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Canal Square, BIRMINGHAM, B16 8FL

Birmingham Canal Navigations. Looking west-north-west from near Sherborne Wharf. The modern King Edwards* Wharf Apartments are straight ahead. Major redevelopment locally is still in progress in many places in central Birmingham. The Oozells Street Loop is a remnant from the original 1772 line to Wolverhampton. *The developers felt they were far too important, and "trendy" to bother with apostrophes.

Birmingham Canal Navigations. Looking west-north-west from the Liberty Place footbridge. The modern King Edwards* Wharf Apartments are straight ahead. Major redevelopment locally is still in progress in many places in central Birmingham. The Oozells Street Loop is a remnant from the original 1772 line to Wolverhampton. *The developers felt they were far too important, and "trendy" to bother with apostrophes.

Seen from near Sheepcote Street on King Edwards Drive. The bridge is crossing a canal loop that is now lined with accommodation.

In the foreground lies a short dock off the Oozells Street Loop http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/6062041 , which ends just outside the frame to the right. The loop itself is the original Birmingham Canal built around 1770 by James Brindley. In the 1820s the canal was straightened by Thomas Telford by cutting trenches through higher ground, thereby cutting off loops such as this one. Old industrial buildings opposite have been demolished and will no doubt be replaced by apartment blocks in due course, as has already happened along most other parts of the canal loop.

High and Low living in the Wharf off the Birmingham Canal.

Birmingham Canal Navigations. James Brindley’s original 1769 canal was a "contour canal" which looped around the contours to avoid gradients. In 1824 Thomas Telford straightened the canal using aqueducts across valleys and cuttings through higher land reducing the length considerably. His new Birmingham Main Line opened in 1829 and was 5 miles and 5 hours shorter than the original route. The Oozells Street Loop is one of the remaining loops of Brindley's Old Main Line and has seen much impressive regeneration in the last twenty years.. Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birmingham_Canal_Navigations

A view into the Oozells Street Loop with its moorings. Clearly evident is the amount of development which has taken place in recent years alongside the canal network in the city centre. Time photo taken 12.39 pm BST (British Summer Time).

Birmingham Canal Navigations on a dull August morning.. Looking west-north-west from near Sherborne Wharf. The modern Watermarque and King Edwards* Wharf Apartments are straight ahead. Major redevelopment is still in progress in many places in central Birmingham. The Oozells Street Loop is a remnant from the original 1772 line to Wolverhampton. *The developers felt they were far too important, and "trendy" to bother with apostrophes.

Quite a contrast between the canalside apartment blocks and the houses just a row back from the water http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/6061977 . The footbridge leads onto the canal island created in the 1820s when the Birmingham Canal New Line http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/6062235 was cut to straighten the bendy original Birmingham Canal. The Oozells Street Loop shown here is part of the original canal.