IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Baldwin Road, BIRMINGHAM, B30 3LE

This stretch of the canal is between King's Norton Junction and King's Norton Bridge No 71.

The junction of the Worcester and Birmingham Canal and the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal. The bridge is King's Norton Junction Bridge No 72.

This broad reach of canal is the start of the Stratford-on-Avon Canal leading away from the King's Norton Junction with the Worcester and Birmingham Canal. It leads to the narrow channel through Image visible in the distance. (This photograph concludes our circumnavigation of the Warwickshire Ring, with a couple of diversions (!). 11 cruising days, 407 photographs, 201 grid squares, a few units of alcohol, and a slightly battered boat. To return to the start please go to Image !)

Towards Worcester & Birmingham Canal.

Junction of the Worcester and Birmingham Canal with the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal near King's Norton. Birmingham is through the arch on the left and Stratford down the canal on the right. The bridge is number 72 on the Worcester and Birmingham Canal.

The junction of the Worcester and Birmingham and the Stratford on Avon canals. The old toll house and sign posts.

This unusual Guillotine Lock raise and lowers the water by nothing at all! This view was taken from beneath the arch of Bridge No 1 on the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal. The bridge crosses the middle of the lock. It is noticeable that the bridge is far wider than it needs to be. When the canal was planned and started in the mid 1790s the intention was for a wide canal supporting wider than the standard seven foot beam narrowboats. They soon ran out of money building the first few (lockless) miles with wide bridges, and by the time the first stage to Kingswood Junction (with the Warwick and Birmingham Canal - now Grand Union) was open in 1803, the whole idea of a wide canal had been abandoned. All the locks to Stratford (eventually reached by 1815) are narrow. Therefore, this lock at King's Norton, was put in place after the decision not to accommodate wide boats was taken. For more lock details see: Image] Image]

Junction of the Stratford Canal (Northern Section) with the Worcester and Birmingham Canal. The Stratford canal is the one the Narrowboat is cruising on and the Worcester & Birmingham goes from left to right at the fingerpost in the distance. Turn left at the junction and the canal goes to Worcester, turn right and it goes to the middle of Birmingham at Gas Street.