BY DAVE HADLEY
Memories of Rattlechain and surrounding area
©Reproduced by permission of English Heritage
“Mid 1950s
As a young lad of 9 and 10 my friends and I would walk the canal towpaths to different spots, one being the Tividale/Gower area. These lands were low lands, wet lands with farms wherever the land could be farmed. We followed the R. Tame as much as we could. The area was full of wildlife. Wildfowl, Lapwings, and other bird life. Walking also down Johns Lane Rattlechain through a tunnel under the canal and railway to Sheepwash Farm. All of these were lowlands wetlands, back through the 2nd tunnel, back to Tividale, past Monks Farm and Bradeshall Farm. Past the locks and lock-keepers house we got off the canal system at Fisher’s Bridge, travel up Gypsy Lane (now Lower City Road) for 100yards and turn up a gully after (Locktool Works) past an old pit area and old pit tramwaycutting up to the area we played most. We called it ‘Woodies’, the old George Wood Brickworks. This area was full of wildlife, badgers, foxes, rabbits, weasel, stoat. All birdlife, summer visitors Blackcap, Whitethroat, Lesser-whitethroat, warblers, finches, cuckoo, and yellowhammer. Winter visitors included Redwing and Fieldfare.
Always being aware of the marl hole, we camped regularly over this area. Just 50 yards from George Woods Brickyard was the Gower Brickyard/marl hole. This was fenced off because acids used to be pumped into it. Canal boats pulled up by a pumphouse. The pipework ran on 10 feet high brick columns. The acid used to flash/flicker in this marl hole.
1965 . A Matty boat called “the Maurine” towing another boat behind in the direction of Brades Locks. This area behind is Albright and Wilson’s Gower Tip. Copyright David Wilson , reproduced with permission.
Year 2000’s
Years later George Woods Brickworks and marl hole became part of landfill. The deep part of this fill must be at least 200 feet. Housing estate now covers this site? Don’t know about the Gower brickwork marl hole, the acid filler site.
Year 2025
The site of Rattlechain now fenced off, which was still used to take acids from chemical companies accessed by canal boats. The land next to Rattlechain site was also polluted over a long spell with foundry sand and other landfill from local companies with depths of 50-60 feet. A company has bought this land and want to build 200+ houses. Not a good idea. This land was once the wetlands me and mates used to walk in the 1950s. They should never be built on. Left for nature and time to mend. The only piece of land left in 2025.”
David Hadley