93-661: The Wednesbury Oak Loop , sometimes known as the Bradley Arm , is a canal in the West Midlands , England . It is part of the Birmingham Canal Navigations (BCN), and was originally part of James Brindley 's main line, but became a loop when Thomas Telford 's improvements of the 1830s bypassed it by the construction of the Coseley Tunnel. The south-eastern end of the loop was closed and in parts built over, following
186-648: A "Millennium City". The Forensic Science Service , Linpac , Lafarge Cement UK and IMI plc are on the Birmingham Business Park in Bickenhill . The National Exhibition Centre (NEC) is just north. ZF Lemförder UK 's site at Bickenhill makes axle modules for Land Rover. Newey and Eyre , Britain's largest electrical wholesaler, is at Sheldon. Neopost UK is off the A452. Goodrich UK is in Shirley . TRW Conekt have
279-401: A boat building yard situated by the next bend in 1887 but gone by 1903. By the next bend, there were three basins, the first of which is still there, while the next two had been filled in by 1967. Highfields Bridge carries Highfields Road, and then there was a basin, which still exists and which provides a winding point. After the next bend there is a much wider section, which acted as a basin and
372-609: A branch to this had been authorised by the 1783 Act, but work did not start until 1791, and the intention to build some locks at the far end was abandoned when it was decided to build the Bradley Hall Extension instead. This was not specifically authorised by the enabling Act, but was covered by the general powers that the Act contained. Following lengthy discussion, the decision to proceed was made in November 1794. The extension would leave
465-405: A chemical works, while to the north was Moorcroft Old Colliery. The southern site is now occupied by industrial units, while much of the colliery site has become Moorcroft Wood. The south-western corner was occupied by an isolation hospital in 1937, and the north-western edge is now occupied by Moorcroft Wood Primary School. There was a small basin to the south of the canal, just before the first lock
558-473: A coal pit within the loop, which had gone by 1903, and a much longer one branched westwards from the loop to serve Wednesbury Oak Colliery, with a branch which headed northwards to Hardingsfield Colliery. Half of the northern branch had gone by 1903, and the entire basin was dry by 1919. At some time prior to the opening of the Bradley Locks Branch in 1849, a straight cut had been made across the neck of
651-525: A good local infrastructure. Coventry was one of England's most important cities during the Middle Ages , with its prosperity built upon wool and cloth manufacture. Birmingham and Wolverhampton have a tradition of industry dating back to the 16th century, when small metal-working industries developed. Birmingham was known for its manufacture of small arms , whereas Wolverhampton became a centre of lock manufacture and brass working. The coal and iron ore deposits of
744-535: A height of 227 metres (745 ft). There are 23 Sites of Special Scientific Interest in the county. One of these SSSIs is Sutton Park in Sutton Coldfield, which has an area of 970 hectares (2,400 acres). As a result, it is one of the largest urban parks in Europe, and the largest outside of a capital city in Europe. The park also has national nature reserve status. There are numerous rivers that pass through
837-539: A large part of the reduction being the bypassing of the Wednesbury Oak Loop. The Ocker Hill Branch, for which provision was made in the same 1768 Act of Parliament which authorised the Birmingham Canal and Wednesbury Canal, was a branch from the Wednesbury Oak Loop. It was 0.6 miles (0.97 km) long, and opened in 1774. Following the successful installation of Boulton and Watt steam engines to pump water up
930-676: A main automotive engineering research centre at The Green Business Park in Shirley Heath. The Mormons (Latter Day Saints) have their European HQ in Solihull. The UK's VAT Registration Service , for Value Added Tax is at HMRC in Wolverhampton. Flint Ink UK in the east of the town centre, was the largest ink supplier in the British Empire , before being bought in 1998. Turner Powertrain Systems
1023-399: A series of basins completed the final section, before it rejoined the cut from Coseley Tunnel. Most of the basins had gone by 1920. Download coordinates as: [REDACTED] Media related to Wednesbury Oak Loop at Wikimedia Commons 52°33′13″N 2°03′58″W / 52.5536°N 2.0661°W / 52.5536; -2.0661 West Midlands (county) West Midlands
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#17328456208791116-529: A strongly rural character. A smaller piece of green belt between Birmingham, Walsall and West Bromwich includes Barr Beacon and the Sandwell Valley . The highest point in the West Midlands is Turners Hill , with a height of 271 m (889 ft). The hill is a Site of Special Scientific Interest . Barr Beacon is another hill in the West Midlands, located on the border of Birmingham and Walsall, with
1209-538: A view to full restoration at some time in the future. Between the bottom lock and Moorcroft Junction, the canal is level with the Walsall Canal and so is still in water, although it is heavily overgrown. At some time prior to 2008, the Birmingham Canal Navigations Society suggested that the route could be restored, since the only structure which obstructed such a plan was the bridge at the end of
1302-433: Is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the larger West Midlands region of England. A landlocked county, it is bordered by Staffordshire to the north and west, Worcestershire to the south, and is surrounded by Warwickshire to the east. The largest settlement is the city of Birmingham . The county is almost entirely urban, with an area of 902 km (348 sq mi) and a population of 2,919,600, making it
1395-460: Is also used for the much larger West Midlands region , which sometimes causes confusion. Geographically the county is on the eastern side of the region, the western side comprising Shropshire and Herefordshire and the southern side comprising Worcestershire and Warwickshire . Although the modern county has only existed since 1974, the settlements of the West Midlands have long been important centres of commerce and industry as well as developing
1488-459: Is an understanding that boats using the route will ensure that the many other benefits of reopening will be sustainable. The area around Bradley and Wednesbury was occupied by coal mines and ironstone mines, and the ironmaster John Wilkinson built a furnace and ironworks near Bradley. The Birmingham Canal Navigations (BCN) Old Main Line wound its way through the area in a circuitous fashion, following
1581-665: Is based in the West Midlands. The national headquarters of One Stop is in Brownhills , at Clayhanger . Poundland is in Willenhall . Wedge Group , based in Willenhall, is the largest hot dip galvanising company in the UK. Assa Abloy UK (and Yale UK, former Yale & Towne), is also in Willenhall, as the town is known for manufacture of locks. A.F. Blakemore , supplies most of the SPAR shops in
1674-556: Is home to numerous sports teams. In rugby union , the West Midlands is home to various clubs including Wasps RFC , Birmingham Barbarians, Sutton Coldfield RFC , Moseley Rugby Football Club , Birmingham & Solihull RFC , and Coventry RFC . In rugby league , the Midlands Hurricanes are the only team from the county playing in the professional ranks, currently in the third tier League 1 . In association football , there are six Premier League and Football League teams in
1767-525: Is one of the largest urban parks in Europe. The area between Solihull and Coventry is part of the Forest of Arden , and the rivers Sowe and Sherbourne flow through Coventry. The metropolitan county exists in law, as a geographical frame of reference, and as a ceremonial county . As such it has a Lord Lieutenant and a High Sheriff . Between 1974 and 1986, the West Midlands County Council
1860-413: Is still its modern name. The road crossed the canal at Bradley Bridge, below the second lock and a triangular basin on the south bank, which served a colliery. To the south was a large expanse of workings, labelled Willingsworth Collieries, but already disused in 1890. The third lock was immediately west of the road bridge, and another large basin serving the engineering works was located just above it. To
1953-489: Is the final winding point on the branch outside of the hours when the Canal & River Trust depot is open. Opposite it, Capponfield Furnaces was served by a basin which lasted until after 1938, although the works was still active in 1967. The Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway crossed next, with a basin on the north bank on either side of the bridge, the second serving Capponfield Iron Works. Two more basins were located on
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#17328456208792046-475: Is the world market leader for transmissions for backhoe loaders , mini excavators telescopic handlers , and site dumpers is further south, near Dunstall Hill . Tata Steel (former site of British Steel Seamless Tubes until 1995) have their Wednesfield Steelpark (built in 1999) on the Walsall boundary. Essar Steel UK in west Dudley, is the largest independent steel toll processor in the UK. Hadley Group near
2139-704: The Birmingham Bullets and are currently based at a facility provided by the University of Wolverhampton in Walsall. The West Midlands has its own Quidditch team, West Midlands Revolution (after its part in the Industrial Revolution ), which won the Quidditch Premier League in 2017. 52°30′N 1°50′W / 52.500°N 1.833°W / 52.500; -1.833 Bradley Branch The Bradley Branch or Bradley Locks Branch
2232-542: The Black Country area provided a ready source of raw materials. The area grew rapidly during the Industrial Revolution , and by the 20th century had grown into one large conurbation. Coventry was slower to develop, but by the early 20th century it had become an important centre of bicycle and car manufacture. 1966 saw a substantial reform in the local government of the area as the patchwork of county boroughs with municipal boroughs and urban district councils in between
2325-686: The Bradley Locks Branch opened, connecting the loop with the Walsall Canal . It was one of a number of connecting links made following the amalgamation of the Wyrley and Essington Canal and the Birmingham Canal Navigations in 1840. After it was closed in 1961, most of it was simply covered up, and became part of a linear park. The Birmingham Canal Navigations Society have suggested it as a possible candidate for restoration, since most of
2418-938: The District of Lichfield , Staffordshire . Further boundary changes came into effect in 1995, when part of the Hereford and Worcester parish of Frankley (including the south-west part of Bartley Reservoir ) was transferred to Birmingham and became part of the county. On 17 June 2016, a new administrative body, the West Midlands Combined Authority was created for the county, under the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 , which created several other combined authorities in England. The new body has powers over transport, economic development, skills and planning. A new directly elected position of Mayor of
2511-696: The Warwickshire Constabulary . The West Midlands Passenger Transport Authority was established in 1968. In 1974, the Local Government Act 1972 came into effect, creating the metropolitan county of West Midlands. This area was based on the seven county boroughs and the other non-county boroughs and urban districts around the fringe of the conurbation. The new area consisted of seven new metropolitan boroughs, with Aldridge-Brownhills added to Walsall ; Halesowen and Stourbridge to Dudley and Sutton Coldfield to Birmingham. A new borough of Sandwell
2604-542: The West Midlands Combined Authority . The county was historically part of Staffordshire, Warwickshire, and Worcestershire. The west of the county encloses the valley of the River Tame and its tributaries; the highest point of the surrounding area is Turners Hill , at 271 metres (889 ft). West Midlands contains the Sutton Park Site of Special Scientific Interest , which has an area of 970 hectares (2,400 acres) and
2697-597: The second most populous county in England after Greater London . After Birmingham (1,144,919) the largest settlements are the cities of Coventry (345,324) and Wolverhampton (263,700), Solihull (126,577), and Sutton Coldfield (109,899). Nearly all of the county's settlements belong to the West Midlands and Coventry built-up areas, though the ' Meriden Gap ' between them is rural. For local government purposes West Midlands comprises seven metropolitan boroughs : Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley , Sandwell , Solihull , Walsall , and Wolverhampton. They collaborate through
2790-545: The 'Bradley Canal' to avoid confusion. The section affected is some 1.5 miles (2.4 km) long, and includes the nine locks of the Bradley Branch. While there are two existing routes between the ends of the Bradley Canal, that via Tipton is 9 miles (14 km) long and the route via Wolverhampton is 17 miles (27 km). The re-opened route would thus provide a much more direct link. The restored section would start near
2883-630: The 473-foot (144 m) contour. It had been authorised by Act of Parliament on 28 February 1768, and was opened for traffic between Wolverhampton and the Worcester & Birmingham Canal at Gas Street Basin on 21 September 1772. A little further to the north, the Broadwaters Canal was built by the Birmingham & Birmingham & Fazeley Canal Company, an amalgamation of two rival concerns once an Act of Parliament had been obtained. This descended from
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2976-537: The BCN had double gates at the bottom end of the lock. After closure, the top seven locks were filled in and the area was landscaped. It is thought that the locks and the stone walls which formed the margins of the canal are largely complete below the landscaping. The bottom two locks were partially restored using a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund , and were then filled in to protect the brickwork from damage, with
3069-515: The Birmingham Canal Navigations. There were five steam engines at the pumping station in 1851. The tunnel needed to be repaired on a number of occasions, as it was affected by mining subsidence, but remained in use until it was designated as 'abandoned' in 1954 and was filled in at the start of the 1960s, with part of the infilled section being developed as the Glebefields housing estate in Tipton. In 1849
3162-573: The Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust, through their Nature Improvement Area Fund, and the Birmingham Canal Navigations Society, with support from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), the Environment Agency , the Forestry Commission and Natural England . The feasibility study was carried out by
3255-456: The Birmingham main line through the eight Ryder's Green locks, and followed the 408-foot (124 m) contour. Once the Broadwaters Canal was extended to reach Walsall Town Basin in 1799, it became known as the Walsall Canal . Several branches were built from the Broadwaters Canal to serve the growing coal-field through which it ran. Just to the south of Bradley was the Gospel Oak colliery, and
3348-459: The Bradley Hall line, which was straightened and its three locks rebuilt. It was opened in 1849, becoming known as the Bradley Branch or Bradley Locks Branch, and closed in the 1950s. When the canal was built, it was made quite wide, and the locks were all constructed on the northern side of the canal, rather than centrally to the channel, as most locks built previously on the BCN had been. This
3441-520: The Bradley Workshops of the Canal and River Trust at the end of the Wednesbury Oak Loop, where most of the lockgates for narrow canals are made. The only major obstacle is the road bridge carrying Bradley Lane over the canal near the workshops, which has been lowered. This would require re-alignment of the canal or the road. The rest of the route is free from development, and is protected by local planning agreements. The restoration route continues along
3534-455: The Broadwaters Canal at Moorcroft Junction, and would rise through three locks to reach Bradley Hall colliery. The cost of the work was estimated to be £1,383, just £45 more than a level canal. The mines were responsible for supplying the water to operate the locks, and the owners were told that the locks were a replacement for those not built on the Gospel Oak branch. Despite these statements, the company then entered into arbitration to ensure that
3627-514: The Canal & River Trust (CRT) workshops built at Bradley in 1960. Next to the CRT workshops is the modern Bradley pumping station which draws water from flooded coal mines into the Wolverhampton Level. From Deepfields Junction, the canal passes under a London, Midland and Scottish Railway bridge, after which there was a basin to the north, which served Deepfields Colliery Pit No. 4 in 1887. It
3720-453: The No 5 Colliery was operational, to the east of the canal, and its basin was linked to two tramways in 1903, but had gone by 1938. A modern school occupies the site of the basin. After another large bend, Gospel Oak Iron Works had a large basin with a northern branch, and Summer Hill Iron Works had a smaller basin. The canal passed round the village of Summer Hill in a large loop to the east, from which
3813-483: The Ocker Hill Branch left, and a basin served Hope Colliery and another served Hope Iron Works. Both had gone by 1904, when the whole area had become Moat Colliery. Church Lane crossed the canal to the south-west of Summer Hill. After more sweeping bends, two basins served old clay pits to the north of the canal, and two more served Tipton Green Iron Furnaces to the south. A tramway bridge, three railway bridges, and
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3906-606: The Soho Foundry is the largest cold roll forming manufacturer in the UK. Caparo Precision Tubes in Oldbury, is the UK's largest producer of electric resistance welded (ERW) steel tubes, and Wellman Group make boilers to the west. Metsec , east of Oldbury, is one of the UK's largest cold roll-forming companies. The AA have a main office in Rounds Green , west of Oldbury. 2 Sisters Food Group , Britain's largest processor of chicken,
3999-539: The Spon Lane locks in 1778 and the Smethwick locks in 1779, a similar installation was planned for the Ocker Hill Branch. Water would be fed through a tunnel from the 408-foot (124 m) Broadwaters Level, which was under construction at the time and later became part of the Walsall Canal . The Ocker Hill Tunnel Branch would end at a sump, from which water would be pumped to feed the 473-foot (144 m) Wolverhampton Level of
4092-586: The UK. The West Midlands contains ten universities, seven of which are located in Birmingham: Both of Coventry University and the University of Warwick are located in Coventry whilst University of Wolverhampton is located in Wolverhampton with campuses in Telford and Walsall . Each of the local authorities has at least one further education college for students aged over 16, and since September 1992 all of
4185-489: The UK. Birmingham , Wolverhampton , the Black Country and Solihull together form the third most populous conurbation in the United Kingdom with a combined population of around 2.44 million. However, the West Midlands is not entirely urban; Coventry is separated from the West Midlands conurbation by a stretch of green belt land approximately 13 miles (21 km) across, known as the " Meriden Gap ", which retains
4278-540: The West Midlands was created in 2017 to chair the new body. The first Mayoral election was held in May 2017, and the position was won by Andy Street of the Conservative Party . The West Midlands is a landlocked county that borders the counties of Warwickshire to the east, Worcestershire to the south, and Staffordshire to the north and west. The West Midlands County is one of the most heavily urbanised counties in
4371-709: The West Midlands , a position currently held by Richard Parker of the Labour Co-op . Other county-wide bodies include the West Midlands Police , the West Midlands Fire Service and Transport for West Midlands . The county is sometimes described as the "West Midlands metropolitan area " or the " West Midlands conurbation " or "Greater Birmingham", although these have different, less clearly defined, boundaries. The main conurbation or urban area does not include Coventry, for example. The name "West Midlands"
4464-446: The West Midlands is divided into districts called metropolitan boroughs . There are seven boroughs in the West Midlands, six of which are named after the largest settlement in their administrative area. The West Midlands is unusual amongst the metropolitan counties in that three of its boroughs have city status ; Coventry is a city by ancient prescriptive usage , Birmingham was granted city status in 1889, and Wolverhampton in 2000 as
4557-546: The West Midlands metropolitan area by the Redcliffe-Maud Report . The 1974 reform created the West Midlands County Council that covered the entire area and dealt with strategic issues. A new West Midlands Police service was formed covering the entire area, with the West Midlands Constabulary and Birmingham City Police abolished, and also taking over responsibility from the county forces. West Midlands
4650-510: The Wyrley and Essington at Birchills Junction . A private canal, to Bradley Marr works, left the Wednesbury Oak Loop and descended through a staircase of two locks, although it did not reach either Bradley Colliery or Wilkinson's furnace at Lower Bradley. With the Walsall Canal now providing a link to the south or the north, six locks were built in a straight line from the Rotton Brunt Line to
4743-584: The abolition of the county council, some county-wide bodies continued to exist, which were administered by various joint-boards of the seven districts, among these were the West Midlands Police , the West Midlands Fire Service and the West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive . In 1994, the western/southern shores of Chasewater , plus the adjacent Jeffreys Swag, were transferred from the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall to
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#17328456208794836-484: The adjacent Wednesbury Oak Furnaces. The furnaces and sidings had all disappeared by 1937. The final two locks raised the level to the Wolverhampton Level of the Wednesbury Oak Loop. The section where it joined was a straight cut, made to bypass a much longer loop, which broadly followed the boundary of the Weddell Wynd Community Woodland. One feature of the canal which is obvious from the maps concerns
4929-439: The area is served by BBC Radio WM and BBC CWR covering Coventry . Commercial radio stations include Hits Radio Birmingham , Capital Midlands , Capital Mid-Counties , Heart West Midlands , Hits Radio Coventry & Warwickshire , Smooth West Midlands , Greatest Hits Radio Birmingham & The West Midlands , and Greatest Hits Radio Black Country & Shropshire . Community radio stations include: The West Midlands
5022-460: The area of countryside between Solihull and Coventry, whilst Coventry itself received only small changes and Wolverhampton was unaltered. This led to (apart from in the east, with Coventry and the Meriden Gap) quite a tightly defined metropolitan border, excluding such places as Burntwood , Bromsgrove , Cannock , Kidderminster , Lichfield and Wombourne which had been considered for inclusion in
5115-502: The branch to be reopened. In 2015 the results of a feasibility study for reopening were published, and the scheme was branded the Bradley Canal, since it would involve the restoration of the Bradley Branch and a connecting link from the top of the canal, using parts of the Wednesbury Oak Loop and the Rotton Brunt line. The plan has been spearheaded by the Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust, rather than navigation interests, but there
5208-525: The canal which was filled in around 1961 to make way for the Glebefields Estate. The southern section around Bloomfield Road was filled in about a decade later, with the aqueduct over Central Avenue (built in the 1930s) being demolished at this time. The northern stretch, also sometimes known today as the Bradley Arm (not to be confused with the Bradley Branch or Bradley Locks Branch), remains navigable to
5301-502: The canal, and then another basin served the Regent Iron Works. The old line of the canal swung in a big loop to the east of the current line, passing Britannia and Bradley Hall Works, both of which made bar iron, and an unnamed chemical works. The loop ended where the modern Canal & River Trust depot is located. A new line, which is now the only line, was cut across the neck of the loop some time before 1887. Bradley Pumping Engine
5394-402: The colliery companies could not make any claims against the canal company because of the change of plan. The branch opened in 1796, and the arbitration was completed two years later. The BCN Old Main Line became the Wednesbury Oak Loop when it was bypassed in the 1830s by a straighter route, originally planned as a deep cutting, but which incorporated the Coseley Tunnel, construction of which
5487-406: The consultants Moss Naylor Young. In late 2015 the study found the restoration to be feasible. The aims of the restoration include the creation of a through route from the Wolverhampton Level of the Birmingham Canal main line to the Walsall Canal and the Tame Valley Canal . As well as the Bradley Branch, it includes part of the Wednesbury Oak Loop and other minor sections, and so has been labelled
5580-460: The county had a two-tier system of local government, and the seven districts shared power with the West Midlands County Council . However, the Local Government Act 1985 abolished the metropolitan county councils, and the West Midlands County Council ceased to exist in 1986. Most of its functions were devolved to the West Midland boroughs, which effectively became unitary authorities , with responsibility for most local authority functions. Following
5673-403: The county of which two, Aston Villa , and Wolverhampton Wanderers , play in the Premier League. The following clubs are often referred to as the West Midlands "Big Six": The West Midlands is also home to Warwickshire County Cricket Club , who are based at Edgbaston Cricket Ground , which also hosts Test matches and One Day Internationals . The Birmingham Panthers basketball team replaced
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#17328456208795766-461: The county, including the River Tame . The river basin is the most urbanised basin in the United Kingdom, with approximately 42% of the basin being urbanised. The River Tame is fed by the River Rea , River Anker , and the River Blythe , which in turn is fed by the River Cole . The River Sowe and River Sherbourne both flow through Coventry. The River Stour flows through the west of the West Midlands county. Like other metropolitan counties ,
5859-463: The designation of the entire loop as "abandoned" in 1954, including the section which was filled in at the beginning of the 1960s to make way for the Glebefields Estate in Tipton. The Wednesbury Oak Loop was one of the loops in the original, meandering Birmingham Canal , later called the BCN Main Line, which was built by James Brindley after the company obtained an Act of Parliament in 1768. A line from coal mines at Wednesbury to central Birmingham
5952-468: The early 1990s (and in Halesowen in 1982) as the local authorities changed direction towards further education colleges. All secondary state education in Dudley and Sandwell is mixed comprehensive, although there are a small number of single sex and grammar schools existing in parts of Birmingham, Solihull, Wolverhampton and Walsall. In August 2009, Matthew Boulton College and Sutton Coldfield College merged to become Birmingham Metropolitan College , one of
6045-427: The far end was occupied by houses on Bartlett Close, although the middle section had been used to lengthen the gardens on Myrtle Terrace. Four more locks followed, after which there was a basin on the south bank which served the Wednesbury Oak Iron Works. A network of canals at a higher level, which joined the Wednesbury Oak Loop also served the area, but had been filled in by 1919, when a network of railway sidings served
6138-440: The filled-in Wednesbury Oak Loop, and along part of the Rotten Brunt line, which cut off a loop in the Wednesbury Oak Loop. It then follows the line of the Bradley Arm, descending through nine locks to reach the Walsall Canal, the top seven of which are filled in. The idea of restoring the canal was originally put forwards by the Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust, which suggested it to Moss Naylor Young. They believe that
6231-423: The flight of six locks at Spon Lane. It too faced high ground at Coseley, but in this case, a circuitous route was followed to avoid a change in level and any locks. The line ended with a flight of twenty locks at Wolverhampton, later increased by one, to drop the canal down to meet the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal at Aldersley Junction , and this section of the main line opened on 21 September 1772. There
6324-448: The largest further and higher education institutions in the country. Plans are afoot for the construction of a new campus in the Perry Barr area of Birmingham. The area is served by BBC West Midlands and ITV Central which both broadcast from Birmingham , the local based-television station TalkBirmingham also covers the area. Television signals are received from the Sutton Coldfield TV transmitter. In terms of BBC Local Radio ,
6417-726: The local authorities have operated traditional 5–7 infant, 7–11 junior, and 11-16/18 secondary schools for students in compulsory education. This followed the demise of 5–8 first, 8–12 middle and 12-16/18 secondary schools in the Sutton Coldfield area . For 18 years before September 1990, Dudley had operated 5–8 first, 8–12 middle, and 12-16/18 secondary schools before then, while Halesowen (September 1972 until July 1982) and Aldridge-Brownhills (September 1972 until July 1986) had both operated 5–9 first, 9–13 middle and 13-16/18 secondary schools. Many local authorities still have sixth form facilities in secondary schools, though sixth form facilities had been axed by most secondary schools in Dudley since
6510-426: The locks and their associated lagoons. Locks 2 and 4 to 8 all have a central island in the middle of a wide canal, with a lock on the north side, and a large lagoon on the south side, which is labelled " overflow " at the downstream end where the cascade weir was. There is no evidence on the maps for a similar structure at locks 1, 3 or 9. Locks 1 and 3 both had additional basins above them, and lock 9 drew its water from
6603-400: The loop, and the new branch connected to it. Just beyond the end of the cut, a network of basins headed eastwards, to serve the Wednesbury Oak Iron Works, and some furnaces that produced pig iron. A tramway crossed, a basin served Schoolfields Colliery No 2, already disused by 1887, and a railway crossed. Beyond it, Schoolfields Colliery No 3 and its basin were also disused by this date, although
6696-456: The main line, which he did by straightening and widening parts of it, and creating a new main line from Tipton to Smethwick. Telford was one of a later generation of canal engineers, who used cuttings and embankments to allow his canals to follow as direct a route as possible, and the long winding loop around Wednesbury Oak was an obvious target for removal. Some work was done on a cutting between Bloomfield and Deepfields, but work then stopped. With
6789-674: The navigable section of the Wednesbury Oak Branch, and it would open up some additional circular cruising routes. In November 2013, following discussions with other interested parties, the West Midlands Waterway Partnership agreed to seek funding for a detailed feasibility study into restoration of the Bradley Canal. The report was funded by the Canal & River Trust , the Inland Waterways Association ,
6882-518: The navigable section of the Wednesbury Oak Loop up to Bradley Workshops. The proposed restoration is now (2020) being co-ordinated by the Bradley Canal Restoration Society. The canal left the Walsall Canal at Moorcroft Junction. As the towpath for the Walsall Canal was on the western bank, there was a towpath bridge immediately to the west of the junction. To the south of the canal was a sand pit, already marked "old" in 1890, and
6975-429: The north of the next section lay Bradley Colliery. Pits 1 and 2 were close to the canal and were served by a basin. A tramway ran from the basin to pits 3 and 4 in 1903. To the south was a long basin, which left the main line opposite the north basin. It ran to some coal shafts. Housing had been built along its eastern edge by 1938, with the construction of Myrtle Terrace, and by 1967, over half of it had been filled in, and
7068-481: The opening of the Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal imminent in 1834, and the prospect of much more trade on the western section of the canal, a new Act of Parliament was obtained in 1835 to authorise a 360-yard (330 m) tunnel through the hill at Coseley . It would have a towpath on both sides of the canal, and opened on 6 November 1837. The route through Wednesbury Oak now became the Wednesbury Oak Loop, as it
7161-405: The project will deliver enhancements for wildlife and to habitat, will result in some urban regeneration, and will be beneficial for recreation, heritage restoration and general education. Although their aim is not primarily concerned with navigation, they recognise that navigation will create an active and managed waterfront, which will ensure the success of the other benefits. The estimated cost of
7254-409: The proposal is between £7 and £8 million, and the findings were announced by the Canal and River Trust on 11 November 2015. There is local support from a residents association, and as a result of the announcement, the Canal and River Trust have pledged to hold an open day at Bradley Workshops, and the Birmingham Canal Navigations Society stated that their annual spring cruise on 2 April 2016 would include
7347-468: The south bank, and then a large rectangular basin served Barbor's Field Furnaces on the north bank. Only the second of the two to the south remained in 1967, the first having been covered by a refuse tip. Banks Bridge was located where Dudley Street crossed, and the line followed a big sweeping arc, to turn to the south. There were two more basins on the outside of the arc, and one inside, to serve Bradley Field Iron Works. Pothouse Bridge carries Salop Road over
7440-404: The structures are still in situ, and the only significant obstacle would be Tup Street Bridge on the Wednesbury Oak Loop which crosses the canal immediately after the Canal & River Trust . In 1954, along with many other branches and canals in the BCN, much of the Wednesbury Oak Loop was given 'abandoned' status and was subsequently filled in and partly built over, beginning with the section of
7533-462: Was a short canal of the Birmingham Canal Navigations in the West Midlands , England. Completed in 1849, it included nine locks, and had a number of basins which enabled it to service local collieries and industrial sites. The locks were unusual, as they had a single gate at both ends, rather than double gates at the bottom end. The route closed in the 1950s, and the top seven locks were covered over and landscaped. Since 2008, there have been calls for
7626-542: Was also established as a new ceremonial county , with the offices of Lord Lieutenant and High Sheriff created. Its constituent components had previously been, for ceremonial purposes, under the equivalent offices of Warwickshire ( Birmingham CB , Coventry CB, Solihull CB, Sutton Coldfield MB and Meriden RD ), Staffordshire ( Wolverhampton CB, Walsall CB, West Bromwich CB, Dudley CB and Aldridge-Brownhills UD ) and Worcestershire ( Warley CB, Stourbridge MB and Halesowen MB). Between 1974 and 1986,
7719-471: Was authorised in 1835. The new line and tunnel were opened on 6 November 1837. The Loop was itself shortened at some point, when the Rotton Brunt Line was built, which cut across a large meander. The Wyrley and Essington Canal merged with the Birmingham Canal Navigations in 1840, and links between the two canal systems included the Walsall Extension Canal, which ran northwards from Walsall to meet
7812-546: Was considerably longer than the new tunnel and its cut. The loop met the new cut at Deepfields Junction to the north-west of the tunnel, which marks the northern limit of Telford's route change, and Bloomfield Junction to the south-east, which had railway wharves for the Great Western Railway (GWR) and London and North Western Railway (LNWR) . Telford's improvements reduced the length of the main line by one third, from 22.5 miles (36.2 km) to 15.5 miles (24.9 km),
7905-490: Was formed by the merger of West Bromwich and Warley. The actual designation of Warley itself was abolished and the three towns of Smethwick, Oldbury and Rowley Regis reinstated as component parts of Sandwell, although these areas formed the Warley postal district. Solihull took in much of the suburban fringe to the east of Birmingham, including the former villages of Chelmsley Wood and Castle Bromwich , also Birmingham Airport , and
7998-446: Was located where they rejoined. By 1938, most of the loop, apart from the basin near the pumping engine, was dry. Tup Street Bridge carried Cross Street over the canal just beyond the present end of the watered section. A small basin to the west served Batman's Hill Iron Works, and then there was another large loop, this time to the west, its course roughly corresponding to the borders of Weddell Wynd Community Woodland. A small basin served
8091-421: Was opened in 1769, with both ends built on the 453-foot (138 m) contour, and a summit in the middle, which rose to 491 feet (150 m) to pass over high ground at Smethwick. This created a lucrative coal trade, and the rest of the main line, which passed around the Wednesbury Oak Loop, was started in 1770. This section was built to follow the 473-foot (144 m) contour, leaving the first section half-way up
8184-444: Was partially filled in between 1938 and 1967, and is now gone. Beyond it was Deepfields Bridge, carrying Ladymoor Road over the canal. Then the canal turned to the north-east on a very wide bend, with a basin to the south, serving Deepfields Works, which was manufacturing sheet iron in 1887. By 1919, the works had gone and just a small section of the basin remained. The whole area was covered by Deepfields colliery, which had also engulfed
8277-422: Was probably to make the task of duplicating them easier, if this became necessary. This arrangement created a large lagoon on the southern side of the lock, at the end of which a simple cascade weir allowed surplus water to flow into the next pound. The lagoons increased the volume of water in the short pounds. The locks were built with a single gate at the top and at the bottom, whereas most locks built previously on
8370-432: Was reached. Another basin turned off to the north after the lock. The Great Western Railway crossed immediately after the lock. A further basin on the north bank served Tank Foundry in 1890, but by 1937, the works had expanded and the basin had been closed. The whole complex was labelled Bradley Boiler and Engineering Works in 1937, and straddled the road, called Oak Road in 1890, but later renamed Great Bridge Road, which
8463-547: Was replaced by a core of county boroughs covering a contiguous area, roughly as follows: Near the area, three other towns remained separate ( Halesowen , Stourbridge and Sutton Coldfield ), while Aldridge and Brownhills joined to form a single unit, called Aldridge-Brownhills . In the same year, a single West Midlands Constabulary was formed for the Black Country county boroughs, whilst Birmingham retained its Birmingham City Police and Solihull continued being policed by
8556-407: Was some suggestion at the time that Brindley had added extra meanders to increase the length of the canal, and therefore the tolls that could be charged, but this was strenuously denied in a newspaper advertisement placed by Brindley on 14 January 1771, where he argued that the winding route was necessary to ensure that the most customers could be served. In 1824, Thomas Telford was asked to improve
8649-471: Was the administrative body covering the county; this was abolished on 31 March 1986, and the constituent metropolitan boroughs effectively became unitary authorities . A new administrative body for the county (and some of the district surrounding it as Non-Constituent members), the West Midlands Combined Authority , was created in June 2016. Since May 2017, the authority has been headed by a directly elected Mayor of
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