The Old Main Line leaves the Main Line at Smethwick Junction. Within a short distance the first of the three Smethwick Locks is upon us. Just as you are about to enter the first lock, look to your right, a you will see a large pipe in the bridge supports. Around this pipe is the bricked up entrance to a second bottom lock with the entrance walls still obvious.

The second flight existed because this section of canal was so busy with boats supply coal etc to the large number of factories at the top that the extra flight was the only way of easing the congestion. The second flight and its canal were lost in the 1960's, the only evidence remaining being, what you are looking at and the footprint of the top lock next to the recently built replica of a toll house at the top of the flight.

On a wall next to the 2nd Top lock and toll house is a plaque with a photo that depicts the area as it once was. The photo on the plaque is blown up from the toll house site and shows that the original toll house was rectangular and not as now hexagonal. The latter shape is more representative of all the buildings on the many islands around the BCN.

At the top of the flight is the recently built replica of a BCN toll house. Next to that can be seen the footprint of the second lock talked off before. Society members seen cleaning graffiti off building prior to spraying with anti graffiti clear coating. The society has the lease to this structure, it being an orginal BCNS idea that only lacked funding. The funding and the idea was later put together and the Skill Centre housed in the nearby building across the Aqueduct used to complete the project. The buildings is as vandle proof as it can be made, and has been used at Christmas as a Grotto following a boat trip to see Santa run by the Heritage centre.

This scene is know much changed with a new housing development on your right where once stood an iron works. Wolverhampton via Oldbury is straight ahead, with the junction going off to your left taking the canal into the Engine Arm over an attractive aqueduct.

The arm is about half a mile long has a winding hole, long term moorings and a services block at is terminus. This whole arm was once in danger of being lost, its the reason the BCNS started its Bonfire Rally every November. In the early days (late 1970's and 80'S) the rally was held near to the Aqueduct with as many boats mooring along the arm. It was a real adventure in those days to travel to the end, and seldom was it achieved without many trips down the weed hatch. In those days the Skill centre was a Sandwell Community Centre and the building was used for the event. A bonfire with fireworks is still held every november with the aid off our Marquee that is erected on the car park. This Rally has saved the Arm and has become the last Rally of the year, it survives despite in an ever PC world fireworks being frown on and insurance costs that are going thro the roof. The event is know looked on by the surrounding community with great affection, and the society will continue to run it as long as funding can be found. A good fight fought and won and a piece of history preserved with know a viable future.

The arm is still connected to Edgbaston Reservoir by a culvert that runs along the top of a bank that can still be seen today on the Main line in the area of Winson Green junction. The ruins of an Old pump house are to be found in Bridge Street, they are preserved inside a modern factory structure, the site is part of a Canal Heritage centre, based at Brasshouse Lane, Smethwick, West Mids B66 1BA: For further info and viewing details ring 0121-558-8195 or see next section for web site.

On leaving the locks and the Engine Arm the canal starts to turn away from the Main Line that is in the cutting below. You are on the original level of the canal it being a contour canal following the lie of the land, hard to imagine today with the modern canal below you. Through the next bridge and a pump house is on your left between the two canals, a canal Heritage Centre is just off the canal at this bridge worth a visit if open (tel no 0121-558-8195 for opening times of both buildings).
For more details of the area and other heritage centre locations: www.smethwick-heritage.co.uk
This view of the pump house was taken one winters day from the old line, following a work party, icicles hanging from the bridge frame the pump house.

Ahead is the entrance to Summit Tunnel, a modern concrete tube and the sister to Galton Tunnel below on the Main Line, both tunnels support a embankment with a modern dual carriage on top.

On leaving the far end of Summit Tunnel we enter into a deep cutting seperated from the rest of the world. Everything is way above us or over the other side of a embankment, its hard to remember that you are in a large industrial city. This area once had a unique structure from our industrail past that was demolished in 2006, a large pre cast concrete structure showing many signs of decay stood in the trees, dwarfed itself by a large distribution warehouse behind. If you looked closely its purposes become clear, this used to be the one end of a long cable way of buckets from a coal mine, coal being emptied from buckets into its large structure. Metal coal chutes used to funnel the coal into waiting boats, the last remaining structure of the coal mining industry in Sandwell.

Well we will leave the above section in for interest but as anybody who views the canal press will already know in 2006 the above chutes were demolished. It was a classic way that structures like this are lost, many attempts over the years have been made to try and save or stabalise this structure but all came to nothing. The first anybody knew of the intended demolition was a stoppage notice on the Old Main Line issued by BW, this caused uproar in the local waterways groups and BW came in for a bit of bad press. After much debate and interest in the local press including TV the notice was cancelled. Various meetings resulted in English Heritage being involved and a full survey into the state of the structure conducted by them. Unfortunately this confirmed the worst that the structure was beyond saving and was becoming dangerous and in need of demolition. The structure was an example of an early concrete structure with a reinforced metal core, the metal being its downfall. Over the years water had soaked into the structure, caused the metal to rust, the metal in the rusting process expanding cracking the concrete. Today if such a structure was to be built, the metal would be rust proofed prior to the concrete being poured, but this not being done in the past the damaged had reached a stage where the structure would need to be demolished and completely rebuilt a very expensive option. However a full survey and recording of the structure and site have been made, so that future plans for the site can be made. The chutes were pulled down and the site is now as the new photograph.
Not the end of the story, the site had been a wharf prior to the above chutes being built, the concrete chutes replacing a previous timber structure. The wharf extends either side of the old structure and know that the site is cleared and safe to visit, it is the intention of local groups to clear the site by cutting back the under growth to explore the full extent of the wharf and hopefully reveal the full history of the wharf. Plans for the site may involve restoring the full lenght of the wharf and turning into over night off side moorings? Any features such as railway track, inclines etc will be preserved and made a feature. Out of a bad job it is hoped that this site will give a better picture of the history of coal mining in Sandwell, the site in the recent past and today being the last physical trace of that industry.

The motorway starts to close with the canal, with a church like steeple (Kendricks Factory) coming into view. The canal finally having run along the motor way for a time, enters into a eerie space beneath the supports of the road that straddle both sides of the track. Ahead is Spon Lane Junction.

We arrive at Spon Lane Junction the whole area being under the Motor way, the three locks in the Spon Lock flight will take you down to the Main Line and Bromford Junction.Its straight ahead for Oldbury and beyond. As everywhere old factory buildings have been demolished and new industrail buildings appear anew each time one passes through the section.

We continue still under the road way and enter an aqueduct "Stewart Aqueduct" that carries us over the Main Line before disappearing into a bridge hole with the railway line and motorway above us. Its a really remarkable place, the likes of which are only to be found on the BCN. The editor has stood for hours in this spot pondering a photo of a plane above a lorry that in turn is above a train and two boats one on each level. The problem being the spot from which to take the photo would probably have to be a helicoptor?

The canal know wanders through an industrial scene between the motorway supports. Old bridges from a time past like Blakeley Hall still exist dwarfed by the motorway above. The bridge leads to Blakeley Hall Road, in this area there was once a colliery by the name of Blakesley Hall. The canal finally leaves the motorway supports, only again to disappear under them again as we approach Oldbury Junction.

This area is steeped in canal history, many of the wharves and boat docks of famous canal carrying companies where here, know only a memory having been obliterated by the construction of the M5. At Oldbury Junction again totally incased under the M5, the Titford canal is entered if we turn right at the junction and climb the six Oldbury Locks.

Straight ahead and we pass a Canal Arm the Houghton or Chemical Arm (Oldbury Boat Services used to be here, and the birth place of Pheonix our workboat): Sadly the yard has closed (2007) and access from the Motorway side of the canal lost. It is hoped that in the future offside moorings may be provided for a safe overnight stop, but no access as the area beneath the motorway is controlled by the Highway's Agency. We finally leave the motor way behind, a community of boats at Valencia Wharf (Once the Les Allen boatyard: again sadly no longer building boats) is passed and the canal becomes straight with modern Oldbury to our right. Moor here, its very safe a large Sainsbury Store is behind McDonalds, a large Bingo hall is next to the canal. Oldbury High Street has P.O and Banks plus buses to all areas.

In 2006 the sheds at Valencia Wharf have been pulled down, the area is now a lorry park. Yet one more structure that was dedicated to the canal trade lost. Next door to the old wharf a new premises has opened a garden and Aquatics centre,the whole area has been tidied up with fountions and benchs and a new canal frontage with landing stage so passing boats can stop and browse. Right next to the canal is a cafe/restaurant serving the customers of the centre with refreshments, called the Valencia Wharf Cafe the title of Barges to Baquettes in just over ten years springs to mind as the yard finished building boats in 1997.

November 2008:- Rumour has it that the owners of the land the two arms at Valencia Wharf stand on, Hollaways Transport are planning to fill in the Arms and either park more lorries or even sell up. The Arms are private water so BW have little say in this plan but local Groups and BW are in the process of writing to Hollaways to object to the loss of yet one more piece of canal heritage. Hollaways themselves used to be canal carriers so it is strange that a company steeped in canal history should be destroying there own roots.
Although BW have no say in the matter they have involved the Local Authority Sandwell who have stated that the infilling of the Arms would require planning consent, and that no such application or consent has been made to date.
Boats are presently moored at the Wharf but it is understood have been given notice to quit. At a time when there a shortage of long term moorings on the BCN it seems strange that it is more profitable to fill in the arms?

The area around Oldbury was once a busy canal scene, many canal carriers and boat docks were grouped together. Today apart from Oldbury Boats and Valencia Wharf all the loops and wharfs have now gone, the canal passing through the area surrounded by a shopping centre, industry and housing most of which know turn their back on the canal. Between High Bridge and the next junction a loop used to come in from our right. The Oldbury Loop long gone started opposite Valencia Wharf, you can just see the junction if you study the brick work at the water line at the wharf. The loop went right thro the old town, canal street and the few odd sections of canal bed now walkways the only remaining link. Soon Bradeshalls Junction appears, the top of the Gower Branch, the canal continues under road bridges until we arrive at the Ryland Aqueduct that carries us over the Netherton Tunnel Branch, with the tunnel visible to our left.

Under a bridge and we are into Tividale Keys a modern housing development surrounding the canal that has been widened. The planners of this estate have built a new basin grouping the houses around it, it cries out for moored boats. Very few boats moor or stop here which is a shame as the area seems not to have fur filled its planners dreams.(BW are presently trying to obtain planning permission to moor boats in the basin)

After the next bridge the canal enters an area full of modern housing before entering an open area of old industrail spoil heaps and a new sports complex, both masked by trees. An old railway line crosses the canal, as the canal goes towards more houses.

Next the canal roams past the back gardens of some of the older housing in Tipton before arriving at Tipton Junction. Again this area was once the site of many of the early rallies held by the society and the Dudley Canal Trust when the future of the canals in the area especially around the Black Country Museum and Dudley Tunnel were less certain.

Left sharp turn at Tipton Junction and we enter an arm that takes us up to the Black Country Living Museum, there are moorings past large grey storage tanks that give access to the road. Under the road bridge, are more moorings in the museum ( access to the rest of the world by BW key from the amendity block side of the canal), entrance to the Dudley Tunnel are at the end of the moorings.
For more detials about the Black Country Living Museum visit: www.bclm.co.uk
You can wind a full length boat in the mouth of the arm with the lift bridge that goes into the museum well before the tunnel mouth.

Water points are along the wall at the back of the pub in the museum, along with a eslan point in the rear yard of the pub.(BW are to build a more modern block of amenties, opposite the pub?) Its a real pub "The Bottle and Glass" serving un gassed beer Bitter and Mild specially brewed for the musuem, that needs to be sampled.(Don't ask for lager they've never heard of the stuff in the Black Country).

And before leaving the site cross the street and have some Fish and Chips the way they used to be cooked, followed by cakes with icing suger all over them. Moor on the museum side for the day, pay an admission fee and visit the rest of the attractions. In the musuem is a fair, mine, transport musuem in the entrance block, restaurant plus numerous buildings mostly coal fire warmed, with attendants dressed in traditional clothes, its a good day out. Moor on the opposite side for nought, a gate in the road fence is by BW key that lets you visit some of the pubs in Tipton, you won't want to leave. Trips into Dudley Tunnel by electric boat can be taken from the tunnel mouth, modern boats need special permission to use the tunnel from the Dudley Canal Trust/BW. A gauge at the mouth of the tunnel decides if your boat can pass thro, you cannot use the engine so will have to leg it thro or be towed by a electric tug.
For more info about the Tunnel and the adjoining caverns visit: www.dudleycanaltrust.org.uk

From Tipton Junction if we don't turn into the Museum the canal passes houses and factories before entering a narrow section under a bridge. Beside the bridge is a cottage sandwiched between the canal, road and the bridge. The canal after the bridge leads into Victoria Gardens.
2008 The ever changing pace of change, the timber yard that once stood just before the cottage has gone. In its place are a line of new apartments, with the old office block to the timber yard having been preserved and restored as apartments.

In the gardens is a Statue to 'William Perry' the Tipton Slasher a bare knuckled boxing champion of yester year, for we are know in the epi-centre of Tipton. In this area another canal used to go to our right and connect to the Main line via three locks, lost in the 1960's. This created an island with Tipton at its heart that could not be entered without crossing an canal. At the next bridge the canal swings left past the Fountain Pub (Popular in days gone by with the crews of working boats) and then into an area of modern housing and other buildings.

A short run from the fountain takes us past new housing and then on to Factory Junction. Just before the junction is a small community of boats clustered around an old restored stable block.

Malthouse stables is know a community activity center and the home of Sandwells trip boat the "Aaron Manby". The two photographs of the stables one from Roy Kenn show the buildings before restoration, and one shows it in 2004 after an extension was added to house a modern meeting room. As can be seen in the last photo the new wharf has recently collapsed into the canal.

From Factory Junction the canal swings sharply under a road bridge and enters a scene dominated by the Beans Foundry ahead of us. The foundry wass still working in 2004, a rare site today as most canal side foundries have closed in this area. We pass close by to the working area with a large magnet on a crane jib loading scrap metal into the unit. Another bend and we enter an open section of land with the railway line closeby, with behind us views of the foundry.
Late 2005 this foundry closed, so yet another feature of the industrail nature of the BCN will go. It is thought that the area will change drastically and end up looking like anywhere else on the system, ie a canal with apartments everywhere.

Progress report Beans is still there in August 2006, but is begining to look very desolete. Apartments and housing have begun to get ever nearer. The view from Coseley looks on the face of it unchanged but note no smoke or sign of activity.

2008 July. Beans GONE.
Yet one more icon of the BCN industrial scene has disappeared. This part of the system will to many never be able to again capture the spirit of the BCN. Due to the credit crunch it will probably be open land for a few years. When the developers again raise thier heads it is hoped that if they build houses on this section they are just that real homes not another group of apartments design for a few to invest in rather than people ie families to live in. Or could they even build new industry/ or social/council houses?

Tree's mask any industry to our left and we seem almost to be in a rural area, an falsehood shattered by a express train thundering by. We pass under bridges that advertise shops in Coseley and enter a cutting that is tree lined, that takes us up to Coseley Tunnel, another tunnel with twin tow paths.
Navigation note:- Coseley tunnel can suffer from stone throwing youth. Both Portals have galleries above the tunnel made from the modern safety requirements for escape routes. During school terms it is advisable to not use the tunnel when the darlings are going to school, as the road above is a main school run. At any other times just be aware and take care entering or leaving the tunnel. Incidents are rare but have occurred.

Through the tunnel that has twin towpaths we enter a very straight section with houses on one side and grazing paddocks with the occasional horse. Just before Deepfields Junction is an Arm on our left, now over grown it looks like it should be full of boats.
Opposite is the Boat Inn, once a rare canal side pub on this section.
2008 looks sad has been closed for a year and is due for demolition, efforts have been made to save this old building that dates back to the working boat era, but the future of the building looks grim.

It once was being the home of Matty's boats that worked the BCN, a photogragph taken in the 1980's shows the site already run down. 2006 and yet one more change and loss of a part of our heritage. Mattys old arm stanked off and filled in with loories now parked where once there were boats.

Deep Fields Junction is reached and the Bradley Arm goes off to our right. A road high up crosses the canal with the railway line not far away, the canal passing through a urban nature park with houses backing onto the area.

The Bradley Arm or Wednesbury Oak Loop to give it its other title, lends off Deepfields Junction and today terminates two and a quarter miles from the junction at the BW workshops at Bradley. The canal once was full of industry, remnants still remain but most has been replaced by housing whilst the rest has reverted to open land.

The canal is feed with water from pumps at Bradley that drain flooded coal mines. The water is rich with nutriants that promote weed growth, as as result the canal beyond the winding hole up to the workshops suffers from weed growth. A boat moving through the weed is similar to a boat moving thro soup, the going is slow but possible.
Industry in 2004 was just about hanging on, but lost the fight the main factory being demolished in 2008

Once this canal gave access via other lost canals to both the Walsall canal and an alternative route back to Tipton. Numerous other canals ran off these routes the whole area being a mass of waterways, all know gone.

A chain across the canal prevents access to the very end of navigation but gives access to a basin part of the workshops. Phoenix is photograph in 2004 at this terminus, open land with horses grazing, and near the boat a picnic area with tables.The society/BW and others are exploring the merits of reopening the Bradley Locks Branch to Moorcroft Junction on the Walsall Canal descending thro nine locks. The line of the canal still exists with minimal building on the bed, with the lock chambers infilled but complete. The line would pass the work shops cross the road and make its way to Moorcroft. A society walk in March 2004 explored the route, with only the one bridge near to Bradley Workshops having lost its road hieght. See BCNS Photo Gallery Index for further details on this possible project

Deepfields Junction today is a very attractive area. The factories and railway surround the junction that has one of our signposts situated on the offside of the canal. When first put up the post was on the towpath side but suffered from a vandel attack some years ago. When the new factories were put up the sign post was moved to its present postion in the grounds of a factory. Today the junction has matured with the many trees planted by the factory owner masking the buildings from the canal.
The canal goes under the elevated section of a part of the Black Country Spine road, continuing through a semi rural corridor flanked by the railway and houses.

From Deepfields the Wolverhampton Level continues with the railway line on our right, but soon we cross under the line in the Bilston area. The surrounding scene is a mixture of new industrail units,old decaying factories, and new housing developments that use the canal as a feature. We again cross under the railway line and are destine to do this twice more before the line disappears into Wolverhampton Station.

After the railway the once total industrial scene has changed. Just before the Bilston Road Bridge on our right as we head towards Wolverhampton the removal of large old industrial buildings has opened up the canal to a church and other buildings. Today in 2008 the buildings are a long way away from the canal. One wonders after the effects of the credit crunch what kind of buildings will fill the gap up to the boundary of the canal

The rest of the area remains industrail and we finally cross under the Bilston Road bridge that carries the Metro line also into Wolverhampton City Centre. The canal is deep and a boat can make good progress along this section unless you pick up the dread plastic bag that can always lurk anywhere on the BCN to catch any traveller.

Immedaitely after the bridge is Chillington Wharf on our right, an interchange basin, still with its covered area intact. Only one basin now exists, once two basins stood here, the large grey gantry crane and structure stand on the old basin. The area around the wharf is used to store steel but the rail tracks are still there under a coating of shale. The society has tried in the past to get this structure restored, at one time attempting to get the site as its home prior to the pumphouse. The present owner's Scottish and Welsh Railways where very helpful in attempting to find a use for this site, but had to bow to the fact that as a rail terminal it was important to their business. The canal side structure however plays no part in that operation so the site became difficult as a mixed use site as the wharf was right in the middle of every day operations. The structure is listed but still has not been restored or been able to find a suitable commerial/canal/museum end user, that would safe guard this unique structure.

From Chillington the canal continues to pass through industry finally arriving at Horseley Fields Junction where the Wyrley & Essington Canal goes of to the right. Recently we lost a number of old warehouses that flanked the canal, today just one remains with new apartment type buildings surrounding it.

Just after the junction travelling towards the locks is a complex of buildings that are probably the last remaining orginal canal side structures. Wolverhampton has lost many building along this section over the years either by fire, vandalism of many kinds or just by neglect.
A line of scaffold racking hids a group of buildings at right angles to the canal. Once served by an arm and wharf but now isolated from the canal they are in use but are always in danger of being lost. The canal side building again is in use but looks neglected from the canal, as a group along with others we must not let these buildings that have always been canal related slide into the hands of careless re development.
Would it not be great to reinstate the arm/wharf for modern residentail boat use, for which thier is a great demand, bringing the buildings back to the canal.

Straight ahead and we pass under a car park that forms almost a tunnel. We reappear beside a busy main road with Wolverhampton Railway station above us to the right. This area of Wolverhampton is in the process of being changed but the feeling of being in a world cut off from city life is strong under the car park.

2008. The area just before the car park/tunnel, which it is rumoured that car park may also be re developed, has now been finished. The new apartments are no longer a building site and the old warehopuse factory section had been finished and blends as best it can with its surroundings

Ahead and just before Broad Street wharf are moorings both side of the canal. Towpath access is on the right hand side moorings whilst only access by boat moorings are on the left. A useful mooring if arriving late in the day and not wanting to get into the lock flight ahead.
All the normal boat services water, eslan, rubbish etc can be found in the BW Wharf.

Past the BW Broad street yard with its fine building fronting the canal(full services can be found in the arm), under one more road bridge and the top lock of Wolverhampton twenty-one is in front of us. Beside the lock is a row of cottages, with opposite an arm full of boats. Other buildings not canal related stand back from the canal mostly on the other side of the road making an attractive back drop to the canal.

Navigation Note: Like all lock flights on the BCN you will need a conservation or to give its real purpose an Anti vandel key to operate the winding gear at locks. The Wolverhampton 21 are slightly different in that ever lock on the flight is equipped with locks on all winding gear. Most other flights just have locks on the top and bottom locks.

To start down the locks takes us past industry and the busy railway line, the locks at first are grouped apart but are easy to work. Regular Police and warden patrols on bicyles will pass you on this flight, it does not mean there is a problem it just that its a pleasant beat for the boy's in blue.

One railway line disappears away to our right with others ahead of us on high bridges, the locks now crowd together dropping beneath main roads. The locks are easy to operate now but once used to be very heavy, we make good progress and begin to leave the industry behind. A large waste disposal depot is beside the canal about half way down with a useful refuse skip nearby. Close by also at a bridge next to the depot in the day time is a sandwich and drinks caravan, useful as by this point in the flight your breakfast or dinner are about used up in the energy department.

Towards the bottom of the flight the locks become spread out. The scene becomes almost rural especially beside Wolverhampton Horse Track. The Race Track is an all weather course and holds many evening meetings. Ice cream and other refreshments can be obtained from a cleverly position corner shop at the Stafford Road bridge near to locks sixteen and seventeen

One lock from bottom and we enter a lock with just one bottom gate, the rest of the flight having double mitred gates. This lock was added in the 1800's to remove the then very deep bottom lock. The bottom lock is in an attractive setting, and as an introduction to the BCN if this your entrance to the system it sets a good impression.

At the bottom lock we pass under an arched bridge and onto the Staffs & Worcester Canal at Aldersley Junction, leaving the BCN. Left to Stourport and the River Severn, right and we come to Autherley Junction( also known as Cut End) where a left turn takes you onto the Shroppie. And if this is the start of your journey onto the BCN remember as the sign on the bridge by the lock states. DON'T FORGET YOUR CONSERVATION KEY, without one you cannot proceed.

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