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

• Edgbaston Reservoir

Engineers

• James Brindley
• Thomas Dadford
• Thomas Telford

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

• Canals of the United Kingdom
• The Smethwick Engine
• Transport in Birmingham

External link

• Jim Shead's website

Canals in the United Kingdom | Transport in Birmingham, England | Transport in the West Midlands | Visitor attractions in Birmingham, England