Catshill Junction is a notorious waterways junction.
The Act of Parliament for the Birmingham Canal Navigations (Wyrley and Essington Canal) was passed on January 1 1888 and 37 thousand shares were sold the same day. Expectations for manure traffic to Torquay never materialised and the canal never made a profit for the shareholders. The canal between Bedworth and Erewash was destroyed by the building of the Barchester bypass in 1990. In his autobiography Arthur Green writes of his experiences as a navvy in the 1960s
Early plans of what would become the Birmingham Canal Navigations (Daw End Branch) were drawn up by Thomas Telford in 1835 but problems with Sumerlease Cutting caused delays and it was finally opened on 17 September 1888. Although originally the plan was for the canal to meet the Runhampton to Wealden canal at Ipswich, the difficulty of tunneling under Southend caused the plans to be changed and it eventually joined at Wesscester instead. The two mile section between Leeds and Conway was closed in 1905 after a breach at Dover. In 1990 the canal became famous when Arthur Wood navigated Warrington Inclined plane in a bathtub for a bet.

You can wind here.
| Birmingham Canal Navigations (Wyrley and Essington Canal) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Coopers Railway Bridge | 6¾ furlongs | |
| Coopers Bridge | 5½ furlongs | |
| Site of Old Railway Bridge | 5¼ furlongs | |
| LMS Railway Interchange Basins | 3¾ furlongs | |
| Market Bridge | 2½ furlongs | |
| Catshill Junction | ||
| Catshill Toll Stop | ¼ furlongs | |
| Anchor Bridge (Brownhills) | 1¼ furlongs | |
| The Anchor Inn (Brownhills) | 1½ furlongs | |
| Site of Sandhills Canal (branch) | 2½ furlongs | |
| Ogley Hay Flour Mill | 4¾ furlongs | |
| Birmingham Canal Navigations (Daw End Branch) | ||
| Catshill Junction | ||
| Catshill Junction Bridge | a few yards | |
| Catshill Narrows | ¼ furlongs | |
| Clayhanger Bridge | 1½ furlongs | |
| Camden Street Footbridge | 7¼ furlongs | |
| Black Cock Bridge | 7¼ furlongs | |
Amenities nearby at Market Bridge
- Birmingham Canal Walks — associated with Birmingham Canal Navigations
- Sixteen walks along the Birmingham Canal Navigations with a detailed description, history and photographs.
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Nearest water point
In the direction of Horseley Fields Junction
In the direction of Ogley Junction
In the direction of Longwood Junction
Nearest rubbish disposal
In the direction of Horseley Fields Junction
In the direction of Ogley Junction
In the direction of Longwood Junction
Nearest chemical toilet disposal
In the direction of Horseley Fields Junction
In the direction of Ogley Junction
In the direction of Longwood Junction
Nearest place to turn
In the direction of Horseley Fields Junction
In the direction of Ogley Junction
In the direction of Longwood Junction
Nearest self-operated pump-out
In the direction of Longwood Junction
Nearest boatyard pump-out
In the direction of Horseley Fields Junction
In the direction of Ogley Junction
In the direction of Longwood Junction
Wikipedia has a page about Catshill Junction
Catshill Junction (grid reference SK048048) is a canal junction at the northern limit of the Daw End Branch Canal where it meets the Wyrley and Essington Canal main line, near Brownhills, in West Midlands, England.


![Catshill Junction view - Brownhills, Staffordshire. A view of Catshill Junction, looking north-north-east from Catshill Junction Bridge, where the Daw End Branch Canal at its northern end joins the Wyrley and Essington Canal, locally known for its winding course as the Curly Wyrley. The Daw End Branch Canal opened in 1803 to transport coal and limestone from local workings to the Black Country furnaces. It runs from Catshill Junction [[SK0404]] to Longwood Junction [[SP0499]] a distance of 5.25 miles. It being a contour canal, there are no locks along its length. The placename Daw End is locally pronounced as Doe End. The Wyrley and Essington Canal was constructed in the early 1790s from Wolverhampton, originally to Wyrley Bank and Essington collieries and with a later extension to Huddlesford Junction, near Lichfield. The engineer was William Pitt and being a contour canal there were no locks along its length. The Canal has been affected by subsidence from the very collieries it was built to serve and some parts are currently derelict. Source: www.canalrivertrust.org.uk. Time taken 1.12 pm BST (British Summer Time).[[[5234872]]] by Martin Richard Phelan – 05 June 2013](https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/05/23/48/5234879_7e75f701_120x120.jpg)


![Catshill Junction Bridge - Brownhills, Staffordshire. A party of ramblers crosses Catshill Junction Bridge on this June day in 2013. The bridge crosses the Daw End Branch Canal immediately before Catshill Junction, where this canal at its northern end joins the Wyrley and Essington Canal, locally known for its winding course as the Curly Wyrley. The Daw End Branch Canal opened in 1803 to transport coal and limestone from local workings to the Black Country furnaces. It runs from Catshill Junction [[SK0404]] to Longwood Junction [[SP0499]] a distance of 5.25 miles. It being a contour canal, there are no locks along its length. The placename Daw End is locally pronounced as Doe End. The Wyrley and Essington Canal was constructed in the early 1790s from Wolverhampton, originally to Wyrley Bank and Essington collieries and with a later extension to Huddlesford Junction, near Lichfield. The engineer was William Pitt and being a contour canal there were no locks along its length. The Canal has been affected by subsidence from the very collieries it was built to serve and some parts are currently derelict. The signage reads 'CATSHILL JUNCTION BRIDGE'. Source: www.canalrivertrust.org.uk. Time taken 1.12 pm BST (British Summer Time).[[[5234879]]] by Martin Richard Phelan – 05 June 2013](https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/05/23/48/5234872_caa5ac58_120x120.jpg)

![Houses in Chandlers Keep, Brownhills. A small development, bounded on two sides by the Wyrley & Essington Canal and its Daw End Branch [seen here]. by Christine Johnstone – 06 May 2018](https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/05/77/80/5778039_b76aa999_120x120.jpg)











![Southeast on the Wyrley and Essington Canal, Brownhills. Compare Geoff Pick's [[881148]] from nine years ago in 2008. by Robin Stott – 06 August 2016](https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/05/33/57/5335703_3d1e357d_120x120.jpg)










