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The History of the Birmingham Canal Navigations.

or BCN

In 1768 a Bill was passed for a canal to be constructed from Newhall street in the centre of Birmingham to Aldersley on the Staff & Worcs canal. The engineer was Brindly with Robert Whitworth as his deputy. It was opened to navigation in September 1772 with its connection to the Staff & Worcs opened two years before. It was constructed on two levels, the Birmingham at 453 feet, and the Wolverhampton at 473 feet with a summit section at 490 feet at Smethwick. This main line became a central line off which branches grew at the start there was just one a branch which left Spon lane locks to go down to Wednesbury to tape the coalfield there.

At Titford in 1794 a reservoir was opened, Titford Pools, to feed water via a feeder into the summit level.

The great period of canal construction was the time of the growth of Birmingham and the Black Country. As a result Birmingham became the hub of the canal system. This gave the Birmingham Canal Company a power of dominance in canal politics. It was also strong because it was finished before the inflation of the Napoleonic Wars.

Soon after the Birmingham canal was opened in 1772. A new canal was proposed to like the Wednesbury coal fields direct to the Coventry canal. This was much to the dislike of the Birmingham Canal Company since it not only took traffic from the Wednesbury coal field in direct competition but it would provided a better route to London. Eventually the result was the Birimngham and Fazeley canal authorised in 1782 with coal travelling from Wednesbury on the Birmingham canal via Birmingham, which was to be improved, then down the Birimngham and Fazeley Then in 1783 the two companies combined. In 1796 the company shortened its title to Birmingham Canal Navigations, (BCN).

In 1775 Lord Dudley built a private branch from the Birmingham Canal at Tipton to his nearby Dudley quarries. He then pressed to get the Dudley and Stourbridge canals to connect to his canal via a tunnel. As this would take trade off the Birmingham canal it was fought and when authorised connection was only allowed with the payment of high tolls at the junction.

As part of the agreement which resulted in the Birmingham & Fazley canal the BCN had agreed to make improvements to reduce congestion at Spon Lane where coal from their Wednesbury branch joined the Birmingham canal.

So in 1789-90 the short, 1,000 yard Smethwick summit was removed by a cutting 46 feet deep from Smethwick to Spon Lane. Thus reducing the 6 locks at Smethwick to three and removing the three at Spon lane. The new summit was now the 15 mile Wolverhampton level. They also duplicated the three at locks at Smethwick to speed up traffic and installed a new Pumping Engine and built the Engine Arm to supply extra water for the new summit.

Next the Worcester & Birmingham canal was proposed, but despite strong opposition it obtained its act in 1791. However the Birmingham canal insisted on the Worcester Bar where the Worcester & Birmingham meet the Birmingham canal. This effectively prevented through traffic. It was not replaced by a stop lock until 1815.

In 1798 The Dudley No 2 canal was opened running from Parkhead to join the Worcester & Birmingham at Selly Oak.

Once the Worcester & Birmingham was authorised. In 1793 both Dudley No 2 canal was authorised connecting from Dudley number one to the Worcester & Birmingham and the Stratford canal also connecting to the Worcester & Birmingham canal. These were bitterly opposed by the Birmingham canal as it was a quicker route for coal traffic. With talk of a route via Oxford to London the Birmingham canal supported the Warwick canals which would use more of the Birmingham Canals connecting at Digbeth. They were authorised in 1893 and 1895.

Also in 1792 the Wyrley and Essington canal was authorised to link with the Birmingham canal at Hornsley Fields. This would bring in traffic from the Cranock Chase coal fields so it was not opposed.

The first quarter of the 19th century was a period of increasing prosperity for the BCN. It owned 70 miles of canals and connections with other waterways gave it access to major ports. Local traffic was considerable and Birmingham was the centre of a nationwide fly-boat system. Numerous wharfs, basins and short branches were constructed at this time.

In 1812 new wharves were added in central Birmingham just off Cambrian Wharf near the end of the line. These were known as Gibson's Basins (situated close to Baskerville Road). To reach the basins the canal had to pass through a tunnel under The Crescent situated close to the present day Brindley Drive.

In 1820 A bypass through a cutting was built at Oldbury to save nearly a mile on the old route.

The Railway age was dawning and in fear of competition and with talk of new Liverpool to London routes, the BCN had Telford inspect the main line. As a result in stages between 1827 and 1838 A new cutting 71 feet deep was made at Smethwick with a wide, straight canal with towpaths both sides going through it and all the way from Gas Street to Tipton. Further improvements involved the creation of Cosseley tunnel. 7 miles were cut off the Wolverhampton to Birmingham journey and a new wide canal with towpaths both sides created.

In 1774 the BCN company had a feeder from Titford Pools, in 1830 the Tat Bank Branch was added to carry water to Rotten Park Reservoir near Birmingham and in 1836-7 the former feeder was made navigable. (This at 515 Feet became the highest part of the BCN. ) It served many business with several branches and small basins opening off it it became bussy enough to need a back pump installed for the locks.

The first railway to Birmingham was the Grand Central in 1837, then the London and Birmingham in 1838.

To help compete the BCN merged with the Wyrle & Essington in 1840 and immediately built two additional links between Wallsall and Wednesdbury canals.

The main area of bottleneck was now at Farmers Bridge. So the eight and a half mile Thame Valley Canal, and the one mile Warwick & Birmingham Junction were built to by pass it. They both opened in 1844.

Next attention was focussed on the Dudley canals first they brought them into the BCN in 1846 Then in 1856/9 the 3,027 Neatherton tunnel, ultra modern, wide, high, with tow towpaths and gas lit was dug.

In 1847 the Rshall Canal was opened by the BCN, and in 1849 the Bradley locks branch was created by the BCN.

By 1898 the BCN was 159 miles long on three main levels. There were 216 locks on the system and 550 private basins opened off it.

An arrangement was made in 1845 with railways that if they needed financial support they would lose control, but it was not until 1874 that this happened and then the London & North-Western Railway Company assumed control over the BCN. In the later years of the 19th century long distant traffic increasingly went to the railways. However short haul traffic grew with numerous interchange basins being developed. As a result the BCN stayed largely intact until nationalisation in 1948.

In 1901 Newhall Basin, the original terminus was closed. Then in 1920 Gibson Branch and its basins in the centre of Birmingham were closed. All the same the BCN still carried over 1,000,000 tons in the 1950's.

However the decline of industry and its changing nature had led to the lost of much trade in the middle of the 20th century. Coalfields ran out. Many older canal side factories closed. Gas works closed down leading to withdrawal of Thomas Clayton's tar boats in 1966. In 1967 coal carriage was ended on the BCN. In 1974 the last commercial traffic on the BCN main line travelled from Oldbury to Dudley Port carrying chemical waste.

In 1968 the Birmingham Canal Navigations Society was created. In 1969 with the two hundredth anniversary the BCN saw a new start. The canals are now promoted for leisure and many imaginative schemes are centred around the canals.

Despite the 1968 Transport Act, about two thirds of the original network remain open for pleasure boats, great efforts have been (and are still being) made by local councils to create linear walks and recreation parks along the canals. In central Birmingham the canal area has been greatly improved with derelict buildings demolished and the whole canal-scape redeveloped.

The Titford canal had fallen into disuse but was restored in 1973/4 and used in 1976 for the IWA rally.

Sources.

Nicholson Guides to the Waterways.

Roots & Routes, Peter Hardcastle's Website
http://www.canals.btinternet.co.uk/index.htm

The Birmingham Canal Navigations, by Ray Shill, published 2002 by Tempus Publishing, Stroud ISBN 0-75242-2767-9

Canal Companion, Stourport Ring, J.M. Pearson. Published by Central Waterways Supplies of Rugby in 2003. ISBN 0-9545383-1-5

Some pictures of this canal?

In the centre of Birmingham / At Wolverhampton / Along the main line / Black Country Museum

General information

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