The Bratch is an area of

Wombourne Wombourne is a large village and civil parish located in the district of South Staffordshire, in the county of Staffordshire, England. It is 4 miles (6 km) south-west of Wolverhampton and just outside the county and conurbation of the W ...

in South Staffordshire, England, noted for its

industrial heritage Industrial heritage refers to the physical remains of the history of technology and industry, such as manufacturing and mining sites, as well as power and transportation infrastructure. Another definition expands this scope so that the term a ...

and more recently as a way station for walkers, riders and cyclists. Formerly, it was a small, separate hamlet, and became fully absorbed into Wombourne only in the 20th century. Population details for the 2011 census can be found under

Etymology

The name is derived from the Anglian dialect of

Old English Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlers in the mid-5th c ...

, in which the word ''brēc'' signifies newly broken-in land. There are a number of Bratches in Staffordshire, e.g. near Enville and

Norton Canes Norton Canes is an industrial village, civil parish and ward of Cannock Chase District, in Staffordshire, England. It is situated out of the centre of Cannock. At the 2001 census it had a population of 6,394, and an area of of which 86% is gre ...

. In each case, they are near the edges of ancient forests, so a bratch was a new clearing in the waste.W. H. Duignan, Notes on Staffordshire Place Names, Henry Frowde, London, 1902.

Bratch Locks

The Bratch Locks are a noted feature of the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal, planned by

James Brindley James Brindley (1716 – 27 September 1772) was an English engineer. He was born in Tunstead, Derbyshire, and lived much of his life in Leek, Staffordshire, becoming one of the most notable engineers of the 18th century. Early life Born i ...

, and opened in 1772 as a three lock staircase. They were later re-engineered as three separate

lock Lock(s) may refer to: Common meanings *Lock and key, a mechanical device used to secure items of importance *Lock (water navigation), a device for boats to transit between different levels of water, as in a canal Arts and entertainment * ''Lock ...

s. They are served by two bridges, a

toll house A tollhouse or toll house is a building with accommodation for a toll collector, beside a tollgate on a toll road, canal, or toll bridge. History Many tollhouses were built by turnpike trusts in England, Wales and Scotland during the 18th an ...

, and a keeper's cottage. The whole forms a well-preserved example of vernacular Georgian architecture and design, built of mellow local brick. Birds Eye View of Bratch Locks

Bratch Pumping Station

A notable example of

Victorian architecture Victorian architecture is a series of architectural revival styles in the mid-to-late 19th century. ''Victorian'' refers to the reign of Queen Victoria (1837–1901), called the Victorian era, during which period the styles known as Victorian we ...

and engineering, the Bratch Pumping Station was built in 1895. It was the result of a dispute over water pricing between

Bilston Bilston is a market town, ward, and civil parish located in Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England. It is close to the borders of Sandwell and Walsall. The nearest towns are Darlaston, Wednesbury, and Willenhall. Historically in Staffordshi ...

Urban District Council and the Borough of

Wolverhampton Wolverhampton () is a city, metropolitan borough and administrative centre in the West Midlands, England. The population size has increased by 5.7%, from around 249,500 in 2011 to 263,700 in 2021. People from the city are called "Wulfrunians ...

, which had supplied Bilston's water hitherto. Bilston's council decided to secure an independent water supply for the town. After some debate, it was decided to build a water works about seven miles from Bilston, at the Bratch. The

pumping station Pumping stations, also called pumphouses in situations such as drilled wells and drinking water, are facilities containing pumps and equipment for pumping fluids from one place to another. They are used for a variety of infrastructure system ...

tower was built with ornate

brickwork Brickwork is masonry produced by a bricklayer, using bricks and mortar. Typically, rows of bricks called ''courses'' are laid on top of one another to build up a structure such as a brick wall. Bricks may be differentiated from blocks by si ...

and extravagant pinnacles: it is clearly visible from the canal. Originally, there was also a tall,

Italianate The Italianate style was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. Like Palladianism and Neoclassicism, the Italianate style drew its inspiration from the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian ...

chimney stack, but this was demolished after the works became obsolete. Two steam engines pumped water from the underlying sandstone for more than six decades. They were generally used in turn, rather than simultaneously, and raised the water about 50 metres from the underlying Bunter sandstone. It was then pumped to a reservoir on the then border between Wolverhampton and Bilston, at Goldthorn Hill, about 100 metres higher. The site is still used for water extraction by

Severn Trent Severn Trent plc is a water company based in Coventry, England. It supplies 4.6 million households and business across the Midlands and Wales. It is traded on the London Stock Exchange and a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. Severn Trent, the ...

, although the pumping station became redundant in 1960. The building and one of the engines were restored from 1991. With the support of Severn Trent and Friends of the Bratch, Chief Engineer Len Crane and a local group of enthusiasts hold steamings at public holidays.

The former Wombourn railway station

Wombourn railway station (the correct spelling, as the final 'e' became common only later) was located at the Bratch, about 200 metres from the locks. It served the Wombourne Branch Line of the Great Western Railway, which was built between 1913 and 1925. The line was never heavily used by passengers, and ceased to function as a peacetime passenger line as early as 1932, although it proved important for the transport of strategic materials and troops during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. After 1945, its decline continued and it was closed in 1965 as part of the

Beeching cuts The Beeching cuts (also Beeching Axe) was a plan to increase the efficiency of the nationalised railway system in Great Britain. The plan was outlined in two reports: ''The Reshaping of British Railways'' (1963) and ''The Development of the M ...

. The line runs roughly parallel to the canal and to the

Smestow Brook The Smestow Brook, sometimes called the River Smestow, is a small river that plays an important part in the drainage of Wolverhampton, South Staffordshire, and parts of Dudley in the United Kingdom, and has contributed to the industrial developm ...

. The former railway land has become the South Staffordshire Railway Walk Local Nature Reserve and the Smestow Valley Local Nature Reserve. The track bed has become a bridle path, giving walkers, cyclists and riders views of, and access to, a large area of Staffordshire countryside. The station, meanwhile, has become an information point and café. It has a car park for visitors, and the site is also the base for a number of community groups.

Gallery

Image:StaffsWorcs Bratch Toll.jpg, The Bratch Upper Bridge and

at the Bratch Locks. Image:Badgernet Bratch Locks.jpg, The flight of three

locks Lock(s) may refer to: Common meanings *Lock and key, a mechanical device used to secure items of importance *Lock (water navigation), a device for boats to transit between different levels of water, as in a canal Arts and entertainment * ''Lock ...

, i.e. six gates, presents a considerable challenge to boats, and is very narrow in places. Image:StaffsWorcs Bratch Locks.jpg, Upper locks and toll house. Image:Bratch Pumping Station 01.jpg, The pumping station from the north, showing ornate brickwork and pinnacles. Image:Bratch - steam pumping engines - geograph.org.uk - 409770.jpg, The pumping engines There are nine lock gates in all, a mitred pair at the tail of each lock plus a single leaf top gate for each lock, rather than the six stated.

References

External links

Friends of Bratch Pumping Station

Waterscape entry for the Bratch.

Local Council page for the South Staffordshire Railway Walk
{{authority control Buildings and structures in Staffordshire Tourist attractions in Staffordshire Villages in Staffordshire Museums in Staffordshire Locks of Staffordshire Steam museums in England Former pumping stations Industrial archaeological sites in England Wombourne