Derelict House In Saltley / Alum Rock

This derelict, boarded up white house sits alone on the side of the canal in Saltley / Alum Rock. Was it a house for someone who operated the canal lock doors, or the living quarters for some kind of canal / factory caretaker back in the day. I'm not sure. It's been on the receiving end of quite a lot of tagging, but that sort of adds to its character, at least for picture taking anyway.



Whatever way you look at it, this is certainly a strange house to have just sitting on the side of the canal, surrounded by old factory's and a scrapyard. It looks as though it belongs in a South Central Los Angeles Ghetto, or on the set of the film Death Wish II (1982), not in Saltley / Alum Rock, Birmingham. Quite an eerie looking house from the angle the picture was taken. Did you spot the surveillance camera?

Saltley Gate Gas Works Gasometer Towers

Between the Saltley and Nechells gas works there is a lot of history. Among other things, explosions, strikes, which were part of a nation wide coal miners strike, and picket lines. The picket lines caused some divide among people who were intent on striking and those who wanted to do a days work. The two Gasometers (Gas Holders) pictured below are now gone, but there are another 3 still standing not too far away (Windsor Street Gas Works - near Avenue Road). However, I don't think they are used anymore and are now sitting there abandoned.