The worcester and birmingham canal starline narrowboats. List of canal tunnels in the united kingdom wikipedia. Tunnel cottages kings norton birmingham history forum. By continuing to use our site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. This route will take you up the worcester and birmingham canal, past the droitwich canal, through hanbury wharf, past stoke prior and onto the tardebigge flight of locks. And were making the lighting in key tunnels better too. Although intended as a broad canal for barges and having five broad tunnels, it was eventually completed with narrow locks due to financial difficulties. The wast hills tunnel is a canal tunnel on the worcester and birmingham canal. Not really sure what they were there for, maybe the canal either the construction of the tunnel or they housed legging teams for the narrow boats. Worcester to birmingham canal cycling visit worcestershire. Consider a family canal boat holiday with these holiday ideas from travel editor david wickers. Getting onto and along the canal is easy too, with improvements at access points and the opening up of towpath gates and barriers. The worcester and birmingham canal links birmingham city centre with the river severn at worcester, this canal runs from gas street basins at city centre, down to bournville, passing cadbury world and birmingham university along the way where it meets the stratford canal at kings norton before heading out into the open countryside for a scenic trip to worcester.
Tardebigge locks or the tardebigge flight is the longest flight of locks in the uk, comprising 30 narrow locks on a twoandaquartermile 3. The canal links birmingham with worcester, but the route remains surprisingly rural and the occasional presence of the m42 and m5 motorways is never overly intrusive. The worcester and birmingham canal is a canal linking birmingham and worcester in england. The canal climbs 428 feet from worcester to birmingham. Ldwa long distance paths worcester and birmingham canal walk w midlands, worcestershire we use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. It starts in worcester, as an offshoot of the river severn and ends in gas street basin in birmingham. With 58 locks in all and five tunnels, its well suited to energetic crews, or those who dont mind taking their time. The route includes several aqueducts, 7 tunnels and 105 locks can be done in 7 nights or a more relaxing 14 nights. We were formed in 1969 to promote the restoration, conservation and improvement of the canal and adjacent waterways for the use and benefit of the public. The canal leaves the river severn at diglis basin in the heart of the city of worcester. It connects the second largest city in britain, birmingham with a million inhabitants, to worcester, with about 100,000.
Kings norton junction grid reference sp052794 is the name of the canal junction where the stratforduponavon canal terminates and meets the worcester and birmingham canal at kings norton, birmingham, england. Droitwich ring from worcester 41 locks, 20 hours cruising this new ring can be cruised again for the first time in 90 years. Worcester to birmingham canal walking visit worcestershire. This area again is very peaceful and scenic, a surrounding of farmland and grazing sheep, giving you a feeling of stepping back in time to a more relaxed era. Take to the water on the worcester and birmingham canal. It starts in worcester, as an offshoot of the river severn just after the river lock and ends in gas street basin in birmingham. The canal terminates at gas street, the vibrant, regenerated centre of canal life in. At the droitwich junction youll head south, continuing on the worcester and birmingham canal past hammonds bridge and towards the dunhampstead tunnel, 230 yards long. It raises the waterway 220 feet 67 m, and lies between the tardebigge tunnel to the north and the stoke prior flight of six narrow locks to the south. Julia bradbury walks along the worcester and birmingham canal, the highlight of which is a twomile flight of 30 locks which lower it by 220 feet. Good housekeeping explores the worcester and birmingham canals in search of a.
The canal intersects with 2 other canals, meeting the stratforduponavon canal at kings norton junction and meeting the droitwich canal at hanbury. The worcester and birmingham canal, some thirty miles long, was created from 1791, when it was authorised by act of parliament, to 1815 when it was completed 24 years later. Theres a hidden underground world beneath birmingham. The worcester and birmingham canal is for the active or canal enthusiast as it includes 58 locks, including the famous tardebigge flight of 30 locks in 2 miles, tunnels and swing bridges. Its southern portal is in fields just outside the citys boundaries, in worcestershire. I think there were two cottages that sat just above the southern portal of wasthill tunnel on the worcester and birmingham canal on wasthill lane just before the junction with lea end lane. The worcester and birmingham canal connected the black country to the sea by providing a link to the river severn, opening trade routes to the world. The dudley canal tunnel is reported open to traffic on 15th october. There are three tunnels on our route today but the rest of the journey is lock free and should be. Boating holidays from worcester marina worcestershire. Birmingham s famous markets are only a short walk from the canal, and there are also art galleries, museums, theatres and dizzy opportunities for shopping too. The worcester and birmingham canal company wanted to build a canal to link the river severn at worcester to the factories of birmingham.
The tardebigge locks is the longest flight in the uk comprising of 30 locks between stoke prior and tardebigge tunnel length 580 yards. From kings norton, we stratford canal for now and head onto the worcester and birmingham canal. Work began on the canal in birmingham in 1792 and it finally reached. The worcester and birmingham canal links the river severn at worcester and the heart of the city of birmingham. The birmingham canal navigations many people wouldnt think of spending their holidays cruising beneath city streets, past the backyards of factories and industrial estates and alongside busy railway lines, but the amazing network of canals, junctions, locks and tunnels left over from the industrial revolution has a fascination all of its own. Sapperton canal tunnel wikimili, the best wikipedia reader. Worcester and birmingham canal slideshow and snap shots of my journey down the canal from the mailbox in birmingham to wast hill tunnel south portal, kings norton. Worcester and birmingham canal canalsonline magazine. Cycling the worcester and birmingham canal geotrips. The worcester and birmingham canal runs from the centre of birmingham through beautiful country side to the the heart of the cathedral city of worcester.
Read more cycling is a great way of seeing the network of canals and rivers and getting some exercise at the same time. Worcester and birmingham canal canal cycling section. Although intended as a broad canal for barges, and having five broad tunnels, it was eventually completed with narrow locks due to financial difficulties. The worcestershire and birmingham canal, some thirty miles long, was created from 1791, when it was authorised by act of parliament, to 1815 when it was completed 24 years later. From gas street basin at the birmingham end, it passes through the suburbs of edgbaston, selly oak and kings norton, then through the long west hill tunnel, and via hopwood and alvechurch through countryside to tardebigge, all this section being on the birmingham level.
The worcester and birmingham canal was opened throughout 1815 and connected birmingham directly to worcester. There are 58 locks in total on the canal, including the 30 tardebigge locks, one of the largest lock flights in europe. The droitwich canals, the southern part of the worcester birmingham canal and the river severn north of worcester. Promoting the upkeep of the canals to ensure that the heritage is. Tunnel canal length designer coordinates notes image ashford tunnel. It leaves the severn via the diglis locks and climbs steadily upwards through pretty countryside and via a huge flight of locks called the tardebigge flight. The worcester and birmingham canal runs between the cities of worcester on the river severn and birmingham, in the centre of england.
Its pretty easy to see why the original builders had no trouble making this part of the canal wide enough for barges. The city of worcester is located on the worcester and birmingham canal overlooked by the 12th century worcester cathedral. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more. Browse content similar to the worcester and birmingham canal. The worcester and birmingham canal company wanted to build a canal to link the river severn at worcester to the factories of birmingham and the black country. History of the tunnels the dudley canal and tunnel trust. Working in partnership with canal and river trust, we have resurfaced over 50km of canal towpath in the city with a clean, welldrained, grippy grit surface. For further information on attractions and places to visit starline narrowboats offers guide books and maps for sale on the bookings form. The worcester and birmingham canal is an interesting one, which has many challenges and which demands a lot of hard work from the canal boat hire people who venture along its course. Geotrips cycling the worcester and birmingham canal worcester and birmingham canal a cycle ride from birmingham, sat, 20 apr 20 by philip halling. As tunnels became more widespread, so they began to develop from the early narrow, minelike structures.
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