Cannock Extension Canal
Encyclopedia
The current Cannock Extension Canal is a 1.8 mile canal
in England. It runs from Pelsall Junction
on the Wyrley and Essington Canal
, north to Norton Canes Docks and forms part of the Birmingham Canal Navigations
.
It was opened to Rumer Hill Junction
in 1858 and its 5⅝ mile length fully open by 1863. The 4⅛ miles north of Watling Street
were abandoned in 1963.
A connection was made to the Hatherton Canal
, a branch of the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal
, at Churchbridge Junction via the Churchbridge Branch, which had thirteen locks. The Churchbridge Branch became disused around 1953 and the whole branch and Rumer Hill Junction were obliterated by opencast mining
.
In view of the destruction of the Churchbridge Branch, the Hatherton Canal restoration plan included a proposal for a Churchbridge bypass, which would create a link to Grove Basin, but environmental concerns and objections from landowners have resulted in a revised route being identified, which will link the canal to the Lord Hayes branch of the Wyrley and Essington Canal, a little further to the west than Pelsall Junction.
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
in England. It runs from Pelsall Junction
Pelsall Junction
Pelsall Junction is a canal junction at the southern limit of the Cannock Extension Canal where it meets the Wyrley and Essington Canal main line, near Pelsall, West Midlands, England.-See also:*Canals of the United Kingdom...
on the Wyrley and Essington Canal
Wyrley and Essington Canal
The Wyrley and Essington Canal, known locally as "the Curly Wyrley", is a canal in the English Midlands. As built it ran from Wolverhampton to Huddlesford Junction near Lichfield, with a number of branches: some parts are currently derelict...
, north to Norton Canes Docks and forms part of the Birmingham Canal Navigations
Birmingham Canal Navigations
Birmingham Canal Navigations is a network of navigable canals connecting Birmingham, Wolverhampton, and the eastern part of the Black Country...
.
It was opened to Rumer Hill Junction
Rumer Hill Junction
Rumer Hill Junction was a canal junction on the Cannock Extension Canal where the Churchbridge Branch left to join the Hatherton Canal. The junction, along with the northern section of the canal was abandoned in 1963...
in 1858 and its 5⅝ mile length fully open by 1863. The 4⅛ miles north of Watling Street
Watling Street
Watling Street is the name given to an ancient trackway in England and Wales that was first used by the Britons mainly between the modern cities of Canterbury and St Albans. The Romans later paved the route, part of which is identified on the Antonine Itinerary as Iter III: "Item a Londinio ad...
were abandoned in 1963.
A connection was made to the Hatherton Canal
Hatherton Canal
The Hatherton Canal is a derelict branch of the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal in south Staffordshire, England. It was constructed in two phases, the first section opening in 1841 and connecting the main line to Churchbridge, from where a tramway connected to the Great Wyrley coal mines...
, a branch of the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal
Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal
The Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal is a narrow navigable canal in the English Midlands, passing through the counties of Staffordshire and Worcestershire....
, at Churchbridge Junction via the Churchbridge Branch, which had thirteen locks. The Churchbridge Branch became disused around 1953 and the whole branch and Rumer Hill Junction were obliterated by opencast mining
Open-pit mining
Open-pit mining or opencast mining refers to a method of extracting rock or minerals from the earth by their removal from an open pit or borrow....
.
In view of the destruction of the Churchbridge Branch, the Hatherton Canal restoration plan included a proposal for a Churchbridge bypass, which would create a link to Grove Basin, but environmental concerns and objections from landowners have resulted in a revised route being identified, which will link the canal to the Lord Hayes branch of the Wyrley and Essington Canal, a little further to the west than Pelsall Junction.
Features
See also
- Canals of the United KingdomCanals of the United KingdomThe canals of the United Kingdom are a major part of the network of inland waterways in the United Kingdom. They have a colourful history, from use for irrigation and transport, through becoming the focus of the Industrial Revolution, to today's role for recreational boating...
- History of the British canal systemHistory of the British canal systemThe British canal system of water transport played a vital role in the United Kingdom's Industrial Revolution at a time when roads were only just emerging from the medieval mud and long trains of pack horses were the only means of "mass" transit by road of raw materials and finished products The...