Titford Pump comes home

Published: Monday, 22 November 2010

THE Titford Pump that served the Titford Canal is to be reinstated by its original home on the wharf by Titford Pumphouse at Engine Street in Oldbury.

It will return this Friday, 26th November at 11.00am, Brian Holmes tells us.

The pump dating from 1965 would have raised water to the highest point on the Birmingham Canal Navigations, and from here via the Tatbank Branch and feeder channel it was run to Edgbaston Reservoir to feed Birmingham's canals.

Moved to Ellesmere Port

When the Titford Pumphouse became disused, the pump was moved to the Ellesmere Port Boat Museum, where it remained until 2009. The Birmingham Canal Navigations Society then brought it back on board their newly acquired working boat Atlas, and it has been extensively refurbished by volunteers at Hawne Basin.

It will be reinstated on the wharf at the pumphouse as a static display, with the casting cut away to reveal its working parts. On 26th November, the pump will be lifted from  Atlas and installed on its new base and permanent home. Visitors will easily be able to view it from the towpath and it is planned to add an interpretation board in due course.

Remarks Graham Whorton, Chairman of the BCNS:

" It will be an exciting day for the BCNS to bring the pump home, particularly as we will be using a working boat similar to the ones which would have operated up these locks."