Wyrley and Essington Canal

The Wyrley and Essington Canal is a canal in the Midlands of England. As built it ran from Wolverhampton to Huddlesford near Lichfield, with a number of branches: some parts are currently derelict. Pending planned restoration to Huddlesford, the navigable mainline now terminates at Ogley Junction near Brownhills.

The canal was built to allow transport of coal from mines near Wyrley and Essington to Wolverhampton and Walsall, but also carried limestone and other goods. An Act of Parliament received the Royal Assent on 30 April 1792, entitled "An Act for making and maintaining a navigable Canal from, or from near, Wyrley Bank, in the county of Stafford, to communicate with the Birmingham and Birmingham and Fazeley Canal, at or near the town of Wolverhampton, in the said county; and also certain collateral Cuts therein described from the said intended Canal".

As the act's name suggests, this authorised the construction of the canal from the mainline of the Birmingham Canal Navigations (which would not be known as such until 1794) near Wolverhampton to Wyrley Bank, and the raising of up to £45,000 to pay for construction. William Pitt was appointed engineer.

A second act received Royal Assent on 28 March 1794, entitled "An Act for extending the Wyrley and Essington Canal" – this authorised a long extension, from Sneyd (thus making the line from Sneyd to Wyrley Bank effectively a branch) past Lichfield to Huddlesford on the Coventry Canal, together with the raising of up to £115,000 to complete construction. The section of this extension from Ogley Junction to Huddlesford is now known as the Lichfield Canal and is derelict but under restoration.

The canal, including the extension, was open throughout by 1797.

In common with other canals in the Midlands, it was built as a "narrow" canal, that is, able to take boats approximately 70 feet by 7 feet (21.3 metres by 2.1 metres).

The canal was lock-free from the Birmingham Canal mainline at Horseley Fields for 16.5 miles (26.5 kilometres), after which there were 30 locks descending to Huddlesford over a further 7 miles (11.3 kilometres).

Branches

A number of branches were constructed:

• the section of the original mainline from Sneyd to Wyrley Bank, later considered a branch, was opened in 1798, some 2.2 miles (3.6 kilometres) long with five locks: this was later extended to serve more mines, eventually being 3.5 miles (5.6 kilometres) long. This branch was abandoned in 1954.
• the Birchills Branch was opened in 1798, 2.1 miles (3.4 kilometres) long
• a branch off the Sneyd to Wyrley Bank line was opened in 1800, 0.7 miles (1.1 kilometres) long with four locks
• the Daw End Branch from Catshill Junction to limestone quarries and limeworks at Hay Head was also opened in 1800, some 5.4 miles (8.7 kilometres) with no locks
• Lord Hay's Branch was 14 miles (22.5 kilometres) with no locks: this branch has been abandoned
• the Anglesey Branch from Ogley Junction: built as a feeder in 1800 to carry the main source of water for the canal from Chasewater Reservoir, it was upgraded to navigable status in 1850 as new mines opened in the area: coal continued to be transported along the branch from Anglesey Basin until 1967. The end of this branch is the furthest north it is currently possible to travel on the Birmingham Canal Navigations.
• the Gilpins, Slough and Sandhills arms, all now abandoned

Takeover

The canal was bought by the Birmingham Canal Navigations in 1840.

See also

• Canals of the United Kingdom
• History of the British canal system