This superseded the original Smethwick Great Reservoir which has since been built over. 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. 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. Line . 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. 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. These cookies do not store any personal information. From Factory Junction, named after a long-vanished soap works, the route to Wolverhampton now continues via the New Main Line. View campaign; Waterways in Progress Grant: Chesterfield Canal. This formerly continued via the Toll End Communication Canal through to the Walsall Canal. Click the red 'i' icon in the bottom right hand corner to expand the key. While those in a hurry head straight down the main line, if you have time to explore, these waters provide a fascinating diversion. 212342 and a company limited by guarantee no. Many of the distinctive Horseley Iron Works bridges carrying the towpaths over new junctions were also erected at this time, with some later additions made at the Toll End Works. We'd also like to set optional analytics cookies to help us improve it. In 1789 the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal joined the Birmingham Canal at the top of Farmers Bridge Locks, although by then the two companies had merged (Originally as the rather long-winded ‘Birmingham and Birmingham and Fazeley Canal Navigations’ but changed in 1794 to the Birmingham Canal Navigations). Could you join your local Towpath Taskforce team and help us to keep our canals looking lovely? Are you ready to ramble? 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 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. 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 opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. Birmingham Canal Old Line by Tricia Neal geograph for square SP0586. 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. The two waterways, run by different companies, were at first separated by a … Love the waterways? Our open days offer a different perspective of our waterways, a behind-the-scenes look at the great work we do. More major improvements were needed to cope with the growing water shortages on the short summit level and steam pumping engines supplied by Boulton & Watt had been erected at both ends by 1779 to recirculate the lockage water; the first canal back-pumping system. None of the original tollhouses survive but a replica has been built at Smethwick Top Lock. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. 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. The Birmingham and Fazeley Canal 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. The Wednesbury line was completed first, in 1769. Found just off popular party strip, Broad Street, the Pitcher & Piano can be found nestled in amongst the bars of Brindleyplace and … Find out if we're working along your route before you set off on a boat trip, It's a great way to get fit and explore our waterways at the same time, Take a look at our common sense guide to sharing the towpath. 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. In November 2012 the Canal and Rivers Trust, with support from the Birmingham & Black Country Nature Improvement Area, started work on a project to improve linkage between the Dudley and Birmingham canal networks. View all tagged images - In Browser. They commissioned the canal engineer James Brindleyto propose a route. Original (Ex VAT) Added to shopping basket Add to shopping basket Enquire about this product 0% APR INTEREST FREE PAYMENT. 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. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. 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. BCN Main Line (originally known as the Birmingham Canal) from Aldersley Junction (north of Wolverhampton) to Gas Street Basin (at the Worcester Bar in central Birmingham), using some of the Old Main Line canal. 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. Find out more about the region's work to improve wellbeing for the local community, Wellbeing on your doorstep. Find the perfect birmingham canal old line stock photo. The Old Wharf basins at Paradise Street which included the canal company offices have also been lost to development. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. The Old Main Line had itself been shortened in 1821 by straightening which left the Oldbury and Brades Loops, both now closed. The Wednesbury line was completed first, in 1769, some 10 miles from Birmingham to collieries at Hill Top in West Bromwich. © The Inland Waterways Association 2021 | We are a registered charity no. To find details such as moorings, boaters' facilities and access points, you'll need to zoom to the map fully. Brindley came back with a largely level but meandering rout… New Main Line, a revised route for the Birmingham Canal, … Find out all about navigable rivers and canals near you, We need your help to protect and restore the waterways. At Tividale the Old Main Line crosses the Netherton Tunnel Branch on Tividale Aqueduct. The canal is 29.5 miles long with 58 locks. 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)). Waterways affected by the HS2 plans. View product description | View delivery options. For more detailed information about the cookies we use, see our '. The canal takes you from Birmingham to Wolverhampton, through Black Country scenery that is rich in industrial history. Originally the building was used as a stable and for storage of goods. By canal What better way to explore the city and surrounding region than via our historical canals – all 313 miles of them to be precise. 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. 07807276. Dedicate it in celebration of a loved one today, Make a difference to the wellbeing of your community, We are caring and open and aim to put our supporters at the heart of everything we do. Become a member for as little as £36 per year – or you can choose to give more. Local waterways have been an escape for many during these difficult times. The Worcester & Birmingham Canal was connected at Worcester Bar in 1815. This was completed by 1790 and the 3 remaining Smethwick locks were also duplicated with a parallel flight to reduce traffic delays. Showing images tagged with Birmingham Canal Old Line tag. It marks the junction between Brindley's canal, Telford’s Main Line canal routes and the Birmingham and Fazeley 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. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Old Main Line, originally terminating in Birmingham at two wharfs now built upon: Old Wharf (adjacent to Gas Street Basin) and Newhall Wharf. The Gower Branch with the 3 Brades Locks, 2 of which form the only staircase on the BCN, was opened in 1836 to give another connection between the Old and New Main lines. 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. 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 … This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. View all tagged images - In Browser. Its meandering course was partly replaced by Thomas Telford’s arrow-straight New Main Line, leaving peaceful looping backwaters, like manmade oxbow lakes. The canal is a great base for exploring central Birmingham. 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. Along the way there's lots of pretty locks, old bridges, nature reserves and wildlife to look out for. An original oil painting on aluminium by Paul Kenton. Birmingham Canal Old Main Line From Smethwick Junction to rejoining the New Main Line at Tipton Factory Junction, includes Spon Lane Locks. Huge collection, amazing choice, 100+ million high quality, affordable RF and RM images. The locks at Titford, known locally as the Crow Flight after a local benefactor, give access to Titford Reservoir and various branches. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. 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. 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. The length of the Birmingham Canal Old Main Line which is navigable, The 3 remaining Spon Lane locks on the Old Main line are the originals from 1769 making them the oldest on the BCN. Find walks, activities and more within. Join waterways-lovers across Britain to campaign to protect and restore rivers and canals. 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. We are the charity that campaigns to protect and restore the country's 6,500 miles of inland waterways. A further connection, now lost, had been created where the Island Line cut across the Tipton Green Branch, dating from 1809. Brindley designed the canal to follow natural contours … Waterways > Birmingham Canal Old Main Line. Birmingham Canal Navigations. 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. These originally carried a small brick tollhouse and many have central lay-by channels for gauging boats. All these improvements were completed by 1838 and shortened the through route by no less than 7 miles, from 22½ miles to 15½ miles. 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’. 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. Birmingham Canal Old Line Paul Kenton. 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. Download your free regional guide today. Line . You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. 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. Looking for a perfect place to picnic, relax, think, run, walk your dog and more, all for free? It's the undisputed canal capital of the world! 6.6 miles of its 13.4 mile length are currently navigable. Canal & River Trust is a charity registered with the Charity Commission no. With the number of walking, canoeing and cycle routes increasing, you'll find plenty of places to take time out or rejuvinate your senses along our waterways. 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. This is Gas Street Basin which is a canal basin in the centre of Birmingham, where the Worcester and Birmingham Canal meets the BCN Main Line. No need to register, buy now! However, traffic continued to increase and the locks at Smethwick remained a bottleneck so in 1824 engineer Thomas Telford was consulted and recommended extensive improvements to the main line. 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. Start off in the city centre and take a narrowboat tour along the outskirts of Birmingham, or why not navigate the locks for yourselves whilst take in the sights along the West Midlands canals. 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. Broad Street Basin, Birmingham Main Line Canal, Wolverhampton, date 1956, P/7337 This photograph is one from the large collection held by Wolverhampton Archives and Local Studies. Download this stock image: Birmingham Canal, Old Line, Birmingham, England - TT52E4 from Alamy's library of millions of high resolution stock photos, illustrations and vectors. That both ends were at the same ‘Birmingham level’ of 453 feet o.d. The round island in the centre of the canal is really the hub of the Birmingham canal network. In recent years much of the old industry has been swept away and, whilst we may regret the loss of historic buildings, new development and the greening of the canal corridor as pollution has declined are opening up attractive new surroundings which promise a bright future for the Birmingham Canal. I took this standing on one bridge, looking at another. 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. 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. 6.6 miles of its 13.4 mile length are currently navigable. Built to Brindley's contour method, in which the water level followed where possible the contours of the landscape, it was a meandering route of more than 22 miles. On 24 January 1767 a number of prominent Birmingham businessmen, including Matthew Boulton and others from the Lunar Society, held a public meeting in the White Swan, High Street, Birmingham to consider the possibility of building a canal from Birmingham to the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal near Wolverhampton, taking in the coalfields of the Black Country. Here, you';; see mainly blue engineering bricks; known locally as ‘toccy bricks', they were made from Staffordshire clay and baked in the hottest part of the oven rendering them virtually impervious to water. The canal forms the ‘Main Line’ of the Birmingham Canal Navigations or BCN. 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. 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. ... see what work we're doing here and check your route. A unique feature of the New Main Line is the toll islands built midstream at various key points. Attractions include the bars and restaurants of Brindley Place, the National Sea Life Centre and the Birmingham Repertory Theatre. 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. We're heading into Birmingham by narrowboat on the BCN old main line. Celebrate the life of a loved one by giving a gift in their memory, Got a favourite place in mind? IWA Birmingham, Black Country & Worcestershire Branch. A free day out for all the family. 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. There were numerous other internal connections with loops, branches, arms and basins, of which only the more significant can be mentioned here. Improving a stretch of the Birmingham Mainline Canal foraging habitat for birds, butterflies and bees. Originally known as the Birmingham Canal, the BCN Main Line runs from Aldersley Junction, north of Wolverhampton, to Gas Street Basin. The Engine Arm is a feeder that crosses Telford's later New Main Line on the elegant cast iron Telford Aqueduct. You've nine free days out guides to choose from - where will you go first? We are Roving Traders travelling the inland waterways on our narrow-boat Islonian trading as Flavoursfloat The Coffee Boat. An Act of Parliament passed 250 years ago led to the building of the Birmingham Main Line Canal. The Wyrley & Essington Canal opened in 1794 from Horseley Fields Junction to collieries at Great Wyrley & Essington, and was extended by 1797 via Walsall to Lichfield and the Coventry Canal. Show more Will you leave a gift in your Will to keep the canals and rivers you care about alive? Today, plans for the building is to create a place for leisure activities. The sense of history on the Birmingham Canal Old Main Line is almost overpowering. It crossed higher ground by rising through 6 locks at Smethwick to a 1 mile summit level then descending through 6 locks at Spon Lane. Water was supplied from reservoirs at Smethwick, by 1774 from Titford Pool, and soon from various mine pumping engines discharging into the canal. Here the 3 Factory Locks raise it to join the Old Main Line again at Tipton Factory Junction. 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. Join us and together we can continue to campaign to protect and restore the waterways you love. An early improvement was to add an extra lock to the Wolverhampton flight; for some reason the bottom lock had been built with a bigger fall than the others which obviously wasted water so in 1784 its drop was reduced and an extra lock (now Lock 20) added above it. But the stretch which runs below Broad Street is to be closed to … The Galton Valley section was opened by 1829 and the huge amount of material excavated was already being used to build the extensive embankments of the ‘Island Line’ which continues the New Main Line from the Wednesbury Old Canal at Pudding Green Junction in a dead straight line for over 2 miles to Tipton. In 1974 a new road was built when Galton Bridge was pedestrianised, crossing the Galton Valley on earth embankments and including two new concrete ‘tunnels’, Galton Tunnel on the New Main Line and Summit Tunnel on the Old Main Line. These still survive, although the following Cape Loop is largely closed and the Soho Foundry loop has all disappeared. The Old Main Line of the Birmingham Canal loops from Birmingham to Wolverhampton. 4. Here's a premium canalside spot if ever we saw one. The BCN remained busy well into the railway age when other canals succumbed to the competition, with extensive rail interchange wharfs for local collection and deliveries. Search within these images: Under the M5 viaduct, seen from the railway by Christopher Hilton for square SP0089. 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. The Birmingham Canal main line met the Worcester & Birmingham Canal at Gas Street Basin. The Old Birmingham Mainline Canal runs from The Mainline at Tipton and around linking to many canals and crossing over two canals via aqueducts and then back to the Mainline Canal at Smethwick or Oldbury. https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/.../canal-and-river-network/old-main-line 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 ().. The latest HS2 Phase 2b Western Leg Design Refinement proposals affect the Ashton Canal and Rochdale Canal in Manchester. The Ridgacre Branch off the Wednesbury Old Canal dates from 1827. Find your perfect volunteer role today. (Only the later flight remains in use today although the line of the original locks can still be seen, but the 3 remaining Spon Lane locks are the originals from 1769 and thus the oldest on the BCN.). From the west Telford’s new Birmingham Canal main line has arrived, from the east the Worcester & Birmingham Canal joins the BCN and to the north is the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal. Living in Birmingham Canal Old Line Want to make a real difference to your community? 612245. Here's a featured destination on the Old Main Line: Did you know - Dudley Tunnel is the only tunnel where boaters must still 'leg it' through because no engines are allowed? 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.