The Wolverhampton Locks (21 in all) are at the Northern End of the canal. The remaining three are at Smethwick.
Lock Gates
Tunnel AqueductThe Birmingham Old Main Line canal is a 13.5 miles long, canal that runs from Birmingham to Wolverhampton in the West Midlands of England. It was built in the late 18th century to transport goods to and from the industrial heartland of the Midlands.
Construction of the canal began in 1768 and was completed in 1772 at a cost of £21,000. It was designed by the famous canal engineer, James Brindley, who was also responsible for designing many other canals in the Midlands. A contour canal that weaves and winds its way from Smethwick to the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal at Claregate.
The canal was built to transport coal from the mines of Staffordshire and the Black Country to the factories and industries of Birmingham. It was also used to transport other goods such as raw materials, finished goods and agricultural produce.
The Birmingham Old Main Line canal was an important part of the transport infrastructure of the Midlands during the 19th century. It allowed goods to be transported cheaply and efficiently to the factories, which helped to fuel the growth of the region's industries. The canal also provided a link to other canals and waterways, which allowed goods to be transported to other parts of the country.
However, by the early 20th century, the canal had fallen into disrepair due to competition from the railways. In 1948, the canal was nationalised and became part of the British Waterways network.
In the 1960's plans were made to close the canal and fill it in, but a group of local enthusiasts formed the Birmingham Canal Navigation's Society to campaign for its restoration. The society worked tirelessly to restore the canal and it was officially reopened in 1972.
Today, the Birmingham Old Main Line canal is a popular destination for boaters, walkers, and cyclists. It is also home to a diverse range of wildlife and is a valuable habitat for a number of rare and endangered species.
The restoration of the Birmingham Old Main Line canal is considered one of the most successful canal restoration projects in the UK. It is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the volunteers of the Birmingham Canal Navigation's Society and the importance of preserving our industrial heritage.
Users of the information displayed in this website or in websites linked to directly or indirectly, do so on the basis that it is a guide only. I Do Canals or its directors, partners or associates do not accept any responsibility for inaccuracies, omissions, costs incurred or disappointments of any kind what-so-ever. It is the users responsibility to check directly with any services, displayed, listed or linked to in or from this website, or associated parties with regards to (but not limited to) directions, costs, facilities, services, hospitality, availability, accommodation, etc. There is no implied recommendation for any of the entries or firms listed, nor is any criticism implied for any entry or firm not yet listed.
We have added 103 Waterways and there are 2685 entries listed and displayed on our maps and/or the resource pages:
Waterways Resources -
Boat Build & Fit Out -
Waterside Attractions. We continue to add items on a very regular basis.
Many entries have several services on offer, on average 5 services (some have many more). This means there are approx. 5 x the number of services listed.
