Thursday 30 November 2017

Gower Branch Canal

The Gower Branch Canal is a fairly late addition to the canal network and is only about 0.8km long.

The canal links the Birmingham New and Old Main Lines near Tividale and allowed easier access between the Old Main Line and the Netherton tunnel without having to make long detours.

Information
Opened: 1836
Route: Tividale, Sandwell
Distance: 0.8km
Status: Complete
The canal was authorised as part of the Birmingham Canal Act of 1768 however was not completed until 1836. It connects to the New Main Line at Albion Junction and is pretty straight up to Brades Hall Junction and the Old Main Line. The Gower Branch Canal has four locks to handle to height difference between the two canals, three of them being at Brades Hall Junction and two are a staircase lock. These are connected locks where leaving one lock enters you into the next.
Looking towards Brades Hall Junction

The canal is pretty straight

Brades Lock