Walsall Canal

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Walsall Canal
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Birchills Junction, Wyrley and Essington Canal
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Aqueuct over dismantled Wolverhampton and Walsall Railway
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65 ft Walsall Locks (8)
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Walsall Town Arm
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M6 motorway
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Aqueduct
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 Anson Branch 
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Bentley Canal
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Grand Junction Railway
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 Willenhall Branch 
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 Bilston Branch 
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 Bradley Branch (9 locks)  (to BCN Old Main Line)
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Wednesbury Oak Loop
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Midland Metro
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 Gospel Oak Branch 
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Tame Valley Junction,  Tame Valley Canal 
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 Ocker Hill Branch  pumped from Ocker Hill Tunnel Branch
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 Toll End Communication Canal 
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South Staffordshire Line
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 Haynes Branch, Wednesbury Old Canal 
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45 ft Ryders Green Locks (8), Swan Bridge Jn,  Ridgacre Branch 
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 Wednesbury Old Canal , Ryders Green Junction
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Wednesbury Old Canal
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BCN New Main Line (Island Line), Pudding Green Junction

The Walsall Canal is a narrow (7 foot) canal, seven miles long, forming part of the Birmingham Canal Navigations, and passing around the western side of Walsall, West Midlands, England.

Contents

[edit] Route

The canal runs from Ryders Green Junction where it meets the Wednesbury Old Canal and the Ridgeacre Branch and immediately drops through the eight Ryders Green Locks to the 408 foot Walsall Level. At Doe Bank Junction (Tame Valley Junction) it meets the Tame Valley Canal and the derelict Ocker Hill Tunnel Branch. In this area, it also passes the huge iron gates of the famous Patent Shaft factory, which still remain despite the factory's closure in 1980. It passes northwards, past the junction of the derelict Gospel Oak Branch and under the Midland Metro line, passes the short Bradley Branch at Moorcroft Junction, passes the short Anson Branch (which once led to the Bentley Canal, abandoned 1961) and under the M6 motorway just south of Junction 10. The very short Walsall Town Arm at Walsall Junction leads into Walsall itself while the main canal rises through eight locks to meet the Wyrley and Essington Canal at Birchills Junction.

The canal starts at the Birmingham Level, descends 45 feet to the Walsall Level, then rises 65 feet to the Wolverhampton Level.

[edit] History

The canal started as the Broadwaters Extension to the Wednesbury Canal and opened in 1785 to serve collieries in Moxley. The canal was extended towards Walsall at the end of the 18th century. The canal was mapped by John Snape (1737-1816) in 1808 and was to be his last known map.[1] It was linked to the Wyrley and Essington Canal in March 1841.[2]

[edit] Points of interest

Point Coordinates
(Links to map resources)		 OS Grid Ref Notes
Ryders Green Junction 52°31′22″N 2°01′20″W / 52.5228, -2.0221 (Ryders Green Junction) SO985916 Wednesbury Old Canal
Toll End Junction 52°32′14″N 2°02′08″W / 52.5372, -2.0356 (Toll End Junction) SO976932 Toll End Communication Canal
Ocker Hill Tunnel Branch 52°32′22″N 2°02′09″W / 52.5394, -2.0357 (Ocker Hill Tunnel Branch) SO976934
Tame Valley Junction (Doe Bank Junction) 52°32′24″N 2°02′07″W / 52.5400, -2.0354 (Tame Valley Junction) SO976935 Tame Valley Canal
Gospel Oak Branch Junction 52°32′58″N 2°02′13″W / 52.5493, -2.0370 (Gospel Oak Branch Junction) SO975945
Bradley Branch Junction 52°33′15″N 2°02′28″W / 52.5541, -2.0411 (Bradley Branch Junction) SO972951
Anson Branch Junction 52°34′39″N 2°01′20″W / 52.5775, -2.0221 (Anson Branch Junction) SO986977 Anson Branch , leading to Bentley Canal
Walsall Junction 52°35′05″N 1°59′34″W / 52.5848, -1.9928 (Walsall Junction)Coordinates: 52°35′05″N 1°59′34″W / 52.5848, -1.9928 (Walsall Junction) SP005986 Short branch to Walsall centre
Birchills Junction 52°35′55″N 1°59′52″W / 52.5987, -1.9979 (Birchills Junction) SK002000 Wyrley and Essington Canal


[edit] Gallery

Ryders Green Junction - southern terminus

Ocker Hill Tunnel Branch Junction (now private)

Tame Valley Junction - start of the Tame Valley Canal

[edit] References

  1. ^ A. W. Skempton (2002). A Biographical Dictionary of Civil Engineers in Great Britain and Ireland. Thomas Telford. ISBN 072772939X. 
  2. ^ Broadbridge, S. R. [1974]. The Birmingham Canal Navigations, Vol. 1 1768 - 1846. David & Charles. ISBN 0-7509-2077-7.  p73
  • Pearson, Michael [1989]. Canal Companion - Birmingham Canal Navigations. J. M. Pearson & Associates. ISBN 0-907864-49-X. 

[edit] External links