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Tame Valley Canal
Tame Valley Canal
	Perry Barr top lock and keepers cottage No 86, seen in 2007
Specifications
Length	8.5 miles (13.7 km)
Status	Navigable
History
Date of act	1839
Geography
Connects to	Walsall Canal; Birmingham and Fazeley Canal

Tame Valley Canal

Legend

Tame Valley Junction (Doe Bank Junction), Walsall Canal

A41 road

Aqueduct over River Tame

South Staffordshire line at Golds Hill Wharf

West Midlands Metro

A4031 (Walsall Road)

Hateley Heath Aqueduct (over Hydes Road)

Navigation Lane Aqueduct

Grand Junction Aqueduct over Chase line

and Tame Bridge Parkway station

Aqueduct over M5 motorway slip road

Aqueduct over River Tame

Toll island

Rushall Junction, Rushall Canal

M5 motorway slip road

A4041 (Newton Road)

Chimney Bridge, Green Lane (iron footbridge, 1844)

Gorse Farm (Hamstead Wharf) bridge

Pier island near Hamstead Wharf

Spouthouse Lane aqueduct

Piercy aqueduct

Freeth bridge (Tower Hill bridge) (now footbridge)

A34 road

Perry Barr locks 1, 2 and lock-keepers' cottages

Perry Barr Locks Bridge (cast iron footbridge, 1841-1844)

Perry Barr locks 3-7

Perry Reservoir (underground pipe)

M6 motorway

Perry Barr locks 8-9

Perry Barr Wharf (site of)

Perry Barr locks 10

A453 road

Perry Barr lock 11

M6

A4040 road

Perry Barr lock 12

Perry Barr lock 13

A38(M) motorway and Gravelly Hill Interchange↑

Cross-City Line↑

Toll island↑

End of Tame Valley Canal↑

Birmingham & Fazeley Canal (to Birmingham), Salford Junction↑

Grand Union Canal, Salford Junction↑

Birmingham & Fazeley Canal (to Fazeley)

↑ = section under Gravelly Hill Interchange

The Tame Valley Canal is a relatively late (1844) canal in the West Midlands of England. It forms part of the Birmingham Canal Navigations. It takes its name from the roughly-parallel River Tame.

Geography

The canal runs from Tame Valley Junction where it joins the Walsall Canal near Ocker Hill and Toll End, and terminates at Salford Junction where it meets the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal and the Grand Union Canal. It is 8.5 miles (13.7 km) long and has twin towpaths throughout.

Between Tame Valley Junction and Rushall Junction it goes under the West Midlands Metro near Wednesbury and crosses over the former Grand Junction Railway (now part of the Chase Line) by aqueduct, near Tame Bridge Parkway railway station (an unusual case of the railway pre-dating a neighbouring canal).

It passes over the M5 motorway near the interchange with the M6 motorway (M6 junction 8) and joins the Rushall Canal at Rushall Junction, inside the triangle formed by the motorway junction. East of Rushall Junction the canal passes under another arm of the M5. At Hamstead the remains of a wharf can be seen, This served the former Hamstead Colliery. Further east, there are two more aqueducts (Spouthouse Lane and Piercy, the latter over the Old Walsall Road), and a deep cutting in 200-million-year-old sandstone, under Freeth Bridge (now restricted to pedestrians and bikes only) at Tower Hill. There are no locks on this section, which is at the Walsall Level, but it passes over eight aqueducts within five miles (seven of which are original).

The thirteen Perry Barr Locks, where the level drops 106 feet, start just beyond the A34. The original lock keepers cottages remain. Between locks 1 (the top lock) and 2 the canal is crossed by the Grade II listed Perry Barr Locks Bridge,^[1] a cast-iron foot bridge with brick pillars, dating from 1844. In the adjacent Perry Park, after lock 7 and near Alexander Stadium, is Perry Reservoir^[a], a 27,300 m³ (35,700 cu yd) feeder reservoir completed in 1880^[2] and fed by Holbrook, a tributary of the Tame that rises near Barr Beacon. From there, the canal passes under the M6, and then down the remaining Perry Barr locks. Between locks nine and ten is the site of Perry Barr Wharf, extant in the 1950s but now filled in. The canal passes under the M6 twice more, including Gravelly Hill Interchange (Spaghetti Junction), shortly after which it terminates, at Salford Junction.

History

The canal was authorised by Act of Parliament in 1839 and built by the Birmingham Canal Navigations. Construction started in 1841 and it opened on Wednesday 14 February 1844.^[3] Its engineers were James Walker and Alfred Burges the company engineers.^[4] The resident engineer was Mr. Horne, the contractors were Treadwell, Jackson and Bean for the principal part of the works, and Mr. Townshend for the portion near Tipton.^[4]

Features

Point	Coordinates (Links to map resources)	OS Grid Ref	Notes
Tame Valley Junction	52°32′24″N 2°02′07″W / 52.5400°N 2.0354°W / 52.5400; -2.0354 (Tame Valley Junction)	SO976936	0.0 miles
A41 road	52°32′24″N 2°02′06″W / 52.5401°N 2.0349°W / 52.5401; -2.0349	SO977936
Gold Hill Wharf (approx, site of)	52°32′28″N 2°01′40″W / 52.5412°N 2.0278°W / 52.5412; -2.0278 (Gold Hill Wharf (approx, site of))	SO981937	0.4
Midland Metro	52°32′34″N 2°01′08″W / 52.5429°N 2.0188°W / 52.5429; -2.0188 (Midland Metro)	SO987939	0.7
Holloway Bank Wharf (site of)	52°32′42″N 2°00′40″W / 52.545°N 2.011°W / 52.545; -2.011 (Holloway Bank Wharf (site of))	SO992941	1.0
Chase Line crossing	52°33′04″N 1°58′30″W / 52.5512°N 1.9750°W / 52.5512; -1.9750 (Chase Line crossing)	SP016948	2.7
M5 motorway aqueduct (west arm)	52°33′06″N 1°58′17″W / 52.5517°N 1.9713°W / 52.5517; -1.9713 (M5 motorway aqueduct(west arm))	SP019949	2.9
River Tame	52°33′05″N 1°57′58″W / 52.5513°N 1.9661°W / 52.5513; -1.9661 (River Tame)	SP022948	3.1
Rushall Junction	52°33′01″N 1°57′23″W / 52.5504°N 1.9565°W / 52.5504; -1.9565 (Rushall Junction)	SP029947	3.5
M5 motorway (east arm)	52°32′59″N 1°57′20″W / 52.5498°N 1.9555°W / 52.5498; -1.9555 (M5 motorway (east arm))	SP030947	3.6
High Bridges, Newton Road (A4041)	52°32′38″N 1°56′54″W / 52.5438°N 1.94832°W / 52.5438; -1.94832 (High Bridges, Newton Road (A4041))	SP035940	4.0 Original bridge replaced circa 1967, when the road was made a dual carriageway
Chimney Bridge	52°32′34″N 1°56′50″W / 52.5427°N 1.9471°W / 52.5427; -1.9471 (Chimney Bridge)	SP035939	4.1
Hamstead Wharf and basin (site of)	52°32′20″N 1°56′25″W / 52.5389°N 1.9403°W / 52.5389; -1.9403	SP038936	4.4
Spouthouse Lane Aqueduct	52°32′15″N 1°56′06″W / 52.5374°N 1.9349°W / 52.5374; -1.9349 (Spouthouse Lane Aqueduct)	SP044933	4.7
Piercy Aqueduct	52°32′10″N 1°55′49″W / 52.5360°N 1.9302°W / 52.5360; -1.9302 (Piercy Aqueduct)	SP047931	5.0
Freeth Bridge	52°31′59″N 1°55′13″W / 52.5331°N 1.9203°W / 52.5331; -1.9203 (Freeth Bridge)	SP054928	5.4
A34 road	52°31′57″N 1°54′56″W / 52.5326°N 1.9155°W / 52.5326; -1.9155 (A34)	SP057927	5.6
Perry Barr Top Lock (1)	52°31′57″N 1°54′52″W / 52.5326°N 1.9144°W / 52.5326; -1.9144 (Perry Barr Top Lock (1))	SP061927	5.6
Perry Barr Lock 2	52°31′58″N 1°54′45″W / 52.5327°N 1.9126°W / 52.5327; -1.9126 (Perry Barr Lock 2)	SP059928	5.7
Perry Barr Locks Bridge	52°31′57″N 1°54′43″W / 52.5326°N 1.9120°W / 52.5326; -1.9120 (Perry Barr Locks Bridge)	SP061928	5.7
Perry Barr Lock 3	52°31′58″N 1°54′39″W / 52.5327°N 1.9109°W / 52.5327; -1.9109 (Perry Barr Lock 3)	SP060928	5.8
Perry Barr Lock 4	52°31′58″N 1°54′33″W / 52.5327°N 1.9091°W / 52.5327; -1.9091 (Perry Barr Lock 4)	SP061928	5.8
Perry Barr Lock 5	52°31′58″N 1°54′26″W / 52.5328°N 1.9073°W / 52.5328; -1.9073 (Perry Barr Lock 5)	SP062928	5.9
Perry Barr Lock 6	52°31′58″N 1°54′20″W / 52.5328°N 1.9056°W / 52.5328; -1.9056 (Perry Barr Lock 6)	SP064928	6.0
Perry Barr Lock 7	52°31′58″N 1°54′14″W / 52.5329°N 1.9039°W / 52.5329; -1.9039 (Perry Barr Lock 7)	SP065928	6.1
Perry Reservoir	52°31′55″N 1°54′09″W / 52.5320°N 1.9024°W / 52.5320; -1.9024 (Perry Reservoir)	SP066927	6.2
M6 motorway	52°31′58″N 1°54′00″W / 52.5328°N 1.9000°W / 52.5328; -1.9000 (M6)	SP067928	6.3
Perry Barr Lock 8	52°31′54″N 1°53′46″W / 52.5318°N 1.8961°W / 52.5318; -1.8961 (Perry Barr Lock 8)	SP070927	6.4
Perry Barr Lock 9	52°31′51″N 1°53′38″W / 52.5308°N 1.8938°W / 52.5308; -1.8938 (Perry Barr Lock 9)	SP072925	6.5
Perry Barr Lock 10	52°31′48″N 1°53′33″W / 52.5301°N 1.8924°W / 52.5301; -1.8924 (Perry Barr Lock 10)	SP072925	6.6
Wharf	52°31′48″N 1°53′31″W / 52.5299°N 1.8920°W / 52.5299; -1.8920 (Wharf)	SP073924	6.6
College Road Bridge (A453)	52°31′48″N 1°53′31″W / 52.5299°N 1.8920°W / 52.5299; -1.8920 (College Road Bridge (A453))	SP073924	6.6
Perry Barr Lock 11	52°31′43″N 1°53′21″W / 52.5285°N 1.8892°W / 52.5285; -1.8892 (Perry Barr Lock 11)	SP075923	6.7
M6 motorway	52°31′22″N 1°52′53″W / 52.5229°N 1.8815°W / 52.5229; -1.8815 (M6 motorway)	SP080917	7.2
A4040 road	52°31′11″N 1°52′44″W / 52.5198°N 1.8788°W / 52.5198; -1.8788 (A4040)	SP083913
Perry Barr Lock 12 (Witton Locks)	52°30′53″N 1°52′21″W / 52.5148°N 1.8725°W / 52.5148; -1.8725 (Perry Barr Lock 12 (Witton Locks))	SP086908	7.8
Perry Barr Lock 13 (Witton Locks)	52°30′50″N 1°52′16″W / 52.5140°N 1.8712°W / 52.5140; -1.8712 (Perry Barr Lock 13 (Witton Locks))	SP087907	7.9
Cross-City Line	52°30′42″N 1°51′59″W / 52.5118°N 1.8665°W / 52.5118; -1.8665 (Cross-City Line)	SP090904	8.2
Gravelly Hill Interchange	52°30′40″N 1°51′55″W / 52.5111°N 1.8652°W / 52.5111; -1.8652	SP091904	8.4
Lichfield Road (A5127)	52°30′32″N 1°51′37″W / 52.5089°N 1.8603°W / 52.5089; -1.8603 (Lichfield Road (A5127))	SP094901	8.5
Salford Junction	52°30′31″N 1°51′35″W / 52.5087°N 1.8598°W / 52.5087; -1.8598	SP095901	8.5

Map all coordinates using OpenStreetMap

Download coordinates as:

Notes

^ Not to be confused with Perry Barr Reservoir, nor with Perry Hall Playing Fields Flood Detention Reservoir in nearby Perry Park.

References

^ "Perry Barr Locks Bridge, Birmingham - 1234157". Historic England. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
^ Environment Agency public register of Large Raised Reservoirs, as at 2 November 2020, via Boswarva, Owen. "Large Raised Reservoirs". Retrieved 7 December 2020.
^ "Postscript". Illustrated London News. England. 24 February 1844. Retrieved 5 September 2022 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^ ^a ^b "Birmingham Feb. 19, 1844". Aris’s Birmingham Gazette. England. 19 February 1844. Retrieved 5 September 2022 – via British Newspaper Archive.