Retaining Wall to Former Corporation Yard is a Grade II listed building in the Sandwell local planning authority area, England. First listed on 11 June 2004. Retaining wall.
Retaining Wall to Former Corporation Yard
- WRENN ID
- steep-brick-sunrise
- Grade
- II
- Local Planning Authority
- Sandwell
- Constituency
- Smethwick MP: Gurinder Singh Josan (Lab)
- Country
- England
- Date first listed
- 11 June 2004
- Type
- Retaining wall
- OS grid reference
- SP 023 888
- Coordinates
- 52.4977, -1.96691
- Source
- Historic England listing
Description
The retaining wall, built around 1910 for the Smethwick Corporation Depot by C. J. Fox Allin, the Borough Engineer, is a notable example of early reinforced concrete construction. It stretches approximately 50 meters long and runs parallel to the south side of the Birmingham Canal. On the south face, only the parapet is visible, while the north face features a band below the parapet and rises to about 10 meters high. The wall is canted towards the canal side and is supported by triangular buttresses along the south land side, with both sections resting on concrete footings. This structure is listed for its technological significance and its strong group value with the Grade I Engine Arm Aqueduct, highlighting the interesting contrast between these two engineering works that showcase the innovative structural designs of their respective periods.
Local climate
Retaining Wall to Former Corporation Yard receives an average of 790 mm of rain a year. This makes it drier than 59% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is lower than that of 74% of listed buildings.
It experiences an average of 40 freeze-thaw cycles a year, more than 77% of listed buildings. Of these, 20 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.3°C per decade since 1991.
Averages for 1991–2020; temperature trend 1991–2025. Figures describe the wider area (a grid cell of roughly 10 km), not the individual site. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.
More on this building
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- No EPC on record for this property
- No sale records on file
- No related consent applications matched
- Detailed attributes — period, style, materials, features
- Flood risk assessment
- Radon risk assessment
- Weather exposure and heating demand — rain and frost month by month and year by year, wind direction, solar and humidity
Matched applications, energy data and sale records are assembled automatically and may contain errors. Flag incorrect data.
Similar buildings
The closest matches to this building from all 493,000 UK listed buildings, by architecture, period and materials.
- 1 Retaining Wall to High Level Line
- 2 Warehouse Between Hartley Bridge and Canal Bridge, Chance's Glassworks
- 3 South Portal, Netherton Tunnel, Warrens Hill Park Birmingham Canal Netherton Tunnel Branch Windmill End, Rowley Kings
- 4 Retaining Wall of Canal Above Railway to East of Bridge
- 5 Former Weedon Barracks, Canal Enclosure Wall to South
this building 1 similar nearby listed buildings
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- Galton Bridge Including Attached Railway Bridge Span, Roebuck Lane Birmingham Canal Birmingham Level
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