64-657: Wednesbury Old Canal is part of the Birmingham Canal Navigations (BCN) in the English West Midlands . It opened in 1769, and although parts of it were abandoned in 1955 and 1960, the section between Pudding Green Junction and Ryder's Green Junction is navigable, as it provides a link to the Walsall Canal . A short stub beyond Ryder's Green Junction is connected to the network but difficult to navigate. Wednesbury Old Canal leaves
128-451: A Mr Arthur Atkins. While the practice declined as commercial use of the canals dwindled, it has seen something of a revival in recent times with the emergence of leisure boating. Narrowboat decoration with roses and castle themes are a common sight on today's canals, although these may utilise cheaper printed vinyl transfers in place of the traditional craft of hand-painted designs. The number of licensed boats on canals and rivers managed by
192-491: A boat and get afloat. The first narrow boats played a key part in the economic changes of the British Industrial Revolution . They were wooden boats drawn by a horse walking on the canal towpath led by a crew member, often a child. Narrow boats were chiefly designed for carrying cargo, though some packet boats carried passengers, luggage, mail and parcels. The first canals to feature locks in
256-660: A certain amount of "shoehorning") lie diagonally. Some locks on isolated waterways are as short as 40 feet (12.19 m). Where it was possible to avoid going through locks, narrow boats were sometimes built a little larger. Wharf boats or more usually 'Amptons, operated on the Wolverhampton level of the Birmingham Canal Navigations and were up to 89 feet in length and 7 foot 10.5 inches wide. Hire fleets on British canals usually consist of narrow boats in varied lengths from 30 feet (9.14 m) upwards, to allow parties of different numbers or varying budgets to be able to hire
320-597: A faithful imitation (false "rivets", and copies of traditional paintwork) through "interpretation" (clean lines and simplified paintwork) through to a free-style approach which does not try to pretend in any way that this is a traditional boat. They are owned by individuals, shared by a group of friends (or by a more formally organised syndicate), rented out by holiday firms, or used as cruising hotels. A few boats are lived on permanently: either based in one place (though long-term moorings for residential narrowboats are currently very difficult to find) or continuously moving around
384-499: A horse walking on the canal towpath led by a crew member. Horses were gradually replaced by steam and then diesel engines. By the end of the 19th century it was common practice to paint roses and castles on narrowboats and their fixtures and fittings. This tradition has continued into the 21st century, but not all narrowboats have such decorations. Modern narrowboats are used for holidays, weekend breaks, touring, or as permanent or part-time residences. Usually, they have steel hulls and
448-495: A large open deck between counter and rear doors, protected by a taffrail (railing), perhaps with built-in seating, around back and sides. The large rear deck provides a good al fresco dining area or social space, allowing people to congregate on deck in good weather and the summer holiday season. In winter (or less than perfect weather of summer) the steerer may be unprotected from the elements. The lack of an enclosed engine room means that engine heat does not contribute to keeping
512-423: A major advantage that the engine is located entirely outside the living space. In this configuration also, it is common to find that the engine bay contains batteries, isolator switching, fuel tanks and seldom-used kit, spares and equipment. A so-called "pram cover" can be fitted to a cruiser stern. Named after a baby's pram , this usually consists of a cloth cover on a folding metal frame. When erected, it encloses
576-486: A maximum of 6 feet 10 inches (2.08 m) wide to guarantee easy passage throughout the complete system. Because of their slenderness, some narrowboats seem very long. The maximum length is about 72 feet (21.95 m), which matches the length of the longest locks on the system. Modern narrowboats tend to be shorter, to permit cruising anywhere on the connected network of British canals — including on canals built for wider, but shorter, boats. The shortest lock on
640-430: A refurbished, slow-revving, vintage semi-diesel engine . There are some steam-driven narrow boats such as the ex- Fellows Morton & Clayton steamer President . By the end of the 19th century it was common practice to paint roses and castles on narrow boats and their fixtures and fittings. Common sites include the doors to the cabin, the water can or barrel and the side of the boat along with ornate lettering giving
704-585: A small number of steel narrowboats dispense with the need for a rear steering deck entirely, by imitating some river cruisers in providing wheel steering from a central cockpit, most narrowboats' steering is by a tiller on the stern. There are three major configurations for the stern: traditional stern , cruiser stern and semi-traditional stern . The narrowboat (one word) definition in the Oxford English Dictionary is: A British canal boat of traditional long, narrow design, steered with
SECTION 10
#1732801321401768-703: A steel superstructure, but when they were first being developed for leisure use in the 1970s glass reinforced plastic (fibre-glass) or timber was often used above gunwale height. Newer narrowboats, say post 1990, are usually powered by modern diesel engines and may be fitted inside to a high standard. There will be at least 6 feet (1.8 m) internal headroom and often or usually similar domestic facilities as land homes: central heating, flush toilets, shower or even bath, four-ring hobs , oven, grill, microwave oven, and refrigerator; some may have satellite television and mobile broadband, using 4G or LTE technology. Externally, their resemblance to traditional boats can vary from
832-472: A steel superstructure. The hull's flat base is usually 10 mm thick, the hull sides 6 mm or 8 mm, the cabin sides 6 mm, and the roof 4 mm or 6 mm. The numbers of boats have been rising, with the number of licensed boats (not all of them narrowboats) on canals and rivers managed by the Canal & River Trust (CRT) estimated at 27,000 in 2006; by 2019, this had risen to 34,367. Although
896-557: A straight line from Tipton Factory Locks towards Spon Lane bottom lock ( Bromford Junction , and then on to Smethwick and Birmingham). It cut into the original Wednesbury Canal, forming Pudding Lane Junction, and the short, curved length of the Wednesbury Canal between there and Bromford Junction was lost. The Wednesbury Old Canal was given abandoned status by 1955 and 1960 acts of Parliament. Recent road developments (Black Country New Road) at Swan Bridge Junction have severed
960-631: A tiller; spec. one not exceeding 7 feet (approx. 2.1 metres) in width or 72 feet (approx. 21.9 metres) in length Earlier quotations listed in the Oxford English Dictionary use the term "narrow boat", with the most recent, a quotation from an advertisement in Canal Boat & Inland Waterways in 1998, uses "narrowboat". The single word "narrowboat" has been adopted by authorities such as the Canal and River Trust, Scottish Canals and
1024-626: A warm stove, a steaming kettle, gleaming brass, fancy lace, painted housewares and decorated plates. Such descriptions rarely consider the actual comfort of a (sometimes large) family, working brutally hard and long days, sleeping in one tiny cabin. However many shore-bound workers endured harder indoor trades in less healthy conditions and in worse accommodation, where the family was separated for long hours rather than being together all day. The lifestyle afloat, by definition itinerant, made it impossible for children to attend school. Most boat people were effectively illiterate and ostracised by those living "on
1088-561: Is a particular type of canal boat , built to fit the narrow locks of the United Kingdom . The UK's canal system provided a nationwide transport network during the Industrial Revolution , but with the advent of the railways, commercial canal traffic gradually diminished and the last regular long-distance transportation of goods by canal had virtually disappeared by 1970. However, some commercial traffic continued. From
1152-461: Is an unpowered boat traditionally with a larger rudder with (usually) a wooden tiller (known as an elum , a corruption of helm ) as the steering does not benefit from the force of water generated by the propeller so the rudder must be of a larger area. The tiller is usually removed and reversed in the rudder-post socket to get it out of the way when moored. A few butty boats have been converted into powered narrowboats like NB Sirius . The term butty
1216-489: Is by tiller, as was the case on all working narrow boats. The steerer stands at the stern of the boat, aft of the hatchway and/or rear doors at the top of the steps up from the cabin. The steering area comes in three basic types, each meeting different needs of maximising internal space; having a more traditional appearance; having a big enough rear deck for everyone to enjoy summer weather or long evenings; or protection outside in bad weather. Each type has its advocates. However,
1280-639: Is certainly a similarity in style and a geographical overlap, but no solid proof of a link. There are similar styles of folk art in Scandinavia , Germany, Turkey and Bangladesh . In the 18th century, similar Dutch Hindeloopen paintwork would only have been a sailing barge journey away from the Thames. There is also an article in the Midland Daily Telegraph of 22 July 1914 that credits the practice of painting of water cans, at least, to
1344-420: Is derived from the dialect word buddy, meaning companion. While the vast majority of narrowboats have tiller steering at the stern, a small number of steel narrowboats dispense with the need for a rear steering deck entirely, by imitating some river cruisers in providing wheel steering from a central cockpit. This layout has the advantage (as have many Dutch barges ) of enabling an aft cabin to be separate from
SECTION 20
#17328013214011408-520: Is generally 72 feet (21.95 m), as anything longer will be unable to navigate much of the British canal network, because the nominal maximum length of locks is 75 feet (22.86 m). Some locks are shorter than 72 feet (21.95 m), so to access the entire canal network the maximum length is 57 feet (17.37 m). The first narrow boats played a key role in the economic changes of the British Industrial Revolution . They were wooden boats drawn by
1472-675: The Birmingham Canal Navigations Act 1835 ( 5 & 6 Will. 4 . c. xxxiv). From 1839 to 1843 the Tame Valley Canal was built, along with the Bentley, Rushall and Walsall Junction Canals opening up the Cannock Chase and Wyrley coal districts to the town of Birmingham at a cost upwards of £570,000 (equivalent to £70,680,000 in 2023). The Wyrley and Essington Canal was incorporated by
1536-873: The Birmingham Canal Navigation Act 1792 which authorized the line from Wolverhampton to Sneyd Junction and Walsall. The extension to Huddlesford and the Lord Hay and Daw End branches were constructed under the Birmingham Canal Navigation Act 1794 ( 34 Geo. 3 . c. 87). This amalgamated with the Birmingham Canal Navigations in 1840. In 1855, the Cannock Extension Canal and the Wyrley Bank Branch were added to
1600-534: The Canal & River Trust (CRT), a charitable trust, formerly British Waterways, was estimated at 27,000 in 2006. By 2014 this number had risen to over 30,000. There were perhaps another 5,000 unlicensed boats kept in private moorings or on other waterways in 2006. Most boats on CRT waterways are steel (or occasionally, aluminium) cruisers popularly referred to as narrowboats. Modern leisure narrowboats are used for holidays, weekend breaks, touring, as permanent or part-time residences. Usually, they have steel hulls and
1664-740: The Dudley Canal Act 1785 ( 25 Geo. 3 . c. 87), and the extension from Parkhead to Selly Oak Junction with the Oxford and Birmingham Canal, including the Gorsty Hill and Lappal Tunnels under the Selly Oak Canal Act 1793 ( 33 Geo. 3 . c. 121). This canal became part of the Birmingham Canal Navigations in 1846 under the London and Birmingham Railway and Birmingham Canal Arrangement Act 1846 ( 9 & 10 Vict. c. ccxliv). It
1728-512: The 1970s onward narrowboats were gradually being converted into permanent residences or as holiday lettings. Currently, about 8,580 narrowboats are registered as 'permanent homes' on Britain's waterway system and represent a growing alternative community living on semi-permanent moorings or continuously cruising. For any boat to enter a narrow lock, it must be under 7 feet (2.13 m) wide, so most narrowboats are nominally 6 feet 10 inches (2.08 m) wide. A narrowboat's maximum length
1792-890: The Birmingham Canal Navigation appears in Aris's Birmingham Gazette on 11 April 1768. Here it was reported that on 25 March 1768, the first general assembly of the Company of Proprietors of the Birmingham Canal Navigation was held at the Swann Inn, Birmingham, to raise funds to submit for an act of Parliament. The first canal to be built in the area was the Birmingham Canal, authorized by the Birmingham Canal Navigation Act 1768 ( 8 Geo. 3 . c. 38) and built from 1768 to 1772 under
1856-538: The Birmingham Canal and branches to Wednesbury and Ocker Hill as a major branch of the Birmingham Canal and was completed and delivering coal to Birmingham on 6 November 1769, even before the Birmingham Canal had reached Wolverhampton. It started at what is now Spon Lane Junction (Wolverhampton Level) and descended the three remaining Spon Lane locks to the Birmingham Level . Its length was 4.4 miles (7.1 km). It terminated at Balls Hill Basin, not far from
1920-493: The Coseley Tunnel was constructed, which with a length of 1.75 miles (2.82 km), avoided a detour around Tipton Hill of 4 miles (6.4 km). Between 1825 and 1829 the canal was improved by the cutting down by 16 feet (4.9 m) of the summit at Smethwick, which occupied two and a half years, and cost £560,000 (equivalent to £62,250,000 in 2023), and by cutting off bends and erecting steam engines which reduced
1984-671: The Lee & Stort Navigation). A few people are doing their best in the 21st century to keep the tradition of canal-borne cargo-carrying alive, mostly by "one-off" deliveries rather than regular runs, or by selling goods such as coal to other boaters. Enthusiasts remain dedicated to restoring the remaining old narrow boats, often as members of the Historic Narrow Boat Owners Club. There are many replicas, such as Hadar , ornately painted with traditional designs, usually of roses and castles. Boats not horse-drawn may have
Wednesbury Old Canal - Misplaced Pages Continue
2048-455: The art form must have existed by this date. For some time, a popular suggestion was that it had some form of Romani origin; however, there does not appear to be a significant link between the Romani and boating communities. Other suggestions include transfer of styles from the clock-making industry (in particular the decoration on the face), the japanning industry or the pottery industry. There
2112-444: The authoritative magazine Waterways World to refer to all boats built in the style and tradition of commercial boats that were able to fit in the narrow canal locks. Although some narrow boats are built to a design based on river barges and many conform to the strict definition of the term, it is incorrect to refer to a narrowboat (or narrow boat) as a widebeam or as a barge , both of which are definable by their greater width. In
2176-403: The bank", who considered themselves superior. As steam and diesel progressively replaced the tow-horse in the early years of the 20th century, it became possible to move even more cargo with fewer hands by towing a second, un-powered boat, referred to as a "butty", "buttyboat" or "butty boat". Although there was no longer a horse to maintain, the butty had to be steered while being towed. So that
2240-407: The boat warm and there may be "wasted" space above the deck area. A "cruiser" stern allows the engine to be located under the deck, rather than in the body of the boat. Although this may make access to the engine more of a nuisance (due to weather considerations) the whole deck can usually be lifted off in whole or in sections, allowing the operative to stand inside the engine bay, the cruiser stern has
2304-478: The boat's name and owner. This tradition did not happen in all regions, the Chesterfield Canal being one waterway where narrow boats never bore such decorations. The origin of the roses and castles found on canal boats is unclear. The first written reference to them appears to be in an 1858 edition of the magazine Household Words in one of a series of articles titled "On the Canal", showing that
2368-577: The boats harder, faster and further, partly to keep families together. As late as 1858, a Household Words article states that "the Grand Junction Canal company did not allow the boatmen's families on board." The crew of the non-stopping (" fly ") boat in the article (skipper, two crew and a "youth") is said to be typical. The rear portion of the boat became the "boatman's cabin", familiar from picture postcards and museums, famous for its space-saving ingenuity and interior made attractive by
2432-453: The boundaries are not fixed, and some boats blur the categories as new designers try out different arrangements and combinations. Many modern canal boats retain the traditional layout of a small open, unguarded "counter" or deck behind the rear doors from which the crew can step onto land. It is possible to steer from the counter, but this is not very safe, with the propeller churning below only one missed step away. The "tiller extension" allows
2496-510: The butty boatman could lengthen or shorten towline as needed, the towline wasn't tied-off on the bow, instead travelled over the buttyboat through permanent running blocks on stands or retractable middle masts and managed in the stern. On a wide canal, such as the Grand Union Canal , the pair could be roped side-to-side ("breasted up") and handled as a unit through working locks. Cargo-carrying by narrow boat diminished from 1945 and
2560-469: The connection to the remaining, navigable canal, and have also severed the Ridgacre Branch from the canal network. Download coordinates as: 52°31′22″N 2°01′20″W / 52.5228°N 2.0221°W / 52.5228; -2.0221 Birmingham Canal Navigations Birmingham Canal Navigations ( BCN ) is a network of canals connecting Birmingham , Wolverhampton , and
2624-589: The context of British inland waterways, a barge is usually a much wider, cargo-carrying boat or a modern boat modelled on one, certainly more than 7 feet (2.13 m) wide. Another historic term for a narrow boat is a long boat , which has been noted in the Midlands and especially on the River Severn and connecting waterways to Birmingham. Usage has not quite settled as regards (a) boats based on narrowboat design, but too wide for narrow canals; or (b) boats
Wednesbury Old Canal - Misplaced Pages Continue
2688-620: The cost of haulage by 4d. per ton. Between 1825 and 1837 the navigation was improved between Spon Lane, Deepfield and Wolverhampton, saving a distance of six miles, which reduced the toll on coal by 9d per ton. At the same time the Titford Canal was constructed at a cost upwards of £200,000 (equivalent to £22,960,000 in 2023). The junction with the Warwick and Birmingham Canal was made under powers of an act of 1815 ( 55 Geo. 3 . c. xl). These improvements were all consolidated under
2752-433: The cruiser stern, allowing more comfortable operation of the boat in cold or inclement weather. A semi-traditional stern is a compromise to gain some of the "social" benefits of a cruiser stern, while retaining a more traditional design and providing some protection for the steerer in bad weather or in cooler seasons. As with the cruiser stern, the deck is extended back from the hatch and rear doors, but in this case most of
2816-656: The culverted road and, although inaccessible to boats, is now used for fishing, walking and is a valued wildlife habitat. Some modern sources mark the Ridgacre as starting at Ryder's Green Junction but this is not historically correct. The Wednesbury Canal was part of the first phase of the Birmingham Canal (the first around the Black Country or Birmingham ). It was authorised in the Birmingham Canal Navigation Act 1768 ( 8 Geo. 3 . c. 38) which authorised
2880-473: The deck is protected at the sides by walls which extend back from the cabin sides – giving a more sheltered area for the steerer and companions, usually with lockers to sit on. The engine is located under the deck, much like a cruiser, again allowing a separation between the cabin and the engine bay, with the steps down to the cabin being located past the false sides of the "semi-trad" social area. Semi-trad sterns can also be fitted with pram covers. A butty boat
2944-646: The eastern part of the Black Country . The BCN is connected to the rest of the English canal system at several junctions. It was owned and operated by the Birmingham Canal Navigation Company from 1767 to 1948. 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 . The earliest mention of
3008-524: The forward accommodation. Narrowboats are "Category D" boats under the Recreational Craft Directive , intended only for navigating inland - rivers, canals and small lakes - but under the professional supervision of a suitable local pilot , limited coastal passages linking inland waterways, such as along the tidal Severn Estuary between Bristol and Sharpness , can also be safely made in calm weather. Insurers will often require
3072-465: The hatchway edge, a high vantage point giving good all-round visibility. On trad boats, the bow "well-deck" forms the main outside viewing area, because the traditional stern is not large enough for anyone other than the steerer to stand on safely. Internally, trads may have an engine room forward of a traditional "boatman's cabin", or an enclosed engine tucked away out of sight and the increased living space this brings. The name for this style arises from
3136-414: The large open rear deck resembling that of the large rear cockpits common on glass-fibre ( glass-reinforced plastic or GRP) river cruisers which in turn derives from elliptical sterns used on cruisers and larger warships in the 20th century. At the stern, a "cruiser" narrowboat looks very different from traditional boats: the hatch and rear doors are considerably further forward than on a "trad", creating
3200-481: The last regular long-distance traffic disappeared in 1970. However, some traffic continued into the 1980s and beyond. Two million tonnes of aggregate were carried on the Grand Union (River Soar) between 1976 and 1996, latterly using wide beam barges. Aggregate continues to be carried between Denham and West Drayton on the (wide) Grand Union Canal and on the tidal estuary of Bow Creek (which is the eventual outflow of
3264-715: The later Tame Valley Canal . The Ridgacre Branch opened in 1826 and was 0.75 miles (1.21 km) in length. It ran from the Wednesbury at Swan Bridge Junction, a short distance north of the New Swan Lane / Black Country New Road roundabout. From it ran the Dartmouth Branch northwards and the Halford Branch southwards to collieries. The 'Island Line' – Thomas Telford 's BCN New Main Line cut in
SECTION 50
#17328013214013328-399: The main line Birmingham level at Pudding Green Junction and passes through a completely industrial landscape. At Ryders Green Junction the Walsall Canal begins its descent down the eight Ryder's Green Locks. Just before the locks Wednesbury Old Canal veers off and commences its meandering route through Swan Village and, originally, around the collieries. The canal beyond Swan Bridge Junction
3392-503: The main network is Salterhebble Middle Lock on the Calder and Hebble Navigation , at about 56 feet (17.07 m) long. However, the C&;H is a wide canal, so the lock is about 14 feet 2 inches (4.32 m) wide. This makes the largest "go-anywhere-on-the-network" narrowboat slightly longer (about 58 feet or 17.68 metres) than the straight length of the lock, because it can (with
3456-487: The network (perhaps with a fixed location for the coldest months, when many stretches of canal are closed by repair works or "stoppages"). A support infrastructure has developed to provide services to the leisure boats, with some narrowboats being used as platforms to provide services such as engine maintenance and boat surveys; while some others are used as fuel tenders, that provide diesel , solid fuel (coal and wood) and Calor Gas . On almost all narrowboats steering
3520-602: The network at a cost upwards of £100,000 (equivalent to £11,800,000 in 2023). From 1855 to 1858 the Netherton Tunnel and other improvements cost the company upwards of £350,000 (equivalent to £44,490,000 in 2023). In 1776, the Dudley Canal was authorized from Parkhead to the junction with the Stourbridge Canal. The Parkhead to Tipton Green section including Dudley Tunnel was made under
3584-495: The network. There are also stretches on their own levels. The BCN Society is a registered charity (number 1091760) formed in 1968, which exists to conserve, improve and encourage a wide range of interests in the BCN. It publishes a quarterly journal. Boundary Post . From 1983, it erected signposts at most of the canal junctions on the BCN. 52°28′39″N 1°54′32″W / 52.4776°N 1.9088°W / 52.4776; -1.9088 Narrowboat A narrowboat
3648-675: The now standard size were the canals designed by James Brindley and approved by Parliament in 1766, including the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal and Trent and Mersey Canal . Although construction took many years, the lock size became standard for many canal building projects. Boatmen's families originally lived ashore, but in the 1830s as canals started to suffer competition from the burgeoning railway system, families (especially those of independent single boat owner/skippers) began to live on board, partly because they could no longer afford rents, partly to provide extra hands to work
3712-544: The same width as narrowboats but based on other types of boat. Narrowboats may have ship prefix NB . The key distinguishing feature of a narrowboat is its width, which must be less than 7 feet (2.13 m) wide to navigate British narrow canals. Some old boats are very close to this limit (often built 7 feet 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 inches or 2.17 metres or slightly wider), and can have trouble using certain narrow locks whose width has been reduced over time because of subsidence . Modern boats are usually produced to
3776-433: The steerer to stand in safety on the top step, forward of the rear doors. (On a working boat, this step would have been over the top of the coal box). On cold days, the steerer can even close the rear doors behind themselves, and be in relative comfort, their lower body in the warmth of the cabin, and only their upper body emerging from the hatchway and exposed to the elements. In good weather, many trad-stern steerers sit up on
3840-404: The supervision of James Brindley from the, then, edge of Birmingham, with termini at Newhall Wharf (since built over) and Paradise Wharf (also known as Old Wharf) near to Gas Street Basin to meet the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal at Aldersley (north of Wolverhampton). It opened for business on 14 September 1772. The Birmingham Canal Navigation Act 1769 ( 9 Geo. 3 . c. 53)
3904-689: Was also known as the Balls Hill Branch . This part of the canal is now only open to boat traffic as far as the Black Country Spine Road , following the decision to build a new bridge which didn't allow enough headroom for boats to pass. In practice, even this section is badly overgrown and unlikely to be navigable throughout. The Wednesbury Canal is dry from this point, but the Ridgacre Branch continues, watered for most of its original length (without its branches) past
SECTION 60
#17328013214013968-537: Was obtained to construct the canal through a detached portion of the county of Shropshire, near Oldbury, and it included powers to make reservoirs anywhere within 3 miles between Smethwick and Oldbury. The Birmingham and Fazeley Canal , from Birmingham to Tamworth, followed in 1784 with the Birmingham Canal Company merging with the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal Company immediately, to form what
4032-579: Was originally called the Birmingham and Birmingham and Fazeley Canal Company . This cumbersome name was short-lived, and the combined company became incorporated as the Birmingham Canal Navigations Company from 1794, as the network was expanded. The Birmingham Canal Navigation Act 1794 ( 34 Geo. 3 . c. 87) authorized the extension from Broadwater to Walsall, and the short cut between Bloomfield and Deepfield, where
4096-579: Was re-established as a body corporate on 17 June 1835. It was taken over by the London and Birmingham Railway in 1846, and subsequently owned by the London and North Western Railway , then the London, Midland and Scottish Railway until 1 January 1948 when was it passed to the British Transport Commission . The BCN is built on three main levels, each with its own reservoir . These levels are linked by locks at various places on
#400599