Worcester & Birmingham Canal – Lock 36 – Tardebigge, UK
Posted by: ntpayne
N 52° 18.605 W 002° 02.660
30U E 565152 N 5795957
This is lock 36 on the Worcester & Birmingham canal.
Waymark Code: WMVECH
Location: West Midlands, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 04/08/2017
Views: 1
This is lock 36 on the Worcester & Birmingham canal. It is the eighth lock up the 30 lock Tardebigge flight which raises the canal by 217’. This is the longest flight of locks in the UK and stretches for just over two miles.
The Worcester & Birmingham canal was opened in 1815 and runs for 30 miles from Diglis Basin 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.
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 Diglis Basin 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.
Type: Lock
Date Opened: 01/01/1815
Elevation Difference (meters): 2.00
Site Status: Operational
Web Site: [Web Link]
Date Closed (if applicable): Not listed
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