Bromford Junction () is a
canal junction at the foot of the Spon Lane Locks where the Spon Lane Locks Branch meets the
BCN New Main Line
The BCN Main Line, or Birmingham Canal Navigations Main Line is the evolving route of the Birmingham Canal between Birmingham and Wolverhampton in England.
The name ''Main Line'' was used to distinguish the main Birmingham to Wolverhampton rout ...
near
Oldbury in the
West Midlands
West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth.
Etymology
The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
.
History
The location of the junction was originally on the
Wednesbury Canal, a branch of the Birmingham Canal which had been authorised by
Act of Parliament
Acts of Parliament, sometimes referred to as primary legislation, are texts of law passed by the Legislature, legislative body of a jurisdiction (often a parliament or council). In most countries with a parliamentary system of government, acts of ...
in 1768. Because there were collieries at Wednesbury, the branch and the section of the main line from it to Birmingham was opened first, in 1769, and a lucrative trade in coal developed. Between the junction site and Birmingham was a ridge of land, and the six Spon Lane Locks were situated to the east of the site, to raise the line from to the summit level of . At Smethwick, another six locks dropped the canal to the same level, known as the Birmingham Level. The rest of the main line left Spon Lane Locks between the third and fourth lock, at the Wolverhampton Level, and maintained that level to Wolverhampton, where it dropped through twenty locks (later increased by one) to reach the
Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal
The Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal is a navigable narrow canal in Staffordshire and Worcestershire in the English Midlands. It is long, linking the River Severn at Stourport in Worcestershire with the Trent and Mersey Canal at Haywoo ...
at
Autherley Junction
Autherley Junction () is the name of the canal junction where the Shropshire Union Canal terminates and meets the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal near to Oxley, north Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England.
History
The Staffordshire and ...
. This section was completed in 1772.
The locks up and over the Smethwick summit caused problems with congestion and with water supply, and in the 1790s, a new cut was made at the Wolverhampton Level, which removed the need for three of the locks at both ends of the summit. This did not alleviate the problem entirely, and in 1825 the engineer
Thomas Telford
Thomas Telford FRS, FRSE, (9 August 1757 – 2 September 1834) was a Scottish civil engineer. After establishing himself as an engineer of road and canal projects in Shropshire, he designed numerous infrastructure projects in his native Scotla ...
was commissioned to improve the main line. His canal, like others he built, cut across country in as straight a line as possible, using embankments, cuttings and tunnels where necessary to maintain a level. His new main line left the old one at Factory Locks, where three locks dropped the canal to the Birmingham Level, and followed a straight path to
Pudding Green Junction, where it intersected the Wednesbury Canal. The old line of that canal between the intersection and Bromford Junction was widened and straightened, and became part of the main line, leaving a shortened
Wednesbury Old Canal
Wednesbury Old Canal is part of the Birmingham Canal Navigations (BCN) in West Midlands (county), England. It opened in 1769, and although parts of it were abandoned in 1955 and 1960, the section between Pudding Green Junction and Ryder's Green ...
. To avoid the locks over Smethwick Summit, Telford built a huge cutting, up to deep in places, slightly to the south of the original line. The old line from the top of the remaining three locks at Spon Lane was carried over it at
Stewart Aqueduct
The Stewart Aqueduct (or Steward Aqueduct) in Smethwick, West Midlands (but formerly in Staffordshire), England carries the BCN Old Main Line Canal (1770) over the BCN New Main Line Canal (1828).
Alongside and above the New Main Line Canal i ...
. Two junctions were created to maintain the connections, Bromford Junction at the west end of the cutting and
Smethwick Junction
Smethwick Junction is a junction on the Birmingham to Worcester via Kidderminster Line. With Galton Junction, northbound trains on the West Coast Main Line's Rugby-Birmingham-Stafford Line can join the Birmingham to Worcester via Kidderminster L ...
at the east end. The bypass was opened on 18 December 1829, and when the new main line was completed, it reduced the length of
James Brindley
James Brindley (1716 – 27 September 1772) 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
Born i ...
's winding
contour canal A contour canal is an artificially-dug navigable canal which closely follows the contour line of the land it traverses in order to avoid costly engineering works such as boring a tunnel through higher ground, building an embankment over lower ground ...
by to .
Location
![Bromford Junction and Spon Lane bottom lock](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f5/Bromford_Junction_and_Spon_Lane_bottom_lock.jpg)
To the west, the canal is level for to the foot of Factory Locks, passing Pudding Green Junction and the Wednesbury Canal after . To the east it is level to its terminus at Worcester Bar, a distance of . The branch to Spon Lane Locks also heads east, running almost parallel to Telford's cut, and the bottom lock of the three is just a short distance along it.
There are two
cast iron
Cast iron is a class of iron–carbon alloys with a carbon content more than 2%. Its usefulness derives from its relatively low melting temperature. The alloy constituents affect its color when fractured: white cast iron has carbide impuriti ...
towpath bridges at the junction, both made at
Horseley Ironworks
The Horseley Ironworks (sometimes spelled Horsley) was a major ironworks in the Tipton area in the county of Staffordshire, now the West Midlands, England.
History
Founded by Aaron Manby, it is most famous for constructing the first iron stea ...
in Tipton. The one over the Spon Lane Locks Branch has an elliptical arch, with abutments made of brick and
sandstone
Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks.
Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...
dressings. Each side is made in two parts, which are bolted together. It carries the inscription "Horseley Iron Works 1829", and is a
grade II listed
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
structure. The bridge over the new main line is of similar design, but the lattice-work sides were manufactured in three sections, joined by bolts, the middle section of which carries the inscription "The Horseley Company Tipton 1848". The Spon Lane Locks are also grade II listed.
See also
*
List of canal junctions in Great Britain
This List of canal junctions in the United Kingdom is an incomplete list of canal junctions in the United Kingdom that have articles in Wikipedia, in alphabetical order.
See also
*Junction (canal)
*Canals of Great Britain
*History of the Br ...
*
List of canal aqueducts in Great Britain
This list of canal aqueducts in the United Kingdom covers aqueducts that have articles in Wikipedia. The actual number of canal aqueducts is much greater.
See also
* :Aqueducts in the United Kingdom
*Navigable aqueduct
*Canals of the Unite ...
*
List of canal basins in Great Britain
This List of canal basins in the United Kingdom is a list of articles about any canal basin in the United Kingdom.
Birmingham Canal Navigations
* Caggy's Boatyard, Tipton, on the BCN New Main Line
*Gas Street Basin, Birmingham, at the junc ...
*
List of canal locks in Great Britain
This is a selective list of canal locks in the United Kingdom which have unique features or are notable in some other way. This list is not comprehensive.
Gallery
Image:Bingley Five Rise Locks 1.JPG, Bingley Five Rise
Image:Bow Locks low tide ...
*
List of canal tunnels in Great Britain
This is a list of canal tunnels in the United Kingdom.
Listed by name
Navigatable adits and mine levels
An adit is a horizontal entrance to a mine:
Listed by canal Grand Union Canal
* Blisworth Tunnel, Northamptonshire
* Braunston Tunnel, ...
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
References
{{Birmingham Canal Navigations
Canal junctions in England
Birmingham Canal Navigations
Canals in the West Midlands (county)