Pensnett Canal facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pensnett Canal
One of the parts of the canal in water
Specifications
Length	1.25 miles (2.01 km)
Maximum height above sea level	473 ft (144 m) (Wolverhampton Level)
Status	Mostly infilled
History
Construction began	1839
Date completed	1840
Date closed	1950
Geography
Start point	Parkhead Junction
End point	Wallows Colliery Basin
Connects to	Dudley Canal

The Pensnett Canal, also known as Lord Ward's Canal, was a private canal about 1.25 miles (2 km) long. It is located near Brierley Hill in the West Midlands, England. The canal opened in 1840 and was used to move goods for the many businesses owned by Lord Dudley. Mathew Frost was the engineer who designed it.

After closing to boats in 1950, much of the canal has been covered by new buildings. However, a small part near where it meets the Dudley Canal was restored in 1995. The section that runs through Brierley Hill still has water, but it is not clean enough for boats.

The Canal's Story

Building the Pensnett Canal

In the early 1800s, the Earl of Dudley owned many mines. These mines produced coal, ironstone, limestone, and fireclay. Over time, the Earl's family wanted to control these mines more directly. When John William, the Earl of Dudley, passed away in 1833, his estate was managed by others.

In 1836, Richard Smith took charge of the mines. He decided to bring many of the leased properties back under the Earl's control. To do this, better ways to transport goods were needed. So, in 1839, people were asked to bid on building the private Pensnett Canal.

Matthew Frost, who owned a coal mine and was a builder, won the contract. His brother James also built canals. Work on the Pensnett Canal started by November 1839 and was likely finished in 1840. The canal was built at the same height as the Wolverhampton Level of the Birmingham Canal Navigations. It joined the Dudley Canal at Parkhead Junction, close to the Dudley Tunnel. There was also another private branch called the Grazebrook Arm.

How the Canal Was Used

The canal was 1.25 miles (2 km) long and had no locks. It ran from Parkhead Basin to Wallows Wharf. This helped serve the Earl of Dudley's Old Park and Wallows Collieries. It also connected to the northern part of his Round Oak Ironworks. A short railway line connected the ironworks to the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal. For most of its path, the Pensnett Canal ran next to the Dudley No. 1 Canal.

Even when railways became popular, the canal was used for about 100 years. There was a special dock at the end of the canal where goods could be moved between boats and trains. Many new businesses, like brickworks and coke ovens, were built along the canal.

The Hartshill Iron Works, which started in the late 1840s, was a very important customer. The iron goods from its factories were a big part of the canal's traffic. Many of these goods went to Wallows Wharf. The canal was also used by "railway boats" that carried iron goods to other parts of the Birmingham Canal Navigations. From there, the goods were loaded onto railway wagons.

The canal was also home to at least one boat-building yard. Samuel Horton owned this yard in Netherton. He built new iron and steel boats and repaired old ones. He was known for his good work. Horton also made other metal items like boilers and tanks.

The Canal's Later Years

Some parts of the canal stopped being used in the 1940s. However, the section leading to Harts Hill Iron Company was used until 1950. The canal was also known as Lord Ward's Branch. Lord Ward was another name for the Earl of Dudley. There is another branch with the same name near the Dudley Tunnel, which is now part of the Black Country Living Museum.

What Remains Today

Most of the Pensnett Canal cannot be used by boats anymore. Parts of it have been filled in, and many industrial buildings have been built on top of it.

A short part of the canal, now called Pensnett Basin, is still there. It runs between Parkhead Junction and an arch of the old Parkhead Viaduct. The Dudley Canal Trust bought this section in 1995. It was filled in at the time, but they dug it out and lined it with bricks. They also cleaned out the Grazebrook Arm and fixed the walking paths nearby.

Much of the canal in Brierley Hill town centre still has water. Some of this section is owned by the local council, and some by a private company. The water is known to be dirty from industrial waste and illegal dumping. In 2008, a study looked at what could be done with the canal. Ideas included doing nothing, filling it in, filling in only parts of it, or restoring the whole watered section. The report suggested that how the canal is treated could help new businesses grow in the area.

You cannot access most of the old canal directly. However, a public walking path follows a short part of its route between factories. You can also see where the canal used to be from several road bridges.

The Harts Hill Iron Works had about 40 boats that used the canal. One of their boats, made of iron in 1895, still exists. It was originally named Number 17, then became Number 18 and was called Bessie. Later, it was owned by another company and became their Number 112. After the factory closed in the 1970s, British Steel gave the boat to the Black Country Living Museum in 1976.

Interesting Places Along the Canal