Birmingham Canals

by Ray Shill

Overview

Birmingham is famously reputed to have more miles of canals than Venice. These canals contributed much to the city’s growth, bringing coal and merchandise from the surrounding areas. As the city prospered economically, it continued to grow and absorb neighbouring communities, a process in many ways bound together by the waterways. Although part of the national network, Birmingham’s canals, including the Worcester & Birmingham, the Stratford-upon-Avon and the Birmingham Canal Navigation, retain their original identity – and most are still in water and used regularly, albeit in different ways to their original industrial purpose. Fully updated and illustrated with stunning new photographs, this book captures the heritage, development and modern role of Birmingham’s canals in a way that will appeal to canal users as well as those with a wider interest in Britain’s second most populous city.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780752488561
Publisher:	The History Press
Publication date:	01/01/2013
Edition description:	Updated
Pages:	160
Product dimensions:	6.70(w) x 9.70(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Ray Shill is the branch secretary of the West Midlands Group of the Railway & Canal Historical Society. He is also involved in coordinating the newsletter for the Modern Transport Interest Group of the RCHS. He has previously written South Staffordshire Ironmasters, The Birmingham Canal Navigations, and Birmingham Canalside Industries. He lives in Birmingham.

Table of Contents

Prologue to the Second Edition 4

Acknowledgements 5

Introduction 7

1 The Birmingham Canal Navigations 9

2 Worcester & Birmingham Canal 93

3 Stratford Upon Avon Canal 117

4 Dudley Canal 127

5 Grand Union Canal 131

6 Canal & River Trust 155