Engine Arm
Encyclopedia
The Engine Arm or Birmingham Feeder Arm near Smethwick
, West Midlands
, England
, is a short canal built by Thomas Telford
in 1825 to carry water from Rotton Park Reservoir (now called Edgbaston Reservoir
) to the Old Main Line of the BCN Main Line
Canal.
The nearby Smethwick Engine
(1779) was built to pump water from below the six locks (Smethwick flight) at the eastern end of the Smethwick Summit back to the summit level. Another engine at the western end reclaimed water from use at the Spon Lane locks.
In the 1780s, a cutting was constructed by John Smeaton
, enabling three of the six locks on each side of the Smethwick Summit to be removed.
When, in the 1820s, Thomas Telford cut his deeper, straighter New Main Line of the Birmingham Canal it ran close to the existing James Brindley
and John Smeaton Old Main Line near Smethwick
Summit.
The Engine Arm was built to bring water from Rotton Park Reservoir and also to connect the Smethwick Engine, which was used to pump water from the Birmingham Level of the canal to the Smethwick Summit (Wolverhampton Level) of the Old Main Line.
The Engine Arm was made navigable in 1830 between the Smethwick Summit of the Old Main Line canal and Engine Arm Basin, just beyond the Smethwick Engine
a few hundred metres away so that boats could carry coal to the engine. Beyond Engine Arm Basin a culvert, the Birmingham Feeder, which ran parallel to the New Main Line at the top of the southern embankment, was a second feeder which brought water from Rotton Park Reservoir, supplementing an earlier feeder which followed a level contour route. The culvert is open for a part of its run along the canal but is covered where it runs through built-up places.
The branch crossed the New Main Line via Telford's cast iron Engine Arm Aqueduct
, a Scheduled Ancient Monument
.
The original Smethwick Engine, at the corner of Rolfe Street and Bridge Street North was replaced in 1892 by a newer engine at Brasshouse Lane bridge, and its excavated foundations are also a Scheduled Ancient Monument,
Smethwick
Smethwick is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, in the West Midlands of England. It is situated on the edge of the city of Birmingham, within the historic boundaries of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire....
, West Midlands
West Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, is a short canal built by Thomas Telford
Thomas Telford
Thomas Telford FRS, FRSE was a Scottish civil engineer, architect and stonemason, and a noted road, bridge and canal builder.-Early career:...
in 1825 to carry water from Rotton Park Reservoir (now called Edgbaston Reservoir
Edgbaston Reservoir
Edgbaston Reservoir, originally known as Rotton Park Reservoir and referred to in some early maps as Rock Pool Reservoir, is a canal feeder reservoir in the Ladywood district of Birmingham, England...
) to the Old Main Line of the BCN Main Line
BCN Main Line
The BCN Main Line, or Birmingham Canal Navigations Main Line describes the evolving route of the Birmingham Canal between Birmingham and Wolverhampton in England....
Canal.
The nearby Smethwick Engine
Smethwick Engine
The Smethwick Engine is a steam engine made by Boulton and Watt; brought into service in May 1779.Originally, it was one of two engines used to pump water back up to the summit level of the BCN Old Main Line canal at Smethwick, not far from the Soho Foundry where it was made...
(1779) was built to pump water from below the six locks (Smethwick flight) at the eastern end of the Smethwick Summit back to the summit level. Another engine at the western end reclaimed water from use at the Spon Lane locks.
In the 1780s, a cutting was constructed by John Smeaton
John Smeaton
John Smeaton, FRS, was an English civil engineer responsible for the design of bridges, canals, harbours and lighthouses. He was also a capable mechanical engineer and an eminent physicist...
, enabling three of the six locks on each side of the Smethwick Summit to be removed.
When, in the 1820s, Thomas Telford cut his deeper, straighter New Main Line of the Birmingham Canal it ran close to the existing James Brindley
James Brindley
James Brindley was an English engineer. He was born in Tunstead, Derbyshire, and lived much of his life in Leek, Staffordshire, becoming one of the most notable engineers of the 18th century.-Early life:...
and John Smeaton Old Main Line near Smethwick
Smethwick
Smethwick is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, in the West Midlands of England. It is situated on the edge of the city of Birmingham, within the historic boundaries of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire....
Summit.
The Engine Arm was built to bring water from Rotton Park Reservoir and also to connect the Smethwick Engine, which was used to pump water from the Birmingham Level of the canal to the Smethwick Summit (Wolverhampton Level) of the Old Main Line.
The Engine Arm was made navigable in 1830 between the Smethwick Summit of the Old Main Line canal and Engine Arm Basin, just beyond the Smethwick Engine
Smethwick Engine
The Smethwick Engine is a steam engine made by Boulton and Watt; brought into service in May 1779.Originally, it was one of two engines used to pump water back up to the summit level of the BCN Old Main Line canal at Smethwick, not far from the Soho Foundry where it was made...
a few hundred metres away so that boats could carry coal to the engine. Beyond Engine Arm Basin a culvert, the Birmingham Feeder, which ran parallel to the New Main Line at the top of the southern embankment, was a second feeder which brought water from Rotton Park Reservoir, supplementing an earlier feeder which followed a level contour route. The culvert is open for a part of its run along the canal but is covered where it runs through built-up places.
The branch crossed the New Main Line via Telford's cast iron Engine Arm Aqueduct
Engine Arm Aqueduct
The Engine Arm Aqueduct near Smethwick, West Midlands, England, was built in 1825 by Thomas Telford to carry a water feeder, the Engine Arm, from Edgbaston Reservoir over the BCN New Main Line canal to the adjacent and parallel Old Main Line...
, a Scheduled Ancient Monument
Scheduled Ancient Monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a 'nationally important' archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorized change. The various pieces of legislation used for legally protecting heritage assets from damage and destruction are grouped under the term...
.
The original Smethwick Engine, at the corner of Rolfe Street and Bridge Street North was replaced in 1892 by a newer engine at Brasshouse Lane bridge, and its excavated foundations are also a Scheduled Ancient Monument,
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...