Birmingham & Black Country Canals


Midland Canal History In order to develop this site and include more of the history of the canal network we would be interested in any old postcards / pictures which we could use or if you would like to contribute with some historical information we would be happy to hear from you. Please Email us at ian@upthecut.co.uk

Canal Dates in History
1766 - Staffs & Worcester Canal received Royal Assent.	1844 - The Tame Valley Canal was opened.
1768 - BCN Main Line authorised.	1846 - The BCN and the Dudley canal companies merged.
1769 - Wednesbury Old Canal was opened	1847 - The Rushall Canal opened.
1770 - Staff & Worcester opened	1852 - The Droitwich canal was opened.
1772 - BCN Main Line opened.	1855 - The Netherton Canal tunnel was started.
1776 - Stourbridge & Dudley canals started.	1858 - The Netherton tunnel was completed and the Cannock Extension canal was opened.
1777 - Trent & Mersey Canal opened.	1874 - The Worcester & Birmingham canal was bought by Sharpness New Docks company.
1792 - The Stourbridge canal was extended to Dudley. The Dudley tunnel was opened to join to the BCN.	1917 - Lappal tunnel was closed.
1794 - The BCN ( Birmingham Canal Navigations ) was formed.	1929 - The Grand Union canal was formed by the merger of the Regents Canal, Hertford Union, Grand Junction, B'ham & Warwick Junction and Warwick & Napton Canal Companies.
1795 - The Wyrley and Essington was opened	1938 - The Droitwich Canal was closed.
1798 - The Dudley canal was extended via the lappal tunnel.	1947 - The Nationisation of the canal system and the formation or the British waterways board.
1800 - The Grand Junction Canal was completed.	1967 - the Stourbridge Canal was reopened.
1803 The Stratford Canal was opened as far as Kingswood Junction.	1968 - The Ryland Aquaduct was rebuilt.
1807 - Kings Norton tunnel was completed.	1970 - Cambrian Wharf on the B'ham & Fazeley canal won a Civic Trust Award.
1810 - Pensnett Canal was opened.	1973 - The Dudley canal was reopened.
1815 - Worcester & Birmingham Canal was opened.	Gas Street Basin c1900
1835 - Birmingham & Liverpool Junction Canal was opened.
1837 - Titford Canal was opened.
1838 - BCN New Main Line was opened.
1840 - The Stourbridge Extension Canal was opened, the Walsall Branch Canal was opened. The Bentley Canal was opened and the BCN and the Wyrley & Essington canals merged.
General Canal History. (written by Ian Bachelor)
The Midlands sits some 200 feet above the surrounding countryside on a sandstone plateau and early canals passed it by. The area is surrounded by the rivers Severn and Avon, which flow to the southwest, and by the Trent flowing northeast to the Humber. The need to link these rivers grew so a group of local merchants got together and funded the first 10 miles of canal to serve the local coalfields. Engineering industries were established in the high central plateau around Birmingham, where their power came from the coal, excavated from the local coalfields. Transport was the key to the development of the Midland and northern industries. Roads of that period were inadequate, particularly the steep valleys of the Pennines, they were incapable of carrying the heavy raw materials needed in the new factories. Instead canals were built which overcame the difficulties of road and river transport. Thus, it was the construction of canals during the eighteenth century, which allowed industry in the north and central England to develop. Then came the Industrial Revolution and the 10 miles rapidly developed into 180 miles with 216 locks being built over the next 100 years. Birmingham then became the heart of the narrow canal network. Many bridges, aqueducts, cuttings and embankments were constructed within and around the City and are still there for us to enjoy today, some of which can be seen on this site. Most English canals and navigation construction took place between 1700 and 1835. Between 1760 and 1770 construction on the Grand Trunk canal started, linking the potteries of Stoke-on-Trent with the Trent and Mersey rivers. To cut the costs it was decided to reduce the size of the canal locks, resulting in the first narrow canal, after this, all of the canals that were built to serve the Midlands were of this type. Canal mania was at its height in the 1790's and by 1850 there were over 4,000 miles of navigable canals in Britain. During the depression of the 1930's the Government provided money for some improvements. The Grand Union Canal, linking London to Birmingham, was widened but its locks were only doubled in width so that two narrow boats could pass through at the same time. A major step forward was the formation of the Inland Waterway Association (IWA) in 1946, set up by enthusiasts L.T.C Rolt, Charles Hadfield and Robert Aickman and due to there efforts, by unpaid or underpaid enthusiasts, that almost all of the English canal system is still in use today. In the middle of the 20th Century commercial trade declined and some 54 miles of canal were closed, but local Societies and British Waterways working together are restoring the remaining network to its former glory
Tame Valley Canal. written by Ian Bachelor)
The Tame valley canal which opened in 1844 runs for 81/2 miles from the Tame Valley Junction on the Walsall canal to Salford Junction just beneath the Graverley Hill interchange or Spaghetti Junction as it is known to the locals. Here it meets with the Birmingham & Fazeley canal coming from Birmingham and Farmers bridge locks and the Birmingham and Warwick Junction canal which was the route down to London via the Grand Junction canal. This canal was built by the BCN to help relieve the congestion at Farmers Bridge. The canal became very popular as it was dead straight with a flight of thirteen locks known as the "new thirteen" at Perry Barr raising the water about 106 feet. Near to Walsall The Tame Valley canal is joined by the Rushall canal at Rushall junction. This canal was opened in 1847 also by the BCN and linked onto the Daw End canal at Longwood Junction and then on to the Wryley and Essington canal at Catshill in Brownhills. This became a popular route for coal carrying barges (consisting of a tug and five butty's) from the Cannock coalfields into Birmingham and beyond.
For more history click next	For Engineers click here or go to Midland Canal Tunnels