Wednesbury Old Canal
Wednesbury Old Canal | |
---|---|
Canal and River Trust | |
History | |
Principal engineer | James Brindley |
Date of act | 1768 |
Date of first use | 1769 |
Date closed | 1955, 1960 |
Geography | |
Start point | Pudding Green Junction (originally Spon Lane Junction) |
End point | Balls Hill Basin |
Branch of | Birmingham Canal Navigations |
Wednesbury Old Canal is part of the Birmingham Canal Navigations (BCN) in the English West Midlands. It opened in 1769, and although parts of it were abandoned in 1955 and 1960, the section between Pudding Green Junction and Ryder's Green Junction is navigable, as it provides a link to the Walsall Canal. A short stub beyond Ryder's Green Junction is connected to the network but difficult to navigate.[1]
Route
Wednesbury Old Canal leaves the main line Birmingham level at Pudding Green Junction and passes through a completely industrial landscape. At Ryders Green Junction the Walsall Canal begins its descent down the eight Ryder's Green Locks. Just before the locks Wednesbury Old Canal veers off and commences its meandering route through Swan Village and, originally, around the collieries. The canal beyond Swan Bridge Junction was also known as the Balls Hill Branch.[2]
This part of the canal is now only open to boat traffic as far as the Black Country Spine Road, following the decision to build a new bridge which didn't allow enough headroom for boats to pass. In practice, even this section is badly overgrown and unlikely to be navigable throughout.[1] The Wednesbury Canal is dry from this point, but the Ridgacre Branch continues, watered for most of its original length (without its branches) past the culverted road and, although inaccessible to boats, is now used for fishing, walking and is a valued wildlife habitat.
Some modern sources mark the Ridgacre as starting at Ryder's Green Junction but this is not historically correct.
History
The Wednesbury Canal was part of the first phase of the
It started at what is now
The Ridgacre Branch opened in 1826 and was 0.75 miles (1.21 km) in length. It ran from the Wednesbury at Swan Bridge Junction, a short distance north of the New Swan Lane / Black Country New Road roundabout. From it ran the Dartmouth Branch northwards and the Halford Branch southwards to collieries.
The 'Island Line' –
The Wednesbury Old Canal was given abandoned status by 1955 and 1960 Acts.[4] Recent road developments (Black Country New Road) at Swan Bridge Junction have severed the connection to the remaining, navigable canal, and have also severed the Ridgacre Branch from the canal network.
Wednesbury Canal original features
See also
References
- ^ a b Balmer, Paul (April 2020). Birmingham Canal Navigations (BCN) (map). Waterway Routes.
- ISBN 0-904015-40-8
- ISBN 0-7509-2077-7.
- ^ ISBN 0-7153-8644-1.
- Historical Map of the Birmingham Canals, Richard Dean, M. & M. Baldwin, 1989, ISBN 0-947712-08-9
- Ordnance Survey Six Inch Series (1:10,560), Map SO99SE, 1955