The Wyrley and Essington Canal

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Warning! - The following access details were correct at the time of my walk - but may have now changed.

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Virtual Walks-4 Daw End Branch and Rushall Canal
leaves the Wyrley and Essington Canal at Catshill Junction and runs to Hay Head at Longwood Junction and then along the Rushall Canal to its junction with the Tame Valley Canal.
Visit the Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust web site to find out about the Trust that was formed in 1988 and is a registered charity. It campaigns for the restoration of the "Lichfield Canal" (as the closed section of the W&E between Ogley and Huddlesford is now called) and also the Hatherton Canal through the Cannock / A5 area. It promotes the restoration as public amenities for boating, angling, walking, cycling etc. and raises funds to carry out physical restoration work.
------ (More Photos in my Flickr album - Daw End Branch Canal) ------
DR020 Catshill Junction Bridge.
In the right foreground is the toll halt at the start of the branch.

location - https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=52.64097&mlon=-1.92797#map=18/52.64097/-1.92797

Taken looking North.

Access via towpath

DR030 Toll halt This divided the canal into two halfs with a centeral island. In this 1982 picture the left hand route is already overgrown through lack of use.

¼ furlongs from Catshill Junction
https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=52.64060&mlon=-1.92820#map=18/52.64060/-1.92819

Taken from Catshill Junction Bridge footbridge looking South.

Access via towpath

DR040 Clayhanger Bridge (old)
This 1993 view taken just before rebuilding of the bridge

1½ furlongs from Catshill Junction
https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=52.63951&mlon=-1.93121#map=18/52.63951/-1.93121

Left - Taken looking West toward Brownhills.

Right - Taken looking east toward Walsall Wood.

Access via Clayhanger Road

DR040 Clayhanger Bridge The new bridge is dated 1994. The overflow in right foreground ensures that the waterlevel of the canal does nor rise too high.

1½ furlongs from Catshill Junction
https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=52.63951&mlon=-1.93121#map=18/52.63951/-1.93121

Taken looking West.

Access via Clayhanger Road

DR060 Blackcock Bridge (old span)
This section of the canal does pass through an area of some subsidence resulting from the old workings of the Walsall Wood Collery. The roof of the "Black Cock Inn" pub (in the distance, on the right) is level with the towpath - once the front door step was level with the canal - so an urban myth says!

7 furlongs from Catshill Junction
https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=52.63080&mlon=-1.93543#map=18/52.63080/-1.93543

what3words /// The simplest way to talk about location

Photos taken - 1/12/2020.

Access via Camden Street/Green Lane/Hall Lane.

DR060 Blackcock Bridge - new span 2022

Lefthand photo looking south

righthand photo looking north

7 furlongs from Catshill Junction
OpenStreetMap

what3words /// The simplest way to talk about location

Photos taken - 27/8/2022.

Access via Camden Street/Green Lane/Hall Lane.

DR070 Walsall Wood Bridge

1 mile and 2½ furlongs from Catshill Junction
https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=52.62489&mlon=-1.93441#map=18/52.62489/-1.93441

Left photo taken looking South.

Right photo taken looking North. Photo taken - 7/6/2022

Access via Walsall Road/High Street via steps.

DR080 Hollanders Bridge (old span)

1 mile and 3¾ furlongs from Catshill Junction
https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=52.62292&mlon=-1.93556#map=18/52.62292/-1.93556

what3words /// The simplest way to talk about location

Taken looking South.

Access to the towpath from the bridge - Bridge open to pedestrians only - Road access from Boatmans Lane or East end of Queen Street.

DR080 Hollanders Bridge (new span)

1 mile and 3¾ furlongs from Catshill Junction
https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=52.62292&mlon=-1.93556#map=18/52.62292/-1.93556

what3words /// The simplest way to talk about location

Taken looking South. Photo taken - 7/6/2022

Access to the towpath from the bridge - Bridge open to pedestrians only - Road access from Boatmans Lane or East end of Queen Street.

DR090 Latham's Bridge dated 1982.

1 mile and 4¼ furlongs from Catshill Junction

The new mural from October 2022

Taken looking West.

Access from Boatmans Lane

 

https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=52.6219&mlon=-1.9360#map=16/52.6219/-1.9360

what3words /// The simplest way to talk about location

DR100 Aldridge Marina - Brickyard Road, Aldridge, Walsall, WS9

1 mile and 6½ furlongs from Catshill Junction
https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=52.61833&mlon=-1.93431#map=17/52.61833/-1.93431

what3words /// The simplest way to talk about location

Taken looking West - 8/10/2022.

Access from Brickyard Road and via Northywood Bridge

 

DR110 Northywood Bridge - also known as Homers Bridge

1 mile and 6¾ furlongs from Catshill Junction
https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=52.61794&mlon=-1.93465#map=17/52.61794/-1.93464

what3words /// The simplest way to talk about location

Taken looking south - 8/10/2022.

Access from Brickyard Road and footpath from Stubbers Green Road

 

DR120 Barnfield Bridge - site of adjacent footbridge and rail bridge

2 miles and 1¼ furlongs from Catshill Junction
https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=52.61411&mlon=-1.93126#map=17/52.61411/-1.93126

DR130 Aldridge Wharf Bridge where Stubbers Green Road passes over the canal.

2 miles and 4½ furlongs from Catshill Junction
https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=52.60909&mlon=-1.92781#map=17/52.60910/-1.92782

DR140 Tongues Meadow Bridge Narrows - Site of Tongues Meadow Bridge

2 miles and 6 furlongs from Catshill Junction
https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=52.60634&mlon=-1.92777#map=17/52.60634/-1.92777

DR150 Hopley's Bridge carries Dumblederry Lane over the canal

3 miles from Catshill Junction
https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=52.60574&mlon=-1.93290#map=17/52.60575/-1.93290

DR160 Middlemore Lane Pipe Bridge

3 miles and 1 furlong from Catshill Junction
https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=52.60388&mlon=-1.93435#map=17/52.60388/-1.93434

DR170 Linley Lodge Industrial Estate - Destination of oil from Ellesmere Port in the 1960s

3 miles and 2½ furlongs from Catshill Junction
https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=52.6044&mlon=-1.9368#map=16/52.6044/-1.9368

DR180 Brawn'sWorks Bridge carries Radley Road over the canal

3 miles and 6¾ furlongs from Catshill Junction
https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=52.60703&mlon=-1.94888#map=17/52.60703/-1.94888

DR190 Winterley Bridge carries Winterley Lane over the canal

4 miles and ¼ furlongs from Catshill Junction
https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=52.60571&mlon=-1.95265#map=17/52.60572/-1.95266

DR200 Daw End Bridge carries Daw End Lane/ Daw End/ Bosty Lane

4 miles and 2¼ furlongs from Catshill Junction
https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=52.60270&mlon=-1.95295#map=17/52.60271/-1.95296

DR210 The Boathouse Public House

4 miles and 2¼ furlongs from Catshill Junction
https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=52.60249&mlon=-1.95351#map=17/52.60250/-1.95350

DR220 Manor Arms Public House

4 miles and 2¾ furlongs from Catshill Junction
https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=52.60154&mlon=-1.95389#map=17/52.60155/-1.95389

DR230 Walsall to Sutton Coldfield Railway Aqueduct

4 miles and 4 furlongs from Catshill Junction
https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=52.59984&mlon=-1.95304#map=17/52.59984/-1.95305

DR240 Riddian Bridge carries a farm lane over the canal

4 miles and 6½ furlongs from Catshill Junction
https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=52.59606&mlon=-1.94854#map=17/52.59606/-1.94854

Taken looking north-west. Photo taken - 29/7/2021

DR250 Longwood Bridge carries Aldridge Road over the canal.

5 miles and 2¼ furlongs from Catshill Junction
https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=52.59092&mlon=-1.94227#map=17/52.59092/-1.94228

Taken looking south. Photo taken - 29/7/2021

DR260 Longwood Junction. The meeting of the Daw End Branch with the Hay Head arm and the Rushall Canal (to the right).

The Rushall Canal that runs 2 miles and 6½ furlongs down 9 locks to meet the the Tame Vally Canal under the M6/M5 motorway interchange at Ray Hall, Walsall.

5 miles and 2¾ furlongs from Catshill Junction
https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=52.59047&mlon=-1.94235#map=17/52.59047/-1.94234

Taken looking south. Photo taken - 29/7/2021

DR270 Hay Head Wood (nature reserve) in Longwood Lane includes the remains of the canal.

There is little sign of the removed Hay Head Bridge in Longwood Lane at https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=52.58883&mlon=-1.94099#map=17/52.58882/-1.94099

Taken looking east. Photo taken - 29/7/2021

The link then runs straight all the way to the Tame Vally Canal.
DR300 Lock 1 first of "the Mosses Two"

Location - https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=52.58949&mlon=-1.94280#map=17/52.58949/-1.94282

Taken looking south. Photo taken - 29/7/2021

DR310 Canal cottage - BCN number 93

Location - https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=52.58949&mlon=-1.94299#map=18/52.58949/-1.94299

Taken looking west. Photo taken - 29/7/2021

DR320 Lock 2 – second of "the Mosses Two" with Moat Bridge in the distance.

Location - https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=52.58832&mlon=-1.94331#map=17/52.58832/-1.94330

Taken looking south. Photo taken - 29/7/2021

DR330 - Moat Bridge
DR340 - Sutton Road Bridge.
DR350 - Gillity Bridge (carries a footpath over the canal?)
DR360 - Lock 3
DR370 - Fiveways Bridge carries Park Hall Road over the canal
DR380 - Lock 4
DR390 - the cannal then passes under Sargent's Hill/Birmingham Road
DR400 - Lock 5
DR410 - Lock 6
DR420 - Lock 7
DR430 - Bell Bridge carries WalsteadRoad over the canal
DR440 - Lock 8
DR450 - Lock 9
DR460 - Shustoke Bridge carries farm lanes/footpaths ? over the canal
DR470 - Hill Farm Bridge
DR480 - Biddleston Bridge
DR490 - M6 Motorway Bridge
DR500 - Rushall Junction Bridge
DR510 - and on the junction with the Tame Valley Canal.

------ (More Photos in my Flickr album - Daw End Branch Canal) ------

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V1.8 - 11 October 2022 ---- recommended resolution (1366 x 768)

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