Catshill Junction facts for kids

Catshill Junction is a special place where two important canals meet! It's a "canal junction" located in the West Midlands, England, close to a town called Brownhills. This junction is where the main route of the Wyrley and Essington Canal connects with the northern end of the Daw End Branch Canal. Think of it like a crossroads for boats!

How Catshill Junction Began

Building the Wyrley and Essington Canal

The story of Catshill Junction starts in 1792. That year, a special law called an Act of Parliament was passed. This law allowed the Wyrley and Essington Canal to be built. The first plan was to connect coal fields near Wyrley and Essington to the town of Wolverhampton. There was also a plan for a smaller branch to Walsall.

But before the first canal was even finished, the company got another law passed in 1794. This new law allowed them to extend the canal further east. This extension went through Pelsall and reached more coal mines near Brownhills. This is close to where Catshill Junction is today. The canal then continued to a place called Ogley Junction. From there, it would go down 30 locks to reach Huddlesford Junction. Huddlesford Junction was part of the Coventry Canal.

Opening the Daw End Branch

The 1794 law also allowed several smaller branches to be built. One of these was the Daw End Branch. This branch was made to serve limeworks at Hay Head. The Daw End Branch left the main canal line right at Catshill Junction.

The main part of the canal was finished in 1797. But there were problems getting enough water for it. A reservoir dam even broke in 1799. These issues were fixed by 1800. That's when the Chasewater Reservoir was completed. This reservoir sent water into the canal at Ogley Junction. The Hay Head branch, and so Catshill Junction, also opened in 1800.

Changes Over Time

The limestone quarries that the junction served were very large. People thought they would never run out of limestone! However, by 1809, they weren't being used much. This meant fewer boats used the junction. But by 1822, the quarries were busy again.

Catshill Junction became even busier after 1847. This was when the Rushall Canal was built. It connected the southern end of the Daw End Branch to the Tame Valley Canal. This was one of many new links between the Wyrley and Essington Canal and the Birmingham Canal Navigations system. These two canal companies had joined together in 1840.

Where Catshill Junction Is Today

Canal Levels and Connections

Most of the Wyrley and Essington Canal, including Catshill Junction, was built on a specific level. This level is about 473 feet (144 meters) above sea level. It's known as the Wolverhampton Level.

From Catshill Junction, the Wyrley and Essington Canal goes east and then north. It reaches Anglesey Basin, near Chasewater Reservoir, after about 2.4 miles (3.9 km). It passes Ogley Junction after about 0.9 miles (1.4 km). The locks at Ogley Junction were closed in 1954. But people are working to restore them! This section of the canal is now called the Lichfield Canal.

To the west, the canal stays level for about 15.3 miles (24.6 km). It connects with the BCN Main Line at Horseley Fields Junction. The BCN Main Line also stays on the same level.

The Daw End Branch and Towpaths

At Catshill Junction, the towpath is on the south side of the Wyrley and Essington Canal. A special bridge carries the towpath over the Daw End Branch. The Daw End Branch goes south from the junction. It stays level for about 5.3 miles (8.5 km). Then it joins the Rushall Canal at Longwood Junction. The Rushall Canal then goes down through nine locks.

Nature Around the Junction

The area west of the junction used to be open heathland. It was part of the Royal Forest of Cannock. Sadly, much of it was covered with coal waste and rubbish in the 1950s. But parts of it have been cleaned up.

The area right next to the junction is what's left of Clayhanger Common. It's a marshy grassland. This means willow and birch trees, as well as heather, have grown there. This Common is now a special place for nature. It's called a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation. This means it's protected because of its important plants and wildlife.