IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Brookfield Road, BIRMINGHAM, B30 3QY

The shops in Broad Lane at the junction with Brandwood Road. Some way beneath the photographers feet is Image

The very busy junction of Brandwood Park Road, Brandwood Road, Broad Lane and Monyhull Hall Road.

The portal is Grade II Listed and the English Heritage website describes it thus:- "C1795-94 tunnel on the Stratford on Avon Canal (north section opened 1802). The west portal and lofty retaining wall ashlar faced with swept out abutments. Voussoir elliptical arch (wide enough for passage of 2 narrow boats, but no towpath). Above the arch is a circular plaque containing an eroded bust of Shakespeare flanked by 2 niches." (The C1795-94 is obviously an error caused by the character recognition software mistranslating.) This photograph was taken more than 47 years after Robin's Image but from nearly the same viewpoint. The narrowboat entering the tunnel is an Anglo Welsh hire boat (No 52) crewed, the photographer thinks, by some transatlantic visitors. If you read this, guys, thanks for letting us out first!

The eastern portal of the 352 yard tunnel.

The other end of the tunnel entered by Image and also Grade II listed https://britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/101276271-east-portal-of-brandwood-tunnel-brandwood-ward & https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1276271 in 1982. This one dates from the mid 1790s; sadly the painted graffiti on the brickwork (and the litter in the 'windows') is rather more recent.

This is the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal at the east portal of the 352 yard (322 metres) Brandwood Tunnel near King's Norton. The tunnel is wide enough for narrowboats travelling in opposite directions to pass each other. There is no towpath in the tunnel. The horses used to be detached and led up the track to the right, and across the hill, and crews hauled the boats along by means of an iron handrail on the side. Some of these rails are still in place. This part of the canal was built in the mid 1790s, though financial problems (what's new?) caused delays before the canal could open as far as Kingswood Junction (with the Grand Union) in 1803. The second stage (to Stratford) did not start until 1812, and was finished by 1815. Initial plans for a wide canal (the reason for the wide bridges and tunnels) were abandoned at an early stage.

This is the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal at the east portal of the 352 yard (322 metres) Brandwood Tunnel near King's Norton. The tunnel is wide enough for narrowboats travelling in opposite directions to pass each other. There is no towpath in the tunnel. The horses used to be detached and led up a track to the right, and across the hill, and crews hauled the boats along by means of an iron handrail on the side. Some of these rails are still in place. This part of the canal was built in the mid 1790s, though financial problems (what's new?) caused delays before the canal could open as far as Kingswood Junction (with the Grand Union) in 1803. The second stage (to Stratford) did not start until 1812, and was finished by 1815. Initial plans for a wide canal (the reason for the wide bridges and tunnels) were abandoned at an early stage.

This is the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal approaching the east portal of the 352 yard (322 metres) Brandwood Tunnel near King's Norton. The headlight of a boat can be seen in the tunnel, which is wide enough for narrowboats travelling in opposite directions to pass each other in. There is no towpath in the tunnel. The horses used to be detached and led up the track to the right, and across the hill. Boatmen hauled the boats along by means of an iron handrail in the side. Some of these rails are still in place. This part of the canal was built in the mid 1790s, though financial problems caused delays before the canal could open as far as Kingswood Junction (with the Grand Union) in 1803. The second stage (to Stratford) did not start until 1812, and was finished by 1815. Initial plans for a wide canal (the reason for the wide bridges and tunnels) were abandoned at an early stage.