Worcester and Birmingham canal – wast hills

I explore the Worcester and Birmingham canal towards wast hills looking at scenery history and more it’s a interesting canal area with the locks on the Stratford upon Avon canal and the wast hills tunnel

Information

wast hill tunnel

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wast_Hill_Tunnel

Worcester and Birmingham canal

stop lock
https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1076290

canal

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worcester_and_Birmingham_Canal

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– midlands outdoors

Hello welcome back to the Midlands Outdoor Channel back with another video today here we are on the WAM and Burmingham Canal we’ve got the varar bridge what leads over towards the giltin lock and we going and show you that one more time our journey today is

Taking us all the way to Wass which is this way it’s actually a section of the canal what I’ve never seen before and of course you can just see the old building by the side of the canal one more time I believe it goes further this way then

Comes to an end where a tunnel goes all the way through but the first thing I’m going to show you is on this canal section here and go and show you the guillotine lock one more time we may even go a little bit more further before

We come and check out this section so let’s go and head down and let’s go and see what we can see Kings Norton Junction is the name of the canal Junction where the statford up Avon canal terminates and meets The W and Birmingham Canal at Kings Northern Birmingham England it was actually

Completed in 1807 the Stratford upon Avon Canal was authorized in 1793 to ensure that the prosperity being generated by new Canal routes would not bypass Stratford construction began at Kings Norton Junction Less Than 3 miles from cot Junction where the W and Buren Canal met with the Dudley Canal number two line

Which passed through the lapo tunnel this route would give easy access to the dudly Cal Fields after the first three years pro progress was slow due to a lack of capital and it was not until the canal reached Kingswood Junction at lorth in 1803 where there was a link to

The wck and Birmingham Canal later part of the Grand Union Canal that large volumes of traffic used a canal at Kings Norton Junction the final section from blackworth to Stratford was built between 1812 and 18155 so here it is for guiltin lock right around front it’s got some really amazing

Architecture you can just sortly see the little pulley Wheels one there one there and a massive one right away to the corner and of course going back to the other videos what I covered on the starage extension line there would have been a lock similar to this where the

Stop lock was and this is why I wanted to show you that because it’s a good example of what that lock would have been like if I quickly show you some footage at the moment you can sort of see the two slots in the wall from the

Last video if I pan around to show you this is a brilliant example of what possibly would have looked like but operated much more differently you can just sort of see the little slots in the wall there and then this massive gate going right way up look how old that

Wood is so can imagine you have to pull this here so when you pull this it actually pulls the chain then lowers and raises the gate so it does say here a bit of information the water level on the w and burnen Canal has to be kept 1

In above that of the strapford upon Avon Canal it is my job to open and close the lock Gates and let the boats through canal lensman 1810 so you can just imagine the guillotine Locker right away here actually operated similar to the one that’s on the starage extension Canal

For derit part so it’s a really good example seeing this one here but not only that if I Journey all the way through there’s also another Guillotine lock right around the corner what you can just sort of see as I pass through this little tunnel we’ve got the other Guillotine lock right right

There so I believe somewhere onto this corner here where the canal is there would have been a lock housee where the lock keeper would come all the way out to open and close the gate from time to time I believe that might have been somewhere

Right away there cuz I can sort of see the brick wall sticking right our way out but I will give you some cinematics now cuz it is really amazing to see the guillotine locks on the strap with upon P ion canal So uh that that’s the guillotine locks right away here let’s go and journey down this strap for the Avon canal and let’s go and see where we end up then from there we’ll go all way to westels and go and check out that section I’ll tell you what though it does look a

Really beautiful Canal V you can just sort of see in front it’s all covered by Nature open land it goes really far this canal line does but I think as we journey a little bit further on it also comes to an end with another tunnel

Where you have to get on the road and then go further ahead [Applause] I right let’s go and show you brandwood tunnel I’ve got to be super super fast cuz I got to leave the bike there but wow this is it look at the architecture of that on the wall if I get closer I mean this tunnel must really

Day old I mean look right about there the patterns of that like how I put a detail of that person and carved onto there is absolutely amazing he says brandwood tunnel 322 M if I carefully show you the inside look at that hello it’s actually a really wider

Tunnel it’s actually like a wider version of the Hill Tunnel it’s really amazing to see this but that’s actually brandwood tunnel so you can go even further than that so if I took the path where my bike is up there you can actually get on the

Pavements join the side of the road and get back on the canal so that’s actually a future video but what have you that seen the brandwood tunnel and also a very old picture of what’s being carved on the top so here we are once more on the w and

Burmingham Canal going to show you a few things quickly show you the bridge and then I’ll going to show you this old building right the way behind us so right this one looks very old possibly dates of the 1800s cuz you can sort of see the brick is very bad on one side

You can just definitely tell this canal was very industrialized Once More by Turing by the rope burn from the horses but it’s definitely really our breckfast bridge I’m definitely going to say 1800s when this was even constructed it’s called Bridge number 72 but I really do

Like looking at the very old bridges you know this is where much of our history lies is things like this the last very old things on the canal lines cuz most of our Industries have gone now a lot of coal mines various factories are actually disappearing so it’s nice we’re

Preserving things like this from an old past server is the first sign here this one actually says City Center Six Mile we got Kings Norton which goes all the way this way and then Longbridge is actually 3 Mile redit if I go straight away on is actually 8 Mile but not only

That look how many miles this is right away in front Stratford is 252 mile wow 55 locks that’s insane wari is actually 20 and A2 mile and then 40 locks so it probably would be a bit more quicker to go to Warick than W it wood to Stratford

You probably need five batteries on these box to get all the way there I don’t think I could do the four route but I think I might go to erwood which isn’t really too too far so that’s actually a future plan video for the summertime but I tell you what I love

About the canal is the views they’re absolutely stunning you can sort of see the view to the guillotine lock right away in front when all the tree surrounding it’s definitely full of nature over here you can hear the birds at the moment but you can read the picture back to the

Industrial days though the amount of boats what was passing from the Stratford up on Avon Canal all the way to the W and buring Canal and we can see by the side of us a very old building which is cool one more time so this one’s actually called Junction House liford

Lane so it’s ass sign there say buer and Birmingham Canal company Junction house office opened May 1796 w wow it’s got all the stuff on there mileages various bits and pieces I will take a photo so you can just sort of see it a bit more

Clear at the moment so is this some sort of toall house where the charge boats or is it some sort of just like basic house on the canal line like an office drop it in the comments but you just say there Junction House Office open 1796 it’s really really dating all that

Is but you can just imagine when this was even built it’s got some really cool architecture but I’ve seen it’s been modernized and bits and pieces have actually been bricked up if I just view to this corner you can sort of see what I mean where there’s a little vent in

There and then something’s been bricked up right away to the bottom wow what an amazing building but not only that let’s go and journey down the canal and see where we end up we’re heading all the way now to Wass So going to pull over and have a little bit of a rest I’ve just noticed a massive park right away there and there is a big church can just sort of see the top of it sticking right away beneath the trees in the distance just further this why we’re

Coming to another first bridge and I’ll tell you more about that when I get down to there but let’s have a quick look at the old Ordinance survey maps and let’s see what we can find so I’m having trouble getting my date on but this is actually the old Ordinance survey map so

You can just clearly see what’s around the area I think they might be little bits in pieces I’m not too sure but you can just sort of see on the photos at the moment on what I’m showing you but I tell you what it’s been an absolute lovely ride coming all the way

From how in down to the W and Birmingham canal at the Kings Norton we can clearly see that the canal is used quite regularly because of all the boats what I’m passing up and down got a narrow boat just at a moment coming all the way

Up so right this is actually that bridge what I was on about it’s called number 71 Bridge it’s actually been maintained quite a few times because you can see all the paint what’s going over a crft and then just right up there if I zoom in is something really cool you can just

Sort of see that big massive Red Door thing sticking in and that was actually used in the old days by the fire services to get the hoses right away down into the canal to collect the water I believe I’m correct there because there tons of them not only here but

Head nor way up to Birmingham city center I’ve seen tons of those and even in the black country cuz I think it was there for the fire services to get access to water much more easily so they’ll take bits and pieces from the canal lines but I’m not too sure what’s

Even further on but let’s keep journeying and see what’s around here but yeah I’ve got to be very very careful Oh no just went over some glass cuz if I get a puncher here I’ve got a really really long walk back home you can just sort of see this area is

Definitely industrialized because of all the Industries on the sides you can see onto this corner I canar all the factory is going but while the weather and the distance is going really over by the looks of it it’s going very dark it definitely looks like it’s going

To rain so fingers crossed I’ll get to some shelter in a little while just check the weather and it’s got a belt down at 12:00 so let’s get to this was Deals So right we’re at was deals I can just sort of see the tunnel sticking right away there so when I get down to the bottom bit I will go and show you that one but we can sort of see a modern Road and a bridge has been built right away

Above but I’m going to get the old Orin survey Maps up one more time and let’s have a look in this area in very much detail so here we are on the old Ordinance survey Maps there’s not much around here basically it’s just all Farms bits of in pieces Farm stretching

All the way up to Walkers e on the old map I mean just a bit further down for where we come from is a brick and tile works just by Warf Bridge viewing all the way down we can sort of see the wasel’s tunnel entrance and that goes

Really far there’s a few air shafts sticking somewhere right on on top and that actually Meats all the way down to the bottom and I think it’s actually Hopwood to where it comes out a little bit closer to that’s also a future video so I’m definitely going to have a look

At that a sh can’t get like a a little narrow boat tour and go into the wasel tunnel and then just Sur to that area we’ve got a massive Hall it’s got a motor around it so there isn’t too many calories around here like bits and pieces like related to the industrial

Days it was more into the black country area and bits around Birmingham where all the coal mines was so it has really surprised me though look at the old audence survey maps and see there wasn’t much industry in the ways of coal mines factories various bits and pieces it was all farmland

And just open area as you head over towards the other side of the westels tunnel but I tell you what what a beautiful route we’re nearly coming to the end of the route now so let’s go and check out wasel’s tunnel then I’ll come back to this spot and tell you more

History of the canal line so right here it is that’s actually the was Tunnel right away there so it does look sort of similar to the lapo tunnel I believe Edwin fashion might have explored this one more time I did see something online quite a while back about Edwin fashion exploring the

Lapa tunnel and also the wasel’s tunnel so I believe it goes really really along I would love to see what’s inside there I mean the architecture and bits and pieces I bet it’s amazing but you know it would be cool to go in there you never know one day someone might say

Come on my arrow but I’ll take you all the way through to the wasel tunnel you never know one day I’ll get to explore it but it’s nice to see it from the outside it’s really cool to see the brick wall leading right way up wasel

Tunnel is a canal tunnel on the w and Birmingham Canal its northern portal is in huso Birmingham its Southern portal is in the fields just outside the city’s boundaries in werer so we can see there it’s got dates of construction 1794 to 97 some sort of the dates when lapa tunel was actually

Built so we can see here it says design engineer Thomas cartro it’s actually got a width of double no top paath boats passable it says yes so it’s actually a wider tunnel wasel tunnel was built in 1796 and is 2,726 yards 2,493 M long making it one of the

Longest in the country there are several ventilation shafts along the length which are initially used for the tunnel’s construction it is wide enough to accommodate two narrow boats but actually explored that on another boat leading all the way to the other side if I am correct then definitely drop it in

The comments but I did see the information about lapa tle when Edwin fashion actually exploded and went to a certain section then put a plaque on this like little Oak beam which is really cool so there is a bit of information here it says the W and Birmingham Canal

Was authorized by an act of parliament in 1791 after overcoming opposition by the staffer and Ware canal and the Buren Canal company the first saw the route as a direct competition while the second would not allow a junction between the two canals the canal was built southwards from Birmingham where there

Was a 7t 2.1 M gap between the canal and the Birmingham system shortly after passing through Kings Norton a ridge of Hills was pierced by the 2,726 yard 2,493 M wasel Tunnel construction began in 1794 and by 1807 boats could reach big there was then a period of no

Activity but the canal was finally completed to digly Basin and River 7 by 1815 an agreement enabled a stop lock to be built to connect the canal to the Burmingham canals in the same year but there’s tons of information and history behind the W and B Canal it’s really

Cool to come further from where I live in our are in all the way down to Wass and then from the Kings n stretch down the statford up and Avon Canal so I will be coming back down to here in the summer time to go down the statford up

And Avon Canal then all the way to the other end of Ood it’s really St I could spend hours here just enjoying the see the woffs really thriving down here then some of the history what remains like the old bridges and several bits and pieces is once more cool to see like the

Guillotine locks down by of a stretch but you can sort of see I’ve got my side rusher fix I’m back on my bike again now it’s really nice to go a long journey and look at the battery I’ve been on this all day and it’s still at

100% going to have to say this is a really amazing bike from hell’s all the way to West Hills with 100% batter is really insane I’ve achieved my Milestone by getting a, or4 mile so that is a long mileage Al together but I tell you what without the ebike

These Journeys wouldn’t be possible it would take you hours to walk over way from where I come from in hours are to get to this section but what a day I think the sky is going blue now at the moment but we’re going to go all the way back down

The wer and burm canal and get little bits of cinematics for you but it’s been a shorter video but it’s nice to come out and explore bits and pieces what I’ve not seen before but until next time the Midlands Outdoors out I will see you

In the next video I might be back with explos the black country cuz I got tons to film I might actually be releasing my exploring the black country book on the Google Play Store on the ebook version but I’m trying to get permission for that but if it doesn’t go forward then

I’ll try and get the paper ones released but see you soon for Midland’s Outdoors Out W Oh