Your floating hotel on the Canals and Rivers of the UK

Our guide to the waterways of the UK in detail.

Pictures of the Birmingham Canal Navigations,

or BCN, at the Black Country Museum.

The BCN, as the name suggests, are a collection of canals which while having large rural sections, are mainly urban in nature. Generally we only cruise what is called "the main line", this is based on the original canal of 1772 though it was extensively modernised in 1789 and between 1825 and 1838. It runs between the centre of Birmingham and the Staff and Worcs canal just to the west of Wolverhampton. It varies from dereliction in places right up to the intensely alive waterways of the centre of Birmingham. While probably not a canal for those who have never travelled on the waterways of the UK before, it is an essential route for those who seek to explore and understand the impact of the canals.

It is possible to moor at the Black Country Museum a recreation of 19th Black Country life. As well as visiting the museum it is also possible to take a trip into the Dudley tunnel in the trusts specially designed boats something, that like the vast majority of present day boats, we are unable to do.

The pictures of this page illustrate this section of the BCN.

Moorings at the Black Country museum.	Canal docks at the Museum.	Trips into the Dudley tunnel.

More pictures of this canal?

In the centre of Birmingham / At Wolverhampton / Along the main line

General information / A history of this canal.

Find our information about other canals on the canal index page.

If you have any questions then do ring us on 07977 229103
or email us at martinreed@reedboats.co.uk