Page:Rivers, Canals, Railways of Great Britain.djvu/94



Under the powers of the act of 34th George III. a cut was made from Bloomfield into the original navigation again at Deepfield, of the length of one mile and three quarters, of which one thousand yards was tunnelling, by which, the circuitous course of tour miles, round Tipton Hill, is avoided. Mr. Brindley was the engineer originally employed in this work, Mr. Whitworth followed him, and several others have been subsequently consulted, amongst whom was Mr. John Smeaton; but the last and greatest improvements made, were under the direction of Mr. Telford.

That part of this navigation called the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal, commences at the eastern end of the Old Birmingham Canal, near Farmer's Bridge in Birmingham, and passes through a part of the town; thence by Newhall Forge, Moxhall Hall, Middleton Hall, and Drayton Manor House, to the Coventry Canal, at Fazeley, near the town of Tamworth. The distance to this place is fifteen miles, with a fall of 248 feet. The remaining five miles and a half, to Whittington Brook, being that portion of the original line of the Coventry Canal, now forming part of the Birmingham Canal Navigations, is level Its course from Fazeley is north-west of Hopwas, from whence, running parallel with the Tame River, it passes the villages of Tamborn and Whittington, to Whittingion Brook, otherwise the Huddlesford Junction, where it communicates with the Wyrley and Essington Canal; and also, with that portion of the original part of the Coventry Canal, now forming part of the Grand Trunk, or Trent and Mersey Canal

The Digbeth Branch is a mile and a quarter in length, with a fall of 40 feet, by six locks, to the Warwick and Birmingham Canal, on the east side of the town of Birmingham. At Salford Bridge there is an aqueduct of seven arches, each 18 feet span. There is also a short tunnel at Curdworth.

This canal, which effected an inland communication between London and Hull, was opened on the 12th of July, 1790.

The Walsall Branch was executed under authority of an act of 34th George III. It is level, and four miles and a half in length, and was opened in June, 1799.

By an act of the 32nd George III. (cap. 81, royal assent 30th April, 1792), entitled,  'An Act for making and maintaining a navigable Canal from or from near Wyrley Bank, in the county