Roy
That's the old spur off Gas Street basin that went under the bridge on Bridge Street (closed off now) and led to the loading wharf and canal offices on Suffolk Street. See the attached photo of the offices before they were demolished in the early 1900's. The second photo is of the wharf in 1915 after the offices had been demolished and they were building what took their place.
I love the second picture, I can almost smell the coal !
My mother once told me that, when she was little, a whole crowd of kids would be taken from Gas Street, "Up the Cut on a coal boat". The boat was whitewashed inside and the kids would all be in their best cothes, (if they had any of course !). Apparently this was an annual event but I don't know why.
I was wondering if there are any photos that were taken at this time.