Canal Crane at Audlem Wharf

Canal & River Trust (CRT) staff arrived mid-morning yesterday (Monday) and fenced off the area around the wooden crane at Audlem Wharf on the Shropshire Union Canal.

This is for safety reasons -- the timber crane jib is clearly badly rotted close to the main upright timber, and generally the crane is in poor shape. A CRT engineer is to inspect the crane within a day or two, and advise on what should be done, but it is understood any repair work may be governed by the availability of finance, and the level of priority assigned to the work.

Though the crane is not the original, nor was used in canal carrying days (that was an iron crane a few metres away), and nor is it functional, it has been there for over 45 years. It is in fact a Great Western Railway goods yard crane. Though local folklore says that it came from Audlem station, which closed to goods traffic in 1967, it was actually transported by canal from one of the many canal-rail interchange yards on the Birmingham Canal Navigation.

The photo shows the crane outside the Shroppie Fly. Much of the canal in Audlem is a conservation area, so it is important that the crane is quickly restored to good health. It is part of one of the best known canal scenes in Britain.

Also, the temporary fencing is blocking the towpath, which is a public footpath at this point, though there is a good alternative route alongside (the road in front of the Shroppie Fly).

Peter Silvester
Audlem Mill

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