Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Grand Union Canal is the backbone of the canal system - Britain's longest canal, joining
Britain's two largest cities - yet it was not named as such until 1929. It began life as at
least eight separate canals with William Jessop doing the major building work between 1793
and 1805. He completed the line, which avoided most of the winding Oxford Canal and the
Thames in poor condition, shortening the route to London by 100km, although there were
many locks. During the Second World War it became an important route for transporting
Birmingham arms equipment and coal to London, often by teams of three female workers
who, from their Inland Waterways (IW) badges, were nicknamed Idle Women. Freight car-
riage did not end until about 1970, later than on most canals, although there was a marked
decline after the severe winter of 1963.
The start was originally at the Warwick Bar, where it met the Digbeth Branch. In order
to relieve congestion in the city centre, the Birmingham & Warwick Junction Canal from
Bordesley Junction was opened in 1844 to meet the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal at Salford
Junction. The Tame Valley Canal was also built to the same point and opened at the same
time. These days the sky above the junction is dominated by Junction 6 of the M6 - Gravelly
Hill Interchange or Spaghetti Junction - as spurs loop in all directions. It is a long time since
this was the Old English Beormings ham , the village of Beorma's people.
The imposing church overlooking Camphill second lock .
The top lock raises the canal to the 16km long 117m level, the first of the canal's summit
levels. The top lock is also the last of the narrow beam ones. Once the smaller canals were
amalgamated it was decided to widen the whole route to broad beam in the 1930s as a work
creation scheme during the Depression. However, the final locks into the city were never con-
verted.
Smoke from the opposite side of the canal may be from the Birmingham Railway Museum,
which is based in a former Great Western Railway shed and has live steam with engines;
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