Worcester & Birmingham Canal – Lock 4 - Blockhouse Lock - Worcester, UK
Posted by: ntpayne
N 52° 11.390 W 002° 12.903
30U E 553658 N 5782442
This is lock 4 on the Worcester & Birmingham canal.
Waymark Code: WMVWRR
Location: West Midlands, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 06/05/2017
Views: 1
This is lock 4 on the Worcester & Birmingham canal, known as Blockhouse lock.
The Worcester & Birmingham canal was opened in 1815 and runs for 30 miles from the River Severn in Worcester to Gas Street Basin in Birmingham. It has 58 locks which are all single width, narrow beam locks of approximately 7’ 6” width, apart from the first two broad beam locks leading off the River Severn into the Diglis canal basins at Worcester.
Interestingly, pairs of donkeys were used to haul boats in the early days rather than the traditional horse. This was because boats would go out onto the River Severn at Worcester and donkeys were apparently easier to transport on the river.
Commercial carrying finished in 1964. The main freight then was between Cadbury’s factory in Bourneville all the way to the Severn and then down to Frampton on The Gloucester & Sharpness canal.
Waterway Name: Worcester & Birmingham canal
Connected Points:
The northern end of the canal at Gas Street Basin in Birmingham links to the Birmingham Canal Navigations and the Birmingham & Fazeley canal. Its southern terminus is at the Diglis Basins in Worcester where it joins the River Severn. On its way it has junctions with the Stratford canal at Kings Norton and the Droitwich canal at Hanbury Junction.
Type: Lock
Date Opened: 01/01/1815
Elevation Difference (meters): 3.00
Site Status: Operational
Web Site: [Web Link]
Date Closed (if applicable): Not listed
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