Gauging Island.

The canal equivalent of a Toll House.

Around the Birmingham Canal Navigations are seemingly odd sections like this, where the channel narrows to little more than a boat width. In the distance on the left can just be made out an entrance to an old loading basin. Here, boats would be loaded with coal from the local mine. This would lower the boat in the water. It would then be stopped at the Gauging Island, where the weight of the cargo could be calculated and the appropriate toll levied.

As this is a narrow island, it is likely that the toll house would have been by the towpath – possibly where the tree is now. Also of interest in this shot is the brickwork in the grass. This is the remains of a bridge that carried a railway over the canal. Windmill End station was located in the grassy area to the right.

Artist’s Impression of how Windmill End Toll Station might have looked.

• Taken: 13 Mar 2020
• Camera: Canon 5D MkIII
• Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm 1:2.8 L II USM
• Focal Length 70mm
• F/4
• 1/125 Sec
• ISO 100