The Birmingham and Fazeley Canal The vast number of canals cutting their network of ingenious routes between the towns of Birmingham and the Black Country, with their branch canals and linking arms are a remarkable … Internal additions to the BCN system which connected with the original Birmingham Canal include the Walsall Canal, opened initially in 1785 from the Wednesbury Branch (or Wednesbury Old Canal) at Ryders Green Junction down 8 Locks to Ocker Hill, and later extended in phases to Walsall. Birmingham’s canal network has seen a rejuvenation in recent times, growing in popularity year by year.Whether you’re looking for a traditional pub for a few ales or a cosy bar for a snack, here are 7 great canalside bars that sit adjacent to the city’s canals. Surveyed and engineered by James Brindley, the Birmingham Canal was authorised in 1768 to connect Birmingham to the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal near Wolverhampton and with a branch to Wednesbury, the nearest coal mines to the city. Birmingham Canal Old Main Line From Smethwick Junction to rejoining the New Main Line at Tipton Factory Junction, includes Spon Lane Locks. The BCN Main Line, or Birmingham Canal Navigations Main Line names the evolving route of the Birmingham Canal between Birmingham in Warwickshire and Wolverhampton in the Staffordshire Black Country ().. Love the waterways? The Black Country Living Museum is a great family day out – a recreation of a 19th-century industrial town, including canal docks and boat trips. Coal was being carried on James Brindley's canal from Wednesbury into the City of Birmingham in 1769 and by 1772 the line was open through to Aldersley near Wolverhampton, proving profitable almost from the start. Find your perfect volunteer role today. By 1792 the Dudley Canal had been extended through Dudley Tunnel to join the earlier branch into the limestone mines from Tipton Junction. The Engine Arm is a feeder that crosses Telford's later New Main Line on the elegant cast iron Telford Aqueduct. Could you join your local Towpath Taskforce team and help us to keep our canals looking lovely? Our open days offer a different perspective of our waterways, a behind-the-scenes look at the great work we do. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. But the stretch which runs below Broad Street is to be closed to … Along the way there's lots of pretty locks, old bridges, nature reserves and wildlife to look out for. From Smethwick Junction an impressive cutting was excavated up to 70 feet deep to continue the new canal at the Birmingham level through to Bromford Junction at the foot of the Spon Lane locks. IWA Birmingham, Black Country & Worcestershire Branch. Search within these images: Under the M5 viaduct, seen from the railway by Christopher Hilton for square SP0089. The Worcester and Birmingham Canal runs from the centre of Birmingham through beautiful country side to the the heart of the cathedral City of Worcester. The Birmingham Canal, from Birmingham to Wolverhampton, was completed in 1772 and today forms the ‘Main Line’ of the Birmingham Canal Navigations (BCN), a complex network of waterways at the centre of the English canal system. Find the perfect birmingham canal old line stock photo. From reservoirs to club-managed canals and river stretches - find your nearest place to fish, Download your free guide today and start exploring the waterway nature near you. The Ridgacre Branch was cut off by a new road in 1995. There were two original termini in Birmingham by 1772; the canal dividing at Old Turn Junction to access wharfs at Newhall Street, and via Broad Street Tunnel to Gas Street Basin and Paradise Wharf. From Factory Junction, named after a long-vanished soap works, the route to Wolverhampton now continues via the New Main Line. Brindley’s originally surveyed route had apparently continued the Birmingham level via Tipton and Bilston right through to Wolverhampton, but this was raised 20 feet to the present ‘Wolverhampton level’ at 473 ft to take the route closer to Oldbury and to Dudley with its limestone and ironstone mines. We are the charity that campaigns to protect and restore the country's 6,500 miles of inland waterways. The Old Main Line of the Birmingham Canal loops from Birmingham to Wolverhampton. A unique feature of the New Main Line is the toll islands built midstream at various key points. It's the undisputed canal capital of the world! The locks at Titford, known locally as the Crow Flight after a local benefactor, give access to Titford Reservoir and various branches. But the Birmingham Canal itself is a key link in the centre of the national system and the New Main Line is well used as a through route. Celebrate the life of a loved one by giving a gift in their memory, Got a favourite place in mind? Although initially joined externally only to the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal, it was not long before the Birmingham Canal was connected in several directions to the growing canal network. From Spon Lane Junction, half way down the then 6 lock flight, the main line of the canal was continued along the contours, taking a somewhat winding course to Wolverhampton where it dropped through 20 locks to join the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal at Aldersley Junction by 1772, some 22½ miles and 29 locks from Birmingham. We're one of the UK's biggest charities and we take pride in everything we do, If you're thinking of getting in touch then please take a moment to look through these pages as we probably have the answer on our website, As the weather is warming up we want everyone to be able to enjoy our canals and rivers in the safest possible way, We're continually carrying out work to improve our canals and rivers. This arrangement wasted much precious water and in the 1780s the engineer Smeaton, who was also responsible for Eddystone Lighthouse, lowered it to the 473 feet level. Become a member for as little as £36 per year – or you can choose to give more. We'd also like to set optional analytics cookies to help us improve it. Although built for the standard narrow boat, the lock-free Wolverhampton level of the Birmingham and Wyrley & Essington canals was large enough for a special size of narrow boat known as ‘Ampton’ boats or Wharf boats up to 86ft length by 7ft 9in beam to maximise capacity. View campaign; Waterways in Progress Grant: Chesterfield Canal. It was designed by Thomas Telford to shorten and straighten the course of the Birmingham Canal Old Main Line, taking seven miles off the original length. These cookies do not store any personal information. An approximate indication of the old level can be gained from looking over Brasshouse Bridge to where the New Main Line and Old Main Line are overshadowed by an embankment. Birmingham Canal Navigations. Show more Commercial traffic on the Birmingham canal was heavy and varied for nearly 200 years, including coal, coke, limestone, iron, clay, bricks, tiles, timber, tar, gasoil, nightsoil, manure, rubbish, horse provender, foodstuffs, beer and all manner of manufactured goods. 612245. Will you leave a gift in your Will to keep the canals and rivers you care about alive? The Worcester & Birmingham Canal was connected at Worcester Bar in 1815. These originally carried a small brick tollhouse and many have central lay-by channels for gauging boats. Original (Ex VAT) Added to shopping basket Add to shopping basket Enquire about this product 0% APR INTEREST FREE PAYMENT. The latest HS2 Phase 2b Western Leg Design Refinement proposals affect the Ashton Canal and Rochdale Canal in Manchester. An Act of Parliament passed 250 years ago led to the building of the Birmingham Main Line Canal. Looking for a perfect place to picnic, relax, think, run, walk your dog and more, all for free? Find out how our expert teams work together to make life better by water, We have vacancies across all of our waterways and in the offices, museums and attractions that support them. To find details such as moorings, boaters' facilities and access points, you'll need to zoom to the map fully. Showing images tagged with Birmingham Canal Old Main Line tag. The canal is a great base for exploring central Birmingham. Find out all about navigable rivers and canals near you, We need your help to protect and restore the waterways. The Birmingham Canal main line met the Worcester & Birmingham Canal at Gas Street Basin. You will cruise along quiet stretches of the canal which first brought commercial life to Birmingham and was the start of the first industrial revolution over two hundred years ago. The Birmingham Old Main Line Canal runs from Aldersley Junction on the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal in the West to Gas Street Basin in the centre of Birmingham. View product description | View delivery options. Your cruise on one of our three passenger narrowboats will depart from the International Convention Centre Quayside, opposite Brindley Place, the bustling heart of Birmingham. The sense of history on the Birmingham Canal Old Main Line is almost overpowering. Water was supplied from reservoirs at Smethwick, by 1774 from Titford Pool, and soon from various mine pumping engines discharging into the canal. 1146792 and a company limited by guarantee registered in England & Wales no. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. However, about 100 miles of the original 160 miles of the BCN system survive, including all the New Main Line and much of the original route on the Old Main Line. From Spon Lane Junction, half way down the then 6 lock flight, the main line of the canal was continued along the contours, taking a somewhat winding course to Wolverhampton where it dropped through 20 locks to join the, Although initially joined externally only to the, Internal additions to the BCN system which connected with the original Birmingham Canal include the, Severn, Avon & Birmingham No.2 (Nicholson Guide), We use necessary cookies to make our site work. Sitting two miles from the city centre - a short 15-minute walk - the regeneration of new neighbourhood Port Loop began in 2017 becoming one of the UK’s most significant brownfield regeneration schemes; two years later a new urban island, hemmed in by the Birmingham Canal Old Line and the Birmingham Canal Navigations Main Line, is Birmingham's newest residential hotspot with … The Newhall Branch beyond Cambrian Wharf is now built over, as is a later (1812) branch from this which included a tunnel and a lock up to Gibsons Wharf. © The Inland Waterways Association 2021 | We are a registered charity no. Find a waterside stroll or a satisfying hike along our beautiful canals and rivers, Help us make a difference and have fun along the way. For more detailed information about the cookies we use, see our '. On the junction there now stands a canal roundabout which was built in 1985 to replace the original “Old Turn Island” which had stood nearby. The Titford Canal, which connects via the 6 Titford Locks (or ‘The Crow’) was opened in 1837, the Bradley Locks Branch with 9 locks connecting the Wednesbury Oak Loop to the Walsall Canal in 1849, and the Netherton Tunnel Branch in 1858. Near Spon Lane Junction this ‘New Main Line’ canal passes under the more conventional two-arched brick-faced Steward Aqueduct which carries the original route which became known as the ‘Old Main Line’. This formerly continued via the Toll End Communication Canal through to the Walsall Canal. Brindley designed the canal to follow natural contours … The Ridgacre Branch off the Wednesbury Old Canal dates from 1827. Birmingham Canal Old Line by Tricia Neal geograph for square SP0586. The Wednesbury line was completed first, in 1769. A free day out for all the family. None of the original tollhouses survive but a replica has been built at Smethwick Top Lock. From Tipton a new canal through Coseley Tunnel was built, again with twin towpaths, cutting out the long and circuitous Wednesbury Oak Loop, part of which remains open today as the Bradley Arm. On a trip along the Old Main Line, you can spot the New Main Line in the cutting below, as well as the Titford Canal, Engine Arm and Netherton Tunnel Branch. Seven reasons why fishing is good for you, National Waterways Museum, Ellesmere Port, National Waterways Museum, Gloucester Docks, Anderton Boat Lift Visitor Centre, Cheshire, Standedge Tunnel and Visitor Centre, Yorkshire, Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Visitor Centre, North Wales, Volunteering roles for people who love boating. As part of his improvements, Telford also built the Rotten Park or Edgbaston reservoir in 1826 which fed both into the Soho Loop and by a long feeder into the end of the Engine Arm. From the Malt House, cross over the footbridge towards the National Indoor Arena (NIA) and walk down the ramp to the water’s edge. View all tagged images - In Browser. Birmingham and Fazeley Canal: 15 miles (24 km) Enjoy a walk or cycle along the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal from the city centre of Birmingham to the town of Fazeley in Staffordshire. It is located on Gas Street, off Broad Street, and between the Mailbox and Brindleyplace canal-side developments. Its meandering course was partly replaced by Thomas Telford’s arrow-straight New Main Line, leaving peaceful looping backwaters, like manmade oxbow lakes. The traffic is now all for pleasure and inevitably the built-up and industrial nature of the surroundings mean the BCN is less used than many other waterways. The Old Main Line had itself been shortened in 1821 by straightening which left the Oldbury and Brades Loops, both now closed. But by the 1950s traffic was much reduced and several sections of the BCN were closed including the Wednesbury Oak Loop from Bradley to Bloomfield Junction (1955), the Oldbury Loop (1960), much of the Wednesbury Old Canal (1960), Bradley Locks (1961), Tipton Green & Toll End Communication (1966) and many of the shorter branches. Canal & River Trust is a charity registered with the Charity Commission no. Click the red 'i' icon in the bottom right hand corner to expand the key. It runs for 6 miles and 4 furlongs through 3 locks from Tipton Factory Junction (where it joins the Birmingham Canal Navigations (Main Line)) to Smethwick Junction (where it joins the Birmingham Canal Navigations (Main Line)). Together we can protect and restore our waterways; the UK’s 6,500 miles of canals and rivers need your help. By Smethwick Top Lock Telford built an attractive single-span cast iron aqueduct to carry the Engine Arm canal, and several road bridges which cross the Galton Valley cutting including the magnificent cast iron Galton Bridge. The Birmingham Canal Navigations (Old Main Line) is a narrow canal and is part of the Birmingham Canal Navigations. Waterways affected by the HS2 plans. No need to register, buy now! It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. New Main Line, a revised route for the Birmingham Canal, … The two waterways, run by different companies, were at first separated by a … These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Birmingham Canal Old Line Paul Kenton. Originally known as the Birmingham Canal, the BCN Main Line runs from Aldersley Junction, north of Wolverhampton, to Gas Street Basin. This superseded the original Smethwick Great Reservoir which has since been built over. More than 100 miles of canals make up the Birmingham Canal Navigations (BCN) today. Our work to protect them is more urgent than ever. Line . Various modifications and improvements quickly followed; the section between Smethwick and Spon Lane was originally built on a level of 491 feet above sea level, with six locks at Smethwick and three leading down to the 473 feet level at Spon Lane. Starting from Birmingham, by 1827 a new wider and deeper channel with twin towpaths was cut straight across the original winding route, leaving the Ouzells Street Loop, Icknield Port Loop and Soho Loop to serve the extensive works that lined their banks. But congestion at the locks led to engineer John Smeaton being engaged to lower the summit by cutting through the hill at the Wolverhampton level, eliminating 3 locks at each end. Have an effect on your doorstep the ‘ Main Line of the Birmingham Canal loops Birmingham. 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