Birchills Junction facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Birchills Junction |
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Birchills Junction with the Walsall Canal passing through the bridge to the right.
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| Specifications | |
| Status | Open |
| Navigation authority | Canal & River Trust |
| History | |
| Date completed | 1798 |
| Date closed | 1799 |
| Date restored | 1841 |
Birchills Junction is a special place where two canals meet. It's like a crossroads for boats! This junction is found in the West Midlands, England, near the town of Walsall.
It connects the Walsall Canal with the main line of the Wyrley and Essington Canal. Birchills Junction first opened in 1798. However, it closed down just a year later. It was reopened in 1841 after a new connecting canal link was built. This link joined it to another important canal network, the Birmingham Canal Navigations.
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Birchills Junction: A Canal Crossroads
A canal junction is a spot where two or more canals join together. Think of it as a roundabout or intersection for boats. These junctions were very important in the past. They allowed boats to switch from one canal to another. This helped them travel to different towns and carry goods across the country.
The Story of Birchills Junction
The history of Birchills Junction is quite interesting. It shows how canals changed over time.
Early Days and Closures
The Wyrley and Essington Canal was approved by a special law in 1792. This law, called an Act of Parliament, allowed the canal to be built. Its main goal was to move coal from mines in Wyrley and Essington. This coal was needed in towns like Wolverhampton and Walsall.
The main canal line went from the coal fields to a place called Sneyd Junction. From there, it continued west to join the Birmingham Canal Navigations. A separate branch of the canal was built from Sneyd Junction towards Birchills.
In 1794, another law was passed. This allowed a new canal section to be built from Birchills to Brownhills. This route passed through towns like Bloxwich and Pelsall. The Wyrley and Essington main line opened on May 8, 1797. The northern branch to Walsall, which included Birchills Junction, opened in 1798.
Around the same time, another canal was being built in stages to the south. This southern route to Walsall opened in June 1799. After this, the northern branch, including Birchills Junction, was hardly used. It was even blocked off and became dry for many years.
Reopening and New Connections
For a long time, the junction remained unused. But things changed after the Wyrley and Essington Canal joined with the Birmingham Canal Navigations. In 1841, a short new canal link was built. This link had eight locks, which are like water elevators for boats.
This new link connected the southern and northern canal branches. It created a full route for boats to travel through. Birchills Junction became busy again in 1841. Today, the canal south of Birchills Junction is usually called part of the Walsall Canal.
Where is Birchills Junction?
Birchills Junction is an important spot on the canal network. From the junction, the Wyrley and Essington Canal stretches west. It is level for about 8 miles (13 km) until it reaches Horseley Fields Junction. There, it connects with the main line of the Birmingham Canal Navigations.
Exploring the Area
Going the other way from the junction, the canal passes under Green Lane Bridge. This bridge carries the A34 road over the canal. The canal stays level for about 9.3 miles (15 km) towards Chasewater Reservoir.
Just over 1 mile (1.6 km) from the end is Ogley Junction. This was once part of the main canal line to Huddlesford. That route was closed in 1954. However, a group is working to restore it as the Lichfield Canal.
The walking path next to the Wyrley and Essington Canal is on its southern side. This path crosses over the very start of the Walsall Canal. Soon after, Stephenson Avenue Bridge crosses the canal. Then, the canal goes over an aqueduct. An aqueduct is like a bridge that carries water over something else, like a road or, in this case, a former railway line.
After about 0.4 miles (0.6 km), you reach the first lock of the eight Walsall Locks. These locks lower the canal's water level by about 65 feet (20 m). At the bottom of these locks is Walsall Junction. Here, the Walsall Canal continues straight, and a short branch called the Walsall Town Arm turns to the east.
