Birmingham Canal Navigations
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Birmingham Canal Navigations (BCN) is a network of canals linking Birmingham, England to Wolverhampton via the eastern part of the Black Country. At its working peak, there were about 160 miles (257 km) of canals; today just over 100 miles (160 km) are navigable, and the majority of traffic is from tourist and residential narrowboats.
Levels
The BCN was built on three main levels: 453 ft, the Birmingham Level; 473 ft, the Wolverhampton Level; and 408 ft, the Walsall Level. These levels were linked by locks at various places on the network; and each level was fed by one or more reservoirs.
The Titford Branch was built at 511 ft, it was linked to the Titford Reservoir; and a feeder supplies water to the Edgbaston Reservoir. A short section of the Old Main Line, at Smethwick top lock, was built at 491 ft; a pump house, the Smethwick Engine, had to be provided to keep the top level filled with water.
The BCN network
- Anson Branch
- BCN Main Line
- Cannock Extension Canal
- Gower Branch Canal
- Old Main Line
- Rushall Canal
- Spon Lane Locks Branch
- Titford Canal
- Wednesbury Old Canal
- Wyrley and Essington Canal
- Netherton Tunnel Branch Canal
- Daw End Branch Canal
Linking canals
- Anglesey Branch
- Birmingham and Fazeley Canal
- Birmingham and Worcester Canal
- Digbeth Branch Canal
- Dudley Canal Line No 1 (see also Dudley Tunnel)
- Dudley Canal Line No 2 (see also Lappal Tunnel
- Soho Branch Loop Line
- Tame Valley Canal
- Walsall Branch Canal
- Walsall Canal
- Wednesbury Oak Loop Line
Associated features
Engineers
Bibliography
- The Birmingham Canal Navigations, Vol. 1 1768 - 1846, by S.R. Broadbridge. Published by David & Charles 1974 (there was no second volume)
- Birmingham's Canals by Ray Shill, ISBN 0750920777. Published by Sutton Publishing 2000
- Birmingham New Street. The Story of a Great Station Including Curzon Street. 1 Background and Beginnings. The Years up to 1860. By Richard Foster. Wild Swan Publications Limited (1990) ISBN 0906867789
- The Canals of the West Midlands, Charles Hadfield. Published by David and Charles, Second Edition (1969).
- Birmingham Canal Navigations by Geo Projects. Highly detailed 1:30,000 map (2004). Also covers the neighbouring Black Country canals that link to the BCN.
See also
External link
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