Farmer's Bridge Locks, BCN
(there are 13)
Farmer's Bridge Locks, BCN |
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Birmingham was, until the 18th century, a small and relatively insignificant settlement on the banks of the River Rea. However, it shot to prominence with the coming of the Industrial Revolution, not least because of its natural position at the crossroads of a canal and river system which extended from London to Liverpool, and from Bristol to the Humber estuary. There were also rich mineral deposits around the Black Country. The effect of this was to produce the most extensive urban waterway in the world - over 160 miles of navigable canal, mostly between Birmingham and Wolverhampton but also extending some way northwards into Staffordshire, with vast numbers of basins and wharves.
| The canal is essentially built on two levels (photo right). The earlier, more winding canal is 473 ft asl; a rapid increase in traffic necessitated improvements in the early 19th century, engineered by Thomas Telford, and cut 20 ft lower. These later works have a boldness about them with deep and straight cuttings, plainly the result of experience over 30 or so years of canal building. The system is complex; much of the northern section, the Wyrley & Essington, is now remote though at one time connected northwards to the Staffs & Worcs canal. This link was obliterated by open-cast mining decades ago. |
Smethwick Pumping Station, BCN. |
Birmingham sits atop the Midlands plateau, so however you get there you have to climb some pretty significant hills. There are long flights of locks to get to the Main Line; from the north-west the Wolverhampton 21; from the south-west the long flight at Tardebigge on the Worcester & Birmingham, or the Stourbridge 16 and the Delph 8 on the Stourbridge Canal; from London the flight of 6 at Camp Hill, 8 at Ashted, and 13 at Farmer's Bridge; or from the north-east 11 at Aston and 13 at Farmer's Bridge. There are also many more locks within the system. Thirty years ago I went on a canal holiday which included a great deal of the Birmingham Canal Navigations. Subsequently, becoming bored with visits to relatives in Birmingham, I walked all the bits that I hadn't boated. I realised then that there was no guide to the BCN in print - so I wrote 'Along the Birmingham Canals' (Tetradon Publications, 1980). It had songs and poems in it, too. The reviews were pretty good, though the Birmingham Post and Mail was a bit bemused that the author lived in Dorset, and someone else thought that the songs and so on were unnecessary and simply 'increased the book's size and price'. Lots of other people thought they were fun. You can find them in the Songs & Poems page. |
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| The reason the book got published was down to luck and Chemistry. My electrochemistry lecturer at Aston, Peter Groves, wrote a book on Midlands Canals called 'The Navigation Way'. I met him by accident at a conference of some sort, and idly mentioned my offering. The rest is, as they say, history. It sold out, and nearly made a second edition, but was pipped to the post by a newer work which would have necessitated a complete rewrite of my work. It's long out of print and a lot out of date, but if you're interested in a photocopy drop me an email and I'll give you a quote. The Birmingham Canal Navigations is still very large - even now around 150 miles of canal exists between Birmingham and Wolverhampton. It is much easier to get at than was the case in 1980, largely because of Birmingham City Council's support for the canal's recreational use and the efforts of it and of the BCN Society in making improvements. The canal is the responsibility of the British Waterways Board. The BCN Society has a website well worth a look, as has Birmingham City Council. Books to look at include:
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Birmingham ware, none so fair, From ‘The Birmingham Lads’; adapted from Freeth, J. ‘Inland Navigation: an Ode with songs, Calculated for the First Day the Barges Arrive at the Wharf. Birmingham Reference Library 63268. |
British Canals Bradshaw's BCN Canal songs and poems Home Page
Rod Beavon 17 Dean's Yard London SW1P 3PB
e-mail: rod.beavon@westminster.org.uk
