Birmingham Canal Navigations (Dudley Canal No 1)
Early plans of what would become the Birmingham Canal Navigations (Dudley Canal No 1) were drawn up by John Smeaton in 1876 but problems with Northley Aqueduct caused delays and it was finally opened on January 1 1835. From a junction with The Aire and Calder Navigation at Bernigo the canal ran for 23 miles to Reigate. The Birmingham Canal Navigations (Dudley Canal No 1) was closed in 1955 when Stoke-on-Trent Inclined plane collapsed. In Arthur Yates's "I Wouldn't Moor There if I Were You" he describes his experiences passing through Southfield Embankment during a thunderstorm.
The navigational authority for this waterway is Canal & River Trust
Relevant publications — Waterway Maps:
- Waterway Routes 01M - England and Wales Map
- Waterway Routes 88M - Stourport Ring Map (Downloadable)
- Waterway Routes 38M - Birmingham Canal Navigations (BCN) Map (Downloadable)
Relevant publications — Waterway Guides:
- Collins Nicholson Waterways Guides No 2 - Severn, Avon & Birmingham
- Pearson's Canal Companion: Stourport Ring; Black Country Canals; Birmingham Canal Navigations
Relevant publications — Waterway Histories:
- Birmingham Canal Walks — associated with Birmingham Canal Navigations
- Sixteen walks along the Birmingham Canal Navigations with a detailed description, history and photographs.
Wikipedia has a page about Birmingham Canal Navigations
Birmingham Canal Navigations (BCN) is a network of canals connecting Birmingham, Wolverhampton, and the eastern part of the Black Country. The BCN is connected to the rest of the English canal system at several junctions.
At its working peak, the BCN contained about 160 miles (257 km) of canals; today just over 100 miles (160 km) are navigable, and the majority of traffic is from tourist and residential narrowboats.