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© Jack Haddock, 1965 |
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Mine's a pint of coffee! |
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The Walsall branch of the Birmingham canal was opened in 1799 to provide an easier and cheaper way of moving goods into the town.
In 1841 the Walsall Canal was connected with the Wyrley and Essington Canal by a flight of eight locks.
The boatmen worked hard and played harder. Even among the Black Country miners and ironworkers they had something of a reputation for hard drinking, brawling, rowdiness and thieving.
Commissioned by the "Incorporated Seamen and Boatmen's Friendly Society", the purpose of the Boatman's Rest was to serve as a mission or "Coffee Room", as it was sometimes called, to distract the boatmen from frequenting the local public houses, such as The Navigator Pub or the White House. Mr H. D. Clark, President of the Walsall Chamber of Commerce, formally opened it on 4th March 1901.
The Boatman's Rest stands at the top lock in the Birchills area of Walsall. According to the 9th March 1901 edition of the Walsall Advertiser, 200 boats passed through the locks each day, carrying a total of 400 to 500 people on board. The top lock was an ideal location as it was one of the busiest in the Black Country because of the coal being transported out of the county. Other cargo included wheat, iron ore and limestone.
The boatmen would often queue for several hours as only one boat could pass through at a time. During this time the boatmen would congregate and exchange news and information.
© Courtesy of British Waterways Birmingham & Black Country.
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Mr G. R. Jebb, an engineer for the Birmingham Canal Network (BCN) and Shropshire Union canals, designed the building. Simple in design, the rectangular building is two storeys high. On the ground floor there was a coffee room, kitchen and a caretaker's room. Upstairs was a single large room that served as a chapel, which could seat 100 people. The building and furniture came to a total of £350.
Joel Cadbury, one of the renowned Cadbury clan, laid the foundation stone in September 1900. He was the chairman of the Midlands branch of the Society at the time.
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