The Wolverhampton 21 - Top Lock No 1

Image: © Roger Kidd Taken: 14 May 2022

There are 21 locks in the Wolverhampton flight, lowering the Birmingham Canal Navigations Main Line (Wolverhampton Level) down 132 feet (40 metres) to the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal at Aldersley Junction, about one and three quarter miles (2·8 km) to the north-west. * Originally there were just twenty locks, the current No 21 being the original No 20 but a deep one, which caused difficulty and delays. An extra lock was inserted (current No 20) and the original made into No 21, much shallower and quicker to work, and saving water. This will never be a picturesque flight which boat crews will want to use. Although there is much of interest to see as the canal passes through the Black Country to Birmingham, it takes three to four hours of slow progress to negotiate the locks, and that is a lot out of a week's trip if a boat is hired on the attractive Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal, especially if it has to be done twice!

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