Dudley Canal (1 & 2)
engineered by Thomas Dadford Snr, 10.1 miles long with 12 locks

History and General Knowledge of the Dudley Canal (1 & 2)

Dudley No. 1 Canal is 4.6 miles and Dudley No. 2 Canal is 5.5 miles in length for a total of 10.1 navigable miles today.

History of the Dudley Canals 1 and 2.

A pair of canal tunnels located in Dudley, West Midlands, England. They were built in the late 18th century to transport coal from the local mines to the industrial centres of the Black Country.

Engineered by Thomas Dadford.

The Dudley Tunnel, also known as Dudley Canal Tunnel, was constructed between 1776 and 1779, and is a 3.5-mile-long tunnel that runs from the Birmingham Canal Navigations (BCN) at Tipton to the Worcester and Birmingham Canal at the southern end of Dudley. It was originally built as a navigable tunnel, with boats being towed through the tunnel by horses.

The first part to open was the connection to the Stourbridge Canal in 1779 and up to the Birmingham Old Main Line via the Dudley Tunnel and Lord Wards Tunnel.

Note: Lord Ward's Tunnel is often shown as a part of the Dudley Tunnel, it is however, a separate tunnel of 196 yards.

The Netherton Tunnel, also known as Dudley Tunnel 2, was built between 1855 and 1858 and runs for 2.2 miles from the BCN at Tipton to the Birmingham Canal Navigations at Netherton. The Netherton Tunnel was built to provide a more direct route for the transportation of coal, as the Dudley Tunnel had become congested with traffic.

The construction of the tunnels was a major engineering feat for the time, and involved the use of groundbreaking techniques such as the sinking of vertical shafts to provide ventilation and drainage. The tunnels were also lined with brickwork to prevent collapse and to provide a smoother surface for the boats to pass through.

The tunnels were initially used for the transportation of coal from the local mines, which were some of the richest in the country. The tunnels were also used to transport limestone, which was quarried in the nearby hills and used for the production of iron and steel.

The Dudley 2 Canal (extension), branching east and through another tunnel (Gosty Hill Tunnel 537 yards) near to Blackheath. There was more in the past leading on towards South Eats of Halesowen. It was here that a very long tunnel, now abandoned, the Lapal Tunnel which was 3795 yards in length. 

Over the years, much of the Dudley Canal has had problems with mining subsidence. It was this that brought an end to the use of the Lapal Tunnel and the rest of the canal.

In the 20th century, the tunnels fell into disuse as the demand for coal and limestone declined. The Dudley Tunnel was closed to navigation in 1962, and the Netherton Tunnel was closed in 1959.

However, in the late 20th century, there was renewed interest in Britain's canal heritage, and both tunnels were restored and reopened to navigation. Today, the Dudley Canals 1 and 2 are popular with boaters, anglers, and walkers, and are an important part of the Black Country's industrial heritage. The tunnels are also home to a variety of wildlife, including bats, which roost in the tunnels during the winter months.