNEL.
This tunnel is now a grade 2 listed structure, built between 1855 and 1858, it is 2768m long, it was the last tunnel of the canal age to be built in this country. It is also the widest having towpaths on both sides. This is the Dudley number 2 canal, the other end of the tunnel is the BCN.

COBB'S ENGINE HOUSE.
Built in 1831 it ceased working in 1928.
It housed a Watt beam engine to pump water from the mines into the canal, you can imagine the colour of the water. It pumped about 400,000 gallons a day.
The engine is now in the Henery Ford industrial Museum, somewhere in the US of A. The engine house is now a Scheduled Ancient monument.

IRON FOOTBRIDGE.
This bridge spans the now defunct arm of the Bumble Hole Loop. It is typical of the footbridges on the Midland canals, they where all manucatured by The Toll End Iron Works at Tipton in the Black Country.

DUDLEY No2 CANAL MAIN LINE.
To the left of the photo is the entrance to the famous Bumble Hole, ahead to the right is the visitors centre to the nature reserve, well worth a visit if it's open, which it most days, but it is operated by volunteers, you can get a cup of tea here if you wish, or just below the embankment is the Dry Dock pub.

OLD RAILWAY BRIDGE.
Under this bridge to the magic world of the Bumble Hole.

HARRIS BOATYARD.
This piece of canal was originally the Boshboil Arm, the Bumble Hole Loop was connect to it and it became known as the Bumble Hole. This was part of the original contour canal system concieved by James Brindley (1716 - 1772).
It was made redundant when the straight approach  to the then new Netherton Tunnel was built. Much of the old loop disappeared because of subsidence due to the mines, this section was kept open to serve the boat yards that where here at the time.

BUMBLE WIND.
Not that type of wind! If you venture with your boat into this hole this is where you can turn, its only a short arm so it is best if you walk down it. It's very tranquil and tree lined, mostly used by residential boats.

BUMBLE HOLE END

All good things come to an end, and this is the end of this one.