Birmingham Canal Old Main Line – Smethwick Locks – Lock 1, Smethwick, UK
Posted by: 
ntpayne
N 52° 29.917 W 001° 57.942
30U E 570213 N 5817000
This is the first and top lock on the Smethwick flight of 3 locks at Smethwick
Waymark Code: WMVD1R
Location: West Midlands, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 04/03/2017
Views: 4
This is lock number 1 and the top lock on the Smethwick flight of 3 locks on the Birmingham Canal Old Main Line at Smethwick. The flight is at Smethwick junction where the Birmingham Canal Old Main Line rejoins the Birmingham Canal New Main Line. The flight has an overall elevation of 20 feet and the locks are narrow beam, single width locks.
The Birmingham Canal Old Main Line is part of what’s known as the Birmingham Canal Navigations or BCN for short.
In its heyday the BCN comprised 160 miles of canal but nowadays it is just 100 miles – still impressive when you cruise around Birmingham though. The BCN includes the following canals:
- Birmingham Canal New Main Line
- Birmingham Canal Old Main Line
- Netherton Tunnel Branch
- Gower Branch
- Wednesbury Old Canal
- Walsall Canal
- Walsall Branch Canal
- Wyrley & Essington Canal
- Daw End Branch
- Rushall Canal
- Tame Valley Canal
Waterway Name: Birmingham Canal Old Main Line
Connected Points:
This section of the Birmingham Canal Old Main Line joins the New Main Line at Smethwick junction and at Bromford junction. It also has a junction with the Engine Arm branch via the Engine Arm aqueduct which crosses the New Main Line. This section of the Old Main Line had six locks whereas the equivalent section of the New Main Line had no locks.
Type: Lock
Date Opened: 01/01/1772
Elevation Difference (meters): 2.00
Site Status: Operational
Web Site: [Web Link]
Date Closed (if applicable): Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
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