The Birmingham Canal Navigations, a network of narrow canals in the industrial midlands of England, is built on various water levels. The three longest are the Wolverhampton, Birmingham, and Walsall levels. Locks allow boats to move from one level to another. Heights given are nominal elevation above sea level in feet relative to the Ordnance Datum Liverpool.
533 ft Essington Branch
A former branch of the Wyrley and Essington Canal, the Essington Branch was abandoned before 1904 and is now filled in. It was the highest level on the BCN.
A historical level, no longer existing. The highest level designed by James Brindley for his Birmingham Canal. Removed by John Smeaton's design in 1790.
473 ft Wolverhampton Level
A total of 41.7 miles navigable without locks:
BCN Old Main Line Wolverhampton top lock to Smethwick locks, 11.6 miles
Walsall Branch Canal to Walsall top lock, 0.4 miles
Wyrley and Essington Canal 15.4 miles, + branches:
*Lord Hay's Branch
*Cannock Extension Canal, 1.8 miles navigable
*Daw End Branch to Rushall top lock, 5.3 miles
*Anglesey Branch, 2.5 miles
Wednesbury Oak Loop, 1.9 miles
Engine Arm, 0.5 miles
Dudley Canal to Parkhead locks, 2.3 miles
453 ft Birmingham Level
A total of 49.2 miles at this level navigable without locks.
BCN Main Line, 10.8 miles navigable
*BCN Old Main Line, south of Smethwick Locks
*BCN New Main Line - Birmingham to Tipton Factory Bottom Lock, Island line, New Line at Smethwick
Northern Stratford-upon-Avon Canal from Kings Norton Junction to Lapworth Top Lock, 11 miles
441 ft Dudley No. 1
Dudley Canal, 1.8 miles navigable without locks.
408 ft Walsall Level
A total of 13.4 miles navigable without locks.
Walsall Canal, 6.5 miles, + branches:
*Ocker Hill Tunnel Branch, 0.2 miles navigable.
*Gospel Oak Branch, 0.1 miles navigable.
*Bradley Branch, part
*Bilston Branch
*Willenhall Branch
*Anson Branch
Tame Valley Canal to Perry Barr top lock, 5.7 miles.
Rushall Canal, 0.9 miles.
Reservoirs
To keep the canals topped up with water, reservoirs were built to collect water from streams. These had to be above the relevant canal levels, often some distance away. The small Titford Reservoir, as well as feeding the Titford Canal supplies its surplus water to Edgbaston Reservoir along a feeder through Smethwick. Water from Edgbaston Reservoir feeds the Birmingham Level at the adjacent Icknield Port Loop, and once fed the Wolverhampton Level via a long feeder along the top of a raised embankment along Telford's BCN New Main Line to the Engine Arm. Water is also supplied by Chasewater and Netherton Reservoirs.
Water pumping
Water was a precious resource, spent each time a lock was emptied as a boat changed level. Steam pumps were employed at many flights of locks to pump water back to a higher level, for example, the Smethwick Engine.
Back pumping at locks
*Ashtead
*Titford
*Perry Barr
*Walsall
*Dudley Parkhead
Back pumping between levels
*Ocker Hill
*Smethwick Summit
**Spon Lane engine pumping Wolverhampton level to 491 ft Summit level, closed by Smeaton's removal of the Summit level
**Smethwick Engine pumping Birmingham level to 491 ft Summit level, pumping to Wolverhampton level after Summit lowered. It was replaced in 1892 by two centrifugal engines in a new pumphouse north of Brasshouse Lane Bridge, Smethwick.
Pumping to reservoirs
*Edgbaston Reservoir
*Chasewater Reservoir
*Lodge Farm Reservoir
*Sneyd Reservoir
Water was also pumped out from many coal mines into the canal system.
