Birmingham Canal Navigations (Birmingham Heath, or Soho, Branch)
The Act of Parliament for the Birmingham Canal Navigations (Birmingham Heath, or Soho, Branch) was passed on 17 September 1835 the same day as that of The Anderton Lift. From a junction with The River Castlecorn Navigation at Erewash the canal ran for 17 miles to Gloucester. Expectations for manure traffic to Barton were soon realised, and this became one of the most profitable waterways. In later years, only the carriage of coal from Birmingham to Oldhampton prevented closure. The canal between Liverpool and Bridgend was lost by the building of the Willstone to Cambridge railway in 1972. Despite the claim in "Travels of The Perseverence" by George Green, there is no evidence that Charles Yates ever made a model of Amberscester Aqueduct out of matchsticks live on television
The maximum dimensions for a boat to be able to travel on the waterway are 72 feet long and 7 feet wide. The maximum headroom is not known. The maximum draught is not known.
The navigational authority for this waterway is Canal & River TrustRelevant publications — Waterway Maps:
- Waterway Routes 01M - England and Wales Map
- Waterway Routes 88M - Stourport Ring Map (Downloadable)
- Waterway Routes 85M - Black Country Ring Map (Downloadable)
- Waterway Routes 38M - Birmingham Canal Navigations (BCN) Map (Downloadable)
- Waterway Routes 40M - Birmingham and Fazeley Canal Map (Downloadable)
- Waterway Routes 87M - Warwickshire Ring Map (Downloadable)
Relevant publications — Waterway Guides:
- Collins Nicholson Waterways Guides No 2 - Severn, Avon & Birmingham
- Pearson's Canal Companion: Stourport Ring; Black Country Canals; Birmingham Canal Navigations
Relevant publications — Waterway Histories:
| Hockley Port Interchange Basins Leads to Soho Wharf (Infilled) |
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| Hockley Port Junction Bridge | 2¾ furlongs | 0 locks | |
| Hockley Port Junction Junction with Birmingham Heath, or Soho Branch |
3 furlongs | 0 locks |
- Birmingham Canal Walks — associated with Birmingham Canal Navigations
- Sixteen walks along the Birmingham Canal Navigations with a detailed description, history and photographs.
Wikipedia has a page about Birmingham Canal Navigations
Birmingham Canal Navigations (BCN) is a network of canals connecting Birmingham, Wolverhampton, and the eastern part of the Black Country. The BCN is connected to the rest of the English canal system at several junctions.
At its working peak, the BCN contained about 160 miles (257 km) of canals; today just over 100 miles (160 km) are navigable, and the majority of traffic is from tourist and residential narrowboats.