Birmingham Canal Navigations

Description: Originally about 160 miles of interconnected canals but today only just over a 100 miles are navigable.

History: Promoted by Acts of 1768, 1769, 1784, 1785, 1794, 1806, 1811, 1815, and 1818.
For more details see the History page

Subordinate Waterways:

• Anson Branch (BCN)
• BCN Main Line
• Birmingham and Fazeley Canal
• Cannock Extension Canal (BCN)
• Digbeth Branch Canal
• Dudley Canal Line No 1
• Dudley Canal Line No 2
• Gower Branch Canal (BCN)
• Netherton Tunnel Branch Canal
• Old Main Line (BCN)
• Rushall Canal (BCN)
• Soho Branch Loop Line
• Spon Lane Locks Branch (BCN)
• Tame Valley Canal
• Titford Canal (BCN)
• Walsall Branch Canal
• Walsall Canal
• Wednesbury Oak Loop Line
• Wednesbury Old Canal (BCN)
• Wyrley and Essington Canal (BCN)
  • Anglesey Branch
  • Daw End Branch Canal (BCN)

Navigation Authority: Head Office: British Waterways, MD's Office: Southern Waterways, General Manager: Central Shires Waterways, Peel's Wharf, Lichfield Street, Fazeley, Tamworth, Staffordshire B78 3QZ : Telephone 01827 252000 : Fax 01827 288071 :

Related Books

• Birmingham Canal Navigations - A Report on the 'Remainder' Waterways by Not known , Edition: 1st edition 36 pages, Published by British Waterways Board 1970 Illustrated

• The Birmingham Canal Navigations, Vol. 1 1768 - 1846 by S R Broadbridge , Edition: 1st edition 205 pages, Published by David & Charles 1974 Illustrated

• The Birmingham Canal Navigations by R May , Edition: 1st edition 99 pages, Published by C R Smith 1973 A pictorial record of the BCN.

• The Other Sixty Miles by Richard Chester-Browne , Edition: Revised 48 pages, Published by Birmingham Canal Navigations Society 1991 "A survey of the abandoned canals of Birmingham and the Black Country". First published in 1981. Illustrations and coloured map.

• A Gas Street Trail by Ray Shill , ISBN 0 9517755 3 7 :115 pages, Published by Heartlands Press 1994 Well researched and illustrated guide produced by Desk Top Publishing software. Order now from .

• The Industrial Canal - Volume 2, The Railway Interchange by Tom Foxon , ISBN 0 9517755 6 1 :177 pages, Published by Heartlands Press 1998 Soft back book concentating on the canal and railway goods interchange in the Birmingham area. Order now from .

• Canal City Souvenir by Michael Pearson , ISBN 0 907864 77 5 :48 pages, Published by J M Pearson & Son Colour photographs illustrate this guide to the canals around Birmingham. Order now from .

• Birmingham's Canals by Ray Shill , ISBN 0 7509 2077 7 :128 pages, Published by Sutton Publishing January 2000 With maps and historic photographs. Order now from .

• Nicholson/Ordnance Survey Guide to the waterways - 2 by Not known , ISBN 000713665X :170 pages, Published by Nicholson 2003 Severn, Avon and Birmingham. Includes the BCN, Gloucester & Sharpness, Severn, Staffordshire & Worcester Canal, Stourbridge, Dudley, Stratford-on-Avon and Worcester & Birmingham canals. Order now from .

• Nicholson/Ordnance Survey Guide to the waterways - 3 by Not known , ISBN 0007136668 :170 pages, Published by Nicholson 2003 Birmingham and the Heart of England. Includes the Ashby, BCN, Birmingham & Fazeley, Coventry, Erewash, GU Leicester Section, GU main line (part), Oxford, Staffordshire & Worcstershire, Worcester & Birmingham Canals and part of the Trent & Mersey. Order now from .

• Boats, Smoke, Steam & Folk by Robert Davies , ISBN 0 7524 1765 7 :128 pages, Published by Tempus 2001 Exploring the Canals of the West Midlands. Order now from .

• Working Boat: Warwickshire & Worcestershire Trades by Ray Shill & Tom Foxon , ISBN 0 9517755 2 9 :64 pages, Published by Heartlands Press 2002 The waterways of these counties and the history of the trade carried by their working boats. Order now from .

• The Birmingham Canal Navigations by Ray Shill , ISBN 0 7524 2767 9 :128 pages, Published by Tempus 2003 An illustrated history. Order now from .

• Working Boat: Midland Canal Carriers 1770-1845 - 2 - The Birmingham Trade by Ray Shill & Tom Foxon , ISBN 0 9543098 0 4 :64 pages, Published by Heartlands Press 2003 The third volume in a series covering Midland canal trade. Order now from .

• The Canals of the West Midlands (2nd Ed) by Charles Hadfield , 352 pages, Published by Augustus M Kelley 1 1969

Related Videos

• BCN - Part 4 Canals of Birmingham 1 hour 31 minutes approx., Produced by Laurence Hogg Productions This video journey around the City of Birmingham waterfront discovers what is still hidden from many eyes. It follows the routes of lost arms and finds basins not seen for years as well as boating under the massive cathedral of concrete that is Spaghetti Junction before looking at the former warehouse complex still intact on the Grand Union and Gas Street Basin before the developers arrived. Includes many archive pictures showing the wharves, boats and canal people in days gone by come to life. Available on tape and DVD.

• BCN - Part 5 Narrow Boats on the Birmingham Canal Navigations 1 hour approx., Produced by Laurence Hogg Productions This video portrays the immense carrying scene the BCN once had, the diversity of the craft and immense numbers that existed to make the BCN a highly profitable system. Available on tape and DVD.

• BCN - Part 6 Lichfield & Hatherton Canals 57 minutes approx., Produced by Laurence Hogg Productions Both these routes are now under restoration and this video delves into the background and history of the two sections of canal and takes a close look at how they are being restored. Whilst examining the historical background to the canals the video also portrays trust members describing how the waterways are being restored to provide a valuable link to the Northern BCN. Available on tape and DVD.

• BCN Main Lines & Loops (Part 1A) 1 hour 40 minutes approx., Produced by Laurence Hogg Productions A complete look at the routes of the main lines of the BCN. All the major branches are covered as are the loops, lots of archive Photos Available on tape and DVD.

• BCN Canals North of the Main Lines. (Part 2) 1 hour 44 minutes approx., Produced by Laurence Hogg Productions The Northern waters of the BCN covered in detail, lots of archive images bring the many lost sections to life. Available on tape and DVD.

• BCN Part 1 1 hour 15 minutes approx., Produced by Laurence Hogg Productions Laurence Hogg's original film about the main lines of the BCN. filmed from NB "Progress" Available on tape.

• BCN, The Canals South of the Main Lines. (Part 3) 1 hour 5 minutes approx., Produced by Laurence Hogg Productions The canals south of the main lines covered in detail using present day and archive images Available on tape and DVD.

• Journeys on the BCN - Dudley to Walsall (Part 8) 58 minutes approx., Produced by Laurence Hogg Productions Starting in Dudley we cruise the main line & the Walsall canal looking at all the branches and features both in the past and today Available on tape and DVD.

• Warehouse at Work Released in : 2001 26 minutes approx., Produced by IA Recordings Shows the Broad Street Warehouse being used as it would have been in the days when it was used by working canal boats. Shot in May 1996. Available on tape.

• Last Coal Run from Anglesey Released in : 2002 35 minutes approx., Produced by IA Recordings A re-enactment of the last coal run in the 1960s. Available on tape.

Related External Web Sites

• Sherborne Wharf : Based in Birmingham city centre Heritage Narrow Boats offer hire boats from here and from Scholar Green on the Maccelesfield Canal.
• Birmingham Canal Navigations Society : A mix of pages about the BCN and the BCN Society.
• The British Canals : Introducing the English Narrow Canals, particularly the Birmingham Canals
• Tony Clayton's Canal Pages : Journeys on the BCN and links to the Shrewsbury & Newport Canals and other canal pages.

Lock Sizes and maximum craft dimensions: Length 70 foot, beam 7 foot, applies to the whole BCN. NOTE: For more details of maximum lock and craft sizes and the basis of these figures see Craft and Lock Sizes Page

 

Text and photographs copyright of Jim Shead.