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LMS Route: Birmingham - Soho Road - Perry Barr - Birmingham

Soho Pool Wharf

The site of Soho Pool Wharf was previously used by Soho Manufactory which closed after the death of James Watt the younger in 1848, and was demolished some 15 years later. The Great Hockley Pool, by then renamed Soho Pool, was drained, and its site used for the LNWR's goods yard under the name of 'Soho Pool Wharf'.

Looking across the buffer stops at the near derelict site of Soho Pool goods station and yard in 1981
Ref: lnwrsohord2280
Birmingham Library
Looking across the buffer stops at the near derelict site of Soho Pool goods station and yard in 1981
Close up showing on the right part of the single freight only branch line to Soho Pool goods station
Ref: lnwrsohord1519a
DJ Norton
Close up showing on the right part of the single freight only branch line to Soho Pool goods station
Looking towards Winson Green junction with the single line to Soho Wharf Pool falling away to the left on 3rd October 1965
Ref: lnwrsoho3422
J Alsop
Looking towards Winson Green junction with the single line to Soho Wharf Pool falling away to the left
An 1888 Ordnance Survey map of Soho Pool Wharf showing a total of four sidings but no goods shed
Ref: lnwrsohord3419
National Library of Scotland
An 1888 Ordnance Survey map of Soho Pool Wharf showing a total of four sidings but no goods shed
A 1902 Ordnance Survey map of Soho Pool Wharf showing the sidings remodelled and the addition of a goods shed
Ref: lnwrsohord3420
National Library of Scotland
A 1902 OS map of Soho Pool Wharf showing the sidings remodelled and the addition of a goods shed

A 1913 Ordnance Survey map of Soho Pool Wharf showing the sidings having again been extended with a further three sidings
Ref: lnwrsohord3421
National Library of Scotland
A 1913 OS map of Soho Pool Wharf showing the sidings having again been extended with a further three sidings
A 1912 OS map of Soho Road station showing the station was constructed to the south of Soho Road
Ref: lnwrsohord3418
National Library of Scotland
A 1912 OS map of Soho Road station showing the station was constructed to the south of Soho Road
Map showing the location of Soho Road station in relation to the GWR's Soho & Winson Green station
Ref: lnwrsohord2279
DJ Norton
Map showing the location of Soho Road station in relation to the GWR's Soho & Winson Green station
Map showing the location of Soho Road station and its juxtaposition to the surrounding roads
Ref: soho_rd_map
Andy Doherty
Map showing the location of Soho Road station and its juxtaposition to the surrounding roads

Soho Pool wharf Occupants from Kellys directories for 1888-1973

It is easy to confuse Soho Wharf on the canal, which is earlier, and Soho Pool wharf. The Pool wharf is first mentioned in directories between the 1884 & 1888 editions. At first listings are divided between those accessed from Park Road and those accessed from Whitmore St., the Park Road firms appearing first in 1888, and the Whitmore St ones in 1890, but by 1895 all but one are listed under the Whitmore st entrance. then in 1913 Soho Pool wharf is listed as a separate listing, and east and west sides listed separately. They are not separated here. No directory was available for 1885-87, so whether there were occupants for those years is uncertain.

(Note: Date is directory publication date and probably refers to survey of year before).

Date Merchant Name and Type of Business
1888 William Palmer, coal merchants
1888-1892 Tyrrell & Burgess, coal merchants
1888-1892 Lavender & Timmins, coal merchants
1888-1900 J Hackett & Co, coal merchants
1888-1912 Hamstead Colliery Co, coal merchants. (1)
1888-1913 Henry Hall, coal merchants (1913 Hall & Co)
1888-1908 Robert William Hayward, coal merchants
1888-1940 Round & Downs, coal merchants
1890-1895 William Clark, coal merchants
1890-1897 James Parkes, coal merchants
1890-1897 John Davis & Co, coal merchants
1890-1900 Thomas Billson, coal merchants
1890-1963 Thomas Bradnich Mottershead, coal merchants
1895 James Hutchinson, coal merchants
1895-1896 Robert Price, coal merchants
1895-1900 William Summerton Coe, coal merchants
1895-1905 William Herbert Saunders & Co, coal merchants (2)
1895-1915 John Robinson & Co, coal merchants (from 1903 Robinson & Co)
1896-1897 Caswell & Bowden, coal merchants
1896-1900 Baughan Bros, coal merchants
1896-1921 William Henry Bowater, coal merchants. (3)
1896-1949 Hands & Lloyd, coal merchants
1897 Edgar Lett, builders merchant
1897-1924 George Matthias Restell & son, plaster manufacturers
1897-1958 Edward Charles Price, coal merchants
1899-1900 John Bowkett, coal merchants
1899-1900 Henry Brown, coal merchants
1899-1900 Parker & Probert, coal merchants
1899-1903 Priddey & Cross, coal merchants
1899-1908 William George Neale, coal merchants
1899-1908 John Mills & Co, coal merchants
1899-1908 John Perry, coal merchants
1899-1910 William Lee, coal merchants
1899-1912 William Clarke & Son, coal merchants
1899-1924 Thomas Williams & Co, coal merchants
1899-1940 Parkes & Davies, coal merchants
1900-1903 Cardalls Timber & Joinery Co, timber merchants
1900-1915 Edward Tailby & Co. Ltd, timber merchants. (4)
1903 Ernest H. Miller, coal merchant
1903-1905 Thomas Haydon, coal merchant
1903-1910 Caswell & Bowden, coal brokers. (5)
1904 Henry Hurlston, coal merchants
1904-1960 William H.Cross, coal merchants
1908 Andrew Izon, coal merchants
1908-1910 Joseph W. Johnson & Co, coal merchants
1908-1915 William Herbert Sanders & Co, coal merchants. (2)
1908-1937 George.T. Rapps & Co., coal merchants
1910-1912 T.Galpin Hughes. coal merchant
1910 Frank Knight, coal merchant
1910 H.Spencer & Co, coal merchant
1912 Tyrrell & Burgess
1912 H.Oliver, coal merchants
1912-1921 Priddy & Co, coal merchants
1912-1932 H.Spencer & Co, coal merchants. (6)
1912-1961 Francis Martin Gateley & Co, coal merchants
1912-1969 Phillip Alfred Barnes, coal merchants
1913-1924 Gas Lighting Improvement Co. (7)
1913-1956 Lawrence Miller, coal merchant (not listed there 1932)
1915 John W. Jones, coal merchant
1921-1938 Charles Hall, coal merchant (not listed 1936)
1921-1956 Albert E.Jones, , coal merchant
1921-1958 Birmingham Industrial Cooperative Society Ltd, , coal merchants
1921-1965 Jack King, coal merchant (from 1936 is Ltd)
1924 Coe & Hales, coal merchant
Date Merchant Name and Type of Business
1924-1938 E.C.Whitehouse & Co, coal merchants (not listed 1932)
1924-1949 Oliver W. Skeates, coal merchant
1924-1958 Hunter & Elsmore, coal merchant
1932 Kimberley, Beddoes & Co, coal merchants
1932 Fox & Terry, coal & coke merchants
1932-1933 William Smith & Co, iron merchants
1932-1939 C.T.Bowring & Co Ltd, oil merchants
1932-1939 General Oil Supplies Ltd, oil merchants
1932-1940 Lunt Bros, coal merchants
1932-1949 G.T,Rapps & Barnes, coal merchants.
1932-1950 Limmer & Trinidad Lake Asphalt Co, asphalt manufacturers
1932-1950 Tailby & Co Ltd, timber merchants
1932-1950 United Storage Co Ltd, oil wharfingers
1932-1958 T.Williams & Co. Ltd, coal merchants.
1932-1973 James E.Smith Ltd, timber merchants.
1933 J.H.Jones Ltd, railway wagon repairs
1933 S.T.Brant & Co., coal merchants
1933-1936 South Staffs. Railway Wagon Repairs
1933-1950 Samuel Barlow Coal Co Ltd, coal merchants
1933-1950 Redline-Glico Ltd, petroleum distributors
1933-1962 Wagon Repairs Ltd
1933-1965 P.R.Garner & Co, timber merchants (yard & sawmills)
1933-1973 Nash & Son, coal merchants (9)
1936 Wirksworth Quarries Ltd, tar macadam manufacturers
1936-1940 Joinery Products Ltd, manufacturing joiners
1936-1944 R. Giblin, iron merchant
1936-1956 Frank Knight Ltd, coal merchants
1936-1956 Stanley H.Smith, iron merchant
1936-1973 Arthur J.Standley, iron merchant (8)
1937-1944 Carr & Co Ltd, biscuit manufacturers
1940-1950 Southport Sand Co, sand merchants
1943-1944 A Edmonds & Co Ltd, shopfitters
1943-1956 T.Boston & Son (Coal) Ltd, coal merchants
v1946-1947 Leslie T. Williams, timber yard
1946-1956 The Cement Marketing Co Ltd, cement merchants
1946-1968 Associated Deliveries Ltd, confectionary distributors (not 1949-50)
1947-1968 Joseph Perks, coal merchant
1947-1973 Soho Printers, commercial printers
1949-1950 Birmingham Coal Merchants Association
1949-1973 Joinery Products, manufacturing joiners
1950-1956 Dice Transport, haulage contractors
1955-1956 R.W.Naylor Ltd, building contractors
1955-1958 Barford Joinery Mills Ltd, packing case makers
1955-1958 G.Wiggins, coal merchant
1955-1958 Arthur Ernest Pickering, coal merchant
v1955-1962 Gulf Oil (Great Britain) Ltd, oil refiners
1955-1967 Wilson, Carter & Pearson Ltd, coal factors (not listed 1964-65)
1955-1969 ESSO Petroleum Ltd, petroleum distributors
1956-1968 J.Matthews, coal merchant
1956-1969 Acme Fuel Supply
1956-1969 Regent Oil Co. Ltd.
1958-1962 Alex Comley, coal merchant
1961 John Sayles & Co, coal & coke merchants
1961-1962 Beaumont Fuels Ltd, coal & coke merchants
1961-1973 Anderton & Co (Birmingham), packing case makers
1964-1965 G.Wiggins, coal merchant.
1964-1965 A Wall & Co (Birmingham) Ltd, coal depot
1964-1969 Birmingham Cooperative Society, coal depot
1967-1969 Lunt Brothers, coal depot
1968-1973 LCP Fuels, coal factors
1968-1973 Dunn Metals. scrap metal merchants
1970-1973 Castle Hardware (Birmingham) Ltd, general dealers
1971-1973 Texaco Ltd depot.
1973 T.F.Allen & George Parsons Ltd, coal merchants

1973 is the last Birmingham Kellys directory

(1) From 1903 listed as Hamstead Officials Coal Co Ltd
(2) William Herbert Sanders and Saunders were up until 1905 different listed firms at different addresses (Sanders in Villa Road). From 1908 only the Sanders firm is listed Possibly they merged.
(3) Not listed 1912. From 1913 listed as coal factors
(4) In 1900 they were listed as Tailby & Co , timber merchants, and separately Edward Tailby, timber merchants
(5) In 1910 the directory appear to put them outside the Soho pool, though coming immediately after it. this may be an error.
(6) From 1913 described as coal factors; From 1921. Spencer, Abbott & Co
(7) Despite its name, the company at this time was mainly into distribution of petroleum products.
(8) From 1955 iron & steel scrap merchants.
(9) In 1973 Nash-Beddoes Fuel Co, coal merchants.

Mike Jee

Reg Instone writes, 'Gas Lighting Improvement Co went into oil lighting in the 1890s (note [7]). It became known as GLICO for short, and later changed its name to this. Both Glico and Redline Motor Spirit were absorbed into Anglo-American Oil Co in the early 1930s, and merged as Redline-Glico, which was a subsidiary of Anglo-Am. Anglo-American changed its name to Esso Petroleum in 1953, and the Redline Glico subsidiary was rebranded as well, so all three names actually relate to the same firm and the same depot. Likewise, I think Regent became Texaco circa 1970, although I would have to check the details.'