Birmingham Canal Navigations

The Birmingham canal navigations were built to service the industries of Birmingham and still to this day provide a fairly comprehensive transport system for the area providing about 100 miles of navigable canals from the 160 or so miles which were available at one time.The origins of the navigations started in 1768 with the building of the Birmingham canal under the guidance of James Brindley , this ran from Newhall wharf ( build over) and Paradise Wharf (or Old Wharf nr Gas Street Basin) to Aldesley  where it met the Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal. This was followed by the Birmingham and Fazeley canal in 1784 which reached out to Tamworth, with the Birmingham Canal Company and the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal Company merging to form the Birmingham, Birmingham and Fazeley Canal Company, which was quickly renamed as the Birminhamg Canal Navigations (BCN)
The full compliment of the canal network including:

BCN Main Line (originally known as the Birmingham Canal) from Aldersley Junction (north of Wolverhampton) to Gas Street Basin (at the Worcester Bar in central Birmingham), using some of the Old Main Line canal. Old Main Line, originally terminating in Birmingham at two wharfs now built upon: Old Wharf (adjacent to Gas Street Basin) and Newhall Wharf. New Main Line, a revised route for the Birmingham Canal, double towpathed, largely progressing in straight lines using cuttings and tunnels.
Bentley Canal
Birmingham and Fazeley Canal (from Old Turn Junction (by the National Indoor Arena), eastwards to the Coventry Canal at Fazeley Junction)
Digbeth Branch Canal
Bradley Locks Branch
Dudley Canal
Bumble Hole Branch Canal (part of a bypassed loop) Dudley Canal Line No 1 (see also Dudley Tunnel) Dudley Canal Line No 2 (about half dewatered; see also Lapal Tunnel; Netherton Reservoir) The Two Locks Line (infilled)
The Engine Arm
Gower Branch Canal - linking the Birmingham and Wolverhampton levels, via three locks, at Tividale.
Netherton Tunnel Branch Canal
Rushall Canal
Soho Branch Loop Line (an old circuitous route cut off by Telford's improvements, originally with a branch, the Soho Branch to Soho Wharf, serving the Soho Manufactory)
Spon Lane Locks Branch (between Bromford Junction and Spon Lane Junction on the Old Main Line - 3 locks, part of the original Wednesbury Canal, not to be confused with Spon Lane Branch, another name for Tat Bank Branch on the Titford Canal)
Titford Canal
Tame Valley Canal (a later canal cutting off some northern meanders)
Walsall Canal (a more modern canal connecting the main line with Walsall and forming a big northern loop with the Wyrley and Essington Canal) Anson Branch Walsall Branch Canal (Town Branch)
Wednesbury Oak Loop (part of the original Old Main Line, now incomplete)
Wednesbury Old Canal - part of the original Wednesbury Canal
Ridgacre Branch
Wyrley and Essington Canal (bought by the Birmingham Canal Navigations in 1840) Anglesey Branch
Birchills Branch
Cannock Extension Canal
Daw End Branch Canal
Lord Hay's Branch (Lords Hayes Branch) (abandoned)