Wyrley and Essington Canal
Catshill Junction Bridge. The footbridge
crosses the start of the Rushall Canal and leads towards
Wolverhampton 18½ miles away.Taken looking North. Access via towpath
"The Spot"
footbridge that connects Clayhanger at Spot Lane (previously
Little Wyrley Road) with Brownhills. The current metal
structure replaced an earlier wooden footbridge.On the
right, at the end of Pier Street, was a canalside pub (The
Pier Inn and previously "The Fortunes of War")
used by working boaters up to the end of the 1950s. Pier
Street was named after the pier built into the canal for
loading and unloading.Taken looking NorthWest.
Access from Silver Street, Pier Street(pedestrianised) and Spot Lane(footpath).
An
overflow in winter and summer December 1984 (left) and
July 2001(right).Taken looking North.
(just North of "The Spot" footbridge)
Access via towpath
Brownhills
Canoe and Outdoor Centre The
Club state ... "We officially opened our
doors in June 2006 during the Brownhills Canal Festival
The Centre was built with funding from Active England (a
joint funding programme between Sport England and the Big
Lottery Fund), the European Regional Development Fund and
British Waterways.
Our aim is..'to provide a venue for the community of
Brownhills and the surrounding areas to take part in the
sport of canoeing and other outdoor recreational pursuits'
" (From their web site www.brownhillscanoecentre.com
)
Taken looking North - 16/07/2006.
main towpath on the left - short Silver Street towpath on
the right (Access via "The
Spot" footbridge or direct from
Silver Street)
Brownhills Basin
& wharfs (before housing development and the Brownhills Canoe and Outdoor Centre
arrived).Taken looking North.
Viewed from towpath (Access via "The Spot" footbridge or direct from Silver Street)
The Midland Railway bridge route from
Birmingham to Wolverhampton via Walsall was opened in
1879. To provide access to the coalfields in the
Chasewater area a branch line of about five miles was
planned from the "Sutton Park Line" at Aldridge
and the branch line serving Brownhills coal mines opened
to goods in November 1882.In 1962 goods services finally
withdrawn with the closure of local pits and the line
closed.General view taken looking East - close-up taken looking North.
Access via towpath
Coopers Bridge
carries a farm lane to Swingbridge Farm(disused) once run
by a Mr. Cooper. A earlier swing bridge crossed the canal
at this point, giving the name to the farm.Taken looking West.
Access from a rough lane for walkers from Pelsall Road or Clayhanger Common.
Rail bridge
- which did carry the South Staffordshire Railway to
Brownhills. The track bed is currently a walkway in
variable condition.Taken looking North.
Access via towpath - access from the track bed only for the brave.
Becks Bridge
(under Pelsall Road (A4124)) - bridge is dated 1997.Taken looking North.
Access via towpath - No Access from Pelsall Road.
Jolly Collier
Bridge - under Coppice Side. The Jolly Collier
public house was at the nearby corner of Coppice Side and
Pelsall Road.Taken looking West.
Access via steps to Coppice Side
Old South
Staffordshire Railway bridge now Beacon Way long
distance walk over canal. The view on the right shows an
alcove in brickwork of bridge to allow for planks to
block canal for drainage, etc.Taken looking West.
Access via towpath or steps from Beacon Way
The
Beacon Way - The sign dated 1997 reads "South
Staffordshire Railway 1858, Norton Branch, Closed 1975".
Sadly some of the people who get their fresh air and
exercise by walking the canals and closed railway lines
of the area also feel the need to test the strength of
anything they come across on their way.Taken from Beacon Way on bridge - looking East
Access along canal via steps or from Beacon Way.
Engine Lane BridgeThose who follow the Beacon Way north along the line of the railway will come to Engine Lane (footpath) to the left and Coppice Lane to the right. The bridge crosses the remains of the canal arm that connected the Wyrley and Essington Canal to the coal mines of Brownhills West.
High Bridge
Bridge Under Pelsall Road/Lichfield Road (A4124).
Also known as "the high bridges" as the locals
used to call them when the Pelsall Road crossed both the
canal and the adjacent railwayTaken looking Northeast, back towards Brownhills.
Access from Lichfield Road (A4124) via steps
"the high bridges" in December
1984 when the previous twin bridges were replaced. At the
time some of the older locals were worried that pile-driving
for the foundations would find a reputed unexploded bomb
from the Second World War - if the bomb was down there,
it is still down there, still unexploded!On the left taken looking Northeast back towards Brownhills. On the right taken looking Southwest towards Pelsall.
Gilpins Arm - the photo on the right is
the site of the start of the arm. Until a recent house
build, the other end of the arm could still seen as a
wide ditch at the side of Norton Road, opposite Green
Lane, Pelsall.Taken looking Northeast, back towards Brownhills.
Access via towpath.
Yorks Foundry Bridge - Under Lichfield
Road (A4124). The current bridge is a modern widening of
the original.On the left taken looking North. On the right taken looking South back towards Brownhills.
Access from Lichfield Road.
York's Bridge
- Under Norton Road (B4154). With the Royal Oak pub (Ansells)
to the left.Taken looking West.
Access from Norton Road (B4154) - around the back of the pub.
Pelsall Junction footbridge On the left taken looking West. On the right taken looking East back towards Brownhills from the bridge.
Access from Pelsall North Common.
Friar Bridge
- at the start of Cannock Extension branch.Taken looking North from Pelsall Junction.
Access from Pelsall North Common.
Pelsall Junction - Left onward to Wolverhampton.
Across the footbridge to the Cannock Extension branch.
Right back to Brownhills.