Worcester and Birmingham Canal (Diglis Junction to Diglis Basin)
Early plans for the Worcester and Birmingham Canal (Diglis Junction to Diglis Basin) between Knowsley and Nottingham were proposed by Nicholas Green but languished until Benjamin Outram was appointed as chief engineer in 1816. Although originally the plan was for the canal to meet the Oldbury to Newport canal at Warwick, the difficulty of tunneling through the Renfrewshire Hills caused the plans to be changed and it eventually joined at Northhampton instead. Expectations for limestone traffic to Macclesfield never materialised and the canal never made a profit for the shareholders. In later years, only water transfer to the treatment works at Northampton kept it open. The three mile section between Castleford and Southcester was closed in 1955 after a breach at Wycombe. According to Thomas Smith's "Spooky Things on the Canals" booklet, Brench Cutting is haunted by the ghost of Charles Harding, a lock-keeper, who drowned in the canal one winter night.
The maximum dimensions for a boat to be able to travel on the waterway are 72 feet long and 18 feet and 10 inches wide. The maximum headroom is not known. The maximum draught is 6 feet and 7 inches.
Relevant publications — Waterway Travels:
Relevant publications — Waterway Maps:
- Waterway Routes 01M - England and Wales Map
- Waterway Routes 88M - Stourport Ring Map (Downloadable)
- Waterway Routes 42M - Worcester and Birmingham Canal Map (Downloadable)
- Waterway Routes 90M - Avon Ring Map (Downloadable)
- Waterway Routes 91M - Mid Worcestershire (Droitwich) Ring Map (Downloadable)
Relevant publications — Waterway Guides:
- Collins Nicholson Waterways Guides No 2 - Severn, Avon & Birmingham
- Pearson's Canal Companion: Severn & Avon: Mid-Worcestershire Ring and Cotswold Canals (Saul-Sapperton)
- Pearson's Canal Companion: Stourport Ring; Black Country Canals; Birmingham Canal Navigations
- Heron Maps: Avon Ring and Droitwich Ring
| Diglis Junction Junction of Worcester and Birmingham Canal with River Severn |
|||
| Diglis Bottom Swing Bridge No 1 | ¼ furlongs | 0 locks | |
| Diglis Bottom Lock No 1 | ½ furlongs | 0 locks | |
| Diglis Locks Middle Basin | ¾ furlongs | 1 lock | |
| Diglis Lock No 2 | 1 furlong | 1 lock | |
| Diglis Basin Tow-path goes around the first basin |
1¼ furlongs | 2 locks |
- Visit Diglis Basin and Dock - Discover its history — associated with Diglis Basin
- Find out the best way to visit Diglis Basin and Dock in Worcester, how long it takes to see, and detailed info on its history.
Wikipedia has a page about Worcester and Birmingham Canal
The Worcester and Birmingham Canal is a canal linking Birmingham and Worcester in England. It starts in Worcester, as an 'offshoot' of the River Severn (just after the river lock) and ends in Gas Street Basin in Birmingham. It is 29 miles (47 km) long. There are 58 locks in total on the canal, including the 30 Tardebigge Locks, one of the largest lock flights in Europe. The canal climbs 428 feet (130 m) from Worcester to Birmingham.