All Canal Traffic held up. Owing to the excess of wet, a tremendous volume of land water has been flowing down the Brent of late. This culminated in the Weir near Col. Clitherow’s property bursting on Sunday afternoon. It was about two o’clock when a swift rush of water broke the weir down, the effect of which has been to empty the canal between the … Continue reading A Burst Weir, 1914
Built in 1859 as railway bridge, now mostly derelict, storage or car repair yard.
In Thames Policy Area.
Remnants of the old Great Western and Brentford (Thames Junction) Freight Railway Line, built 1859. Continue reading “Remnants of old Brunel Railway Bridge”
Bridge first built in 1818, with 1901 additions.
In Grand Union Canal & Boston Manor Conservation Area; Thames Policy Area
The first bridge was built over the Brent in 1284. Continue reading “Brentford Bridge”
Gauging Lock, Brentford, TW8
Built as a toll house in 1911, this is now a museum.
Grade II statutory listed
In Grand Union Canal & Boston Manor Conservation Area; Thames Policy Area
In the 18th century at the time of early canal travel, goods were carried from the Midlands to London covering 230 miles via the Oxford Canal and the Thames, meeting hold ups of fishing weirs and often floods or droughts on the Thames.
In 1793/4 the Grand Junction Canal Company built a canal to cut down this distance  (as the crow flies it’s only 100 miles). Continue reading “Toll House”
BRENTFORD & CHISWICK TIMES
Friday May 29th 1942
WATERMEN AT WAR
Barges and Canal Boats are Vital Links in Supply Chain
BRENTFORD MEN’S EXPERIENCES.
Through Fires and Bombs Up River in London Blitz
On the late afternoon of September 6th 1940 a solitary pair of boats, frail river craft, moved steadily up the Thames between banks of blazing warehouses, flying masonry, and under a sky noisy with ‘planes and the crash of anti-aircraft fire. The boats’ crew of five, including two Brentford men, were maintaining the slogan ‘Keep Moving’, which river and canal workers have nailed to their masts for the duration. Continue reading “Watermen at War”
The History of Brentford 