Birmingham Canal Navigations (Titford Canal - Tat Bank Branch)
The maximum dimensions for a boat to be able to travel on the waterway are 72 feet long and 7 feet wide. The maximum headroom is 6 feet and 6 inches. The maximum draught is 4 feet.
Tat Bank Branch (or Spon Lane Branch), no longer navigable, which was the original feeder to the Smethwick Summit, and is now a feeder (made by Thomas Telford, 1830) to Edgbaston Reservoir (Rotton Park Reservoir) which itself feeds the Birmingham and Wolverhampton Levels of the BCN. It was later made navigable for a part of its length to the Stourbridge Railway at Rood End and the British Industrial Plastics chemical factory was built upon it. It is now impassable to narrowboats beyond Tat Bank Road bridge, but is in water and can be accessed by small craft. There is no towpath access. Along with the Titford Canal and Pools this is the highest point of the BCN.
The navigational authority for this waterway is Canal & River TrustRelevant publications — Waterway Maps:
- Waterway Routes 01M - England and Wales Map
- Waterway Routes 88M - Stourport Ring Map (Downloadable)
- Waterway Routes 85M - Black Country 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:
| Titford Junction Junction of the Titford Canal with the Tat Bank Branch. |
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| Titford Engine House The grade II listed building was built to pump water back up the six locks from the Wolverhampton Level, but later more often used to supply the feeder. It is now the headquarters of the Birmingham Canal Navigations Society. |
¼ furlongs | 0 locks | |
| Engine House Visitor Moorings | ½ furlongs | 0 locks | |
| Tat Bank Bridge (Tat Bank Branch) | 1 furlong | 0 locks | |
| BIP Covered Works Bridge May be a conveyor? |
1¼ furlongs | 0 locks | |
| BIP Pipe Bridge (west) | 1½ furlongs | 0 locks | |
| BIP Works Footbridge | 1¾ furlongs | 0 locks | |
| BIP Pipe Bridge (middle) | 1¾ furlongs | 0 locks | |
| BIP Works Road Bridge | 2 furlongs | 0 locks | |
| BIP Pipe Bridge (east) | 2½ furlongs | 0 locks | |
| BIP Swing Bridge Formerly carried a railway siding |
2¾ furlongs | 0 locks | |
| Rood End Bridge End of canal in water |
4¼ furlongs | 0 locks |
- Birmingham Canal Walks — associated with Birmingham Canal Navigations
- Sixteen walks along the Birmingham Canal Navigations with a detailed description, history and photographs.
- Titford Canal Walk — associated with Birmingham Canal Navigations (Titford Canal)
- A walk along the Titford Canal from from Oldbury Locks Junction to Titford Pools
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.