Lichfield & Hatherton Canal Restoration Trust

[Jeremy Rowland]

When the travel restrictions were first lifted during the current pandemic that we are facing; while I was looking forward to travelling up to my own restoration projects, I took a look at a much bigger project. Living in the heart of what is referred to as 'The Black Country' I have always loved the canals and while many people know that there is around 100 miles of canals in that area, many don't know or realise that there used to be an additional 60 odd miles on top of that total.
There are the remains of some disused canals still in existence today although many have been completely filled in and built on, however there are some canals country wide that are being restored to life and the nearest of these to me is the Lichfield Canal.
This canal once ran from Ogley Junction off the Anglesey Branch canal which is near to Brownhills and it passed through Lichfield to eventually join the Coventry canal at Huddlesford Junction.
The whole of this canal is under restoration although the task is beyond comprehension in as much as it will have to cross several roads through new bridges as the old ones have been demolished, this includes crossing the A38 near to Lichfield.
I went along again today, this time to take a quick look at Huddlesford Junction which is currently the only part of the canal that is navigable by boat, sadly you cannot walk along this part as it has for the moment been turned into a marina which probably stretches for the best part of half a mile.
The first four of my photos are from Ogley Junction, the first photo shows Ogley Junction branching off to the left of the photo, the second taken from the bridge shows the canal coming to an abrupt end, the third shows the sign and the fourth is a view of the bridge.

Jeremy

[Jeremy Rowland]

The next section I am showing is at Fosseway where the original path of the canal has had to be diverted as the land where it once ran has now been built on, a wide basin has been dug out to permit boats to make a sharp right turn to follow along Falkland Road. The first two photos show the wide that has been dug out and volunteers at work on the project, the last photo shows lock no18.

Jeremy

[Jeremy Rowland]

The next section is that of the locks at Borrowcrop which has had much restoration carried out and is partly in water.

Jeremy

[Jeremy Rowland]

The next section is from Gallows Wharf to Borrowcrop.

Jeremy

[Jeremy Rowland]

The last two photos show the connection at Huddlesford Junction, the first photo looks directly at the start of the Lichfield Canal from that point (the marina) and the second shows the signpost pointing to Ogley Junction. If you want to know more and about the history of this canal and other lost canals, then look at the videos posted by the gent below, in this episode you may recognise part of where I took some of these photos, I also recommend looking at the LHRCT website and their YouTube videos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8SuD45t0w0

Jeremy

[diggerjones]

That's amazing. I didn't realise they could undertake such a massive job. I worked in west Bromwich last year and had a look at some local canals

[mechman]

An amazing lot of work going on there considering they're volunteers.
Norm

[Jeremy Rowland]

That's amazing. I didn't realise they could undertake such a massive job. I worked in west Bromwich last year and had a look at some local canals

They have the odd 'big gun' backing them but it is all volunteers and the odd working party from some of the local colleges; if you take a look at the link I posted Andy Tidy has put a feature on the restoration of this canal and the group of canal restorers, you will find it if you look at his videos, what is perhaps also not realised is that this group of restorers are taking on two canals and not one

The other canal is the Hatherton canal which ran from the Staffs & Worcester canal to join the Cannock Extension canal at Rumer Hill Junction, from the S & W the canal is half in water from Calf Heath up to Wedges Mill, however there is one major obstacle that needs a tunnel digging through and that is the M6 Sadly the rest of this canal has long disappeared under open cast mine working (a photo of this can be seen in the videos) this group are pretty determined and have overcome many other obstacles placed in their way including the new M6 Toll road which actor David Suchet paid for a culvert to be put underneath this new road to allow the passage of boats, there has also been a culvert placed underneath the Birmingham Road near to Lichfield to enable the canal to pass through there.

If you take your time to work through the videos then they are very interesting from a historical point of view; I have joined the LHCRT although I don't envisage any physical work as I have my own projects, however the small annual fee all helps the project along. I am posting a photo taken the other week of one of the restored canal bridges on the Hatherton canal near to Wedges Mill, if anybody from this site ever is in this area I can recommend canal walks although the ones in the country are the best, very picturesque as you can see.

Jeremy

[essexpete]

Place to work the Hymac or Poclain Jeremy?

[hair bear]

Closer to home, and your hobby helps theirs. What's not to like?