Text and photographs copyright of Jim Shead.

Dudley Canal Line No 1

Description: From Tipton Junction, on the BCN Old Main Line, to Stourbridge Canal.

History: Started in 1776, under the direction of Thomas Dadford Senior and opened in 1779. It was extended to the Birmingham Canal via Dudley Tunnel in 1792 (under Act of 1785). From Tipon Junction, through Dudley Tunnel, to Park Head Locks officially closed in 1962. Dudley Canal Tunnel Preservation Society formed on 1 January 1964, and provided boat trips through the tunnel. In January 1972 Dudley Borough Council agree to contribute half the cost of restoring the canal and in September it was officially reopened.
For more details see the History page.

Waterway Group: This waterway is part of the Birmingham Canal Navigations

Navigation Authority: 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 :

IWA Festival at Windmill End in 1996

Related Books

• Dudley Canal Tunnel - A Guide Commemorating the Restoration of the Tunnel .. by D A Gittings, Edition: 2nd impression, 34 pages, Published by Dudley Canal Trust, in 1974, Title continues "and the Official Reopening". Illustrated..
• Nicholson/Ordnance Survey Guide to the waterways - 2 by Not known, ISBN: 978-0-00-728161-9, 170 pages, Published by Nicholson, in 2009, 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 .
• Pearson's Canal Companion: Stourport Ring by Michael Pearson, Edition: Seventh, ISBN: 0 9078 6470 8, 96 pages, Published by J M Pearson & Son, Includes Birmingham Canal navigations and Black Country canals. Order now from .
• The Canals of the West Midlands (2nd Ed) by Charles Hadfield, 352 pages, Published by Augustus M Kelley, in 1969,

Related External Web Sites

• Black Country Living Museum Situated next to Dudley Tunnel with moorings for visiting boaters.
• The Dudley Canal Trust The Trust has been restoring the underground waterways of Dudley since the early 60's and organises various trips.
• Dudley Tunnel Trips Offering a range of trips through and around Dudley Tunnel.

Related Cruising Logs

• 31st May 1997
• 30th July 1999
• 24th April 2000

Other Related Pages

• Cruising Times

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

Dudley Canal Line No 1: Table of distances			Miles	Locks	Navigable (N)	Grid ref	OS Map No
Tipton Junction	Junction with Old Main Line (BCN) Junction with the BCN Old Main Line Loop		0	0	N	SO951919	139
Dudley Tunnel (North End)			0.4	0	N	SO947917	139
Park Head Lock No 1			2.1	1	N	SO932890	139
Park Head Junction	Junction with Dudley Canal Line No 2 Junction with Dudley Canal Line No 2, Parkhead Lock No 3, and Top of Blowers Hill Lock No 4.		2.4	3	N	SO933889	139
Brierley Hill Top Lock No 5			4.1	5	N	SO919867	139
Junction with Storbridge Canal	Junction with Stourbridge Canal Close to Delph Lock No 12		4.5	12	N	SO917864	139

NOTE: N and U in the Navigable column above indicates that the node is navigable or unnavigable. If a D appears here it means that navigation is difficult or restricted to smaller craft.

 

Text and photographs copyright of Jim Shead.