Monday, 11 October 2010

Anson Branch History

It would appear that the Anson Branch was named after Thomas Anson, 1st Earl of Lichfield (also known as The Viscount Anson) who owned land in Willenhall.

The branch was probably cut to make more viable the mining of ironstone which was begining to happen in nearby Reeds Wood and subsequently at Parkbrook colliery (today the site of Junction 10). Four acres of Simeon Foster's land was sold for £295 to the Birmingham Canal Company in the 1830s. The presence of the canal benefited the Earl of Bedford's estate and its forays into mineral extraction.

The mining of Blueflats Ironstone took place at Parkbrook Colliery but the workings did not impact upon our site being mainly concerned with land west of the brook. However, coal may have been worked from under the site.

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