The BCN New Main Line (Birmingham Level) running to the left of the New Smethwick Pumping Station. The BCN Old Main Line (Wolverhampton Level) runs 20 ft higher, to the right of the building.Another view of the New Smethwick Pumping Station, with the Wolverhampton Level to the right and the Birmingham Level on the left
The Birmingham Canal Navigations (BCN), a network of narrow canals in the industrial midlands of England, is built on various water levels. The three longest are the Wolverhampton, Birmingham, and Walsall levels. Locks allow boats to move from one level to another.
A former branch of the Wyrley and Essington Canal, the Essington Branch was abandoned before 1904 and is now filled in. It was the highest level on the BCN.
511 ft Titford Summit
The highest canal currently in BCN, 1 mile of which remains navigable. It was fed from the 18th century Titford Reservoir (now under Junction 2 of the M5 motorway) originally by feeder, and since 1837 by the Titford Canal. A feeder from the Tat Bank Branch (also known as Spon Lane Branch) supplies water to Edgbaston Reservoir.
491 ft Brindley's Smethwick Summit
A historical level, no longer existing. The highest level designed by James Brindley for his Birmingham Canal (BCN Old Main Line). Removed by John Smeaton's design in 1790.
473 ft Wolverhampton Level
Valve house below Edgbaston Reservoir, early feed to the Wolverhampton Level along the Smethwick feeder
A total of 41.7 miles navigable without locks:
BCN Old Main Line Wolverhampton top lock to Smethwick locks, 11.6 miles
Rushall Canal (Rushall junction to Rushall bottom lock), 0.9 miles.
Reservoirs
To keep the canals topped up with water, reservoirs were built to collect water from streams. These had to be above the relevant canal levels, often some distance away. The small Titford Reservoir (Titford Pool), as well as feeding the Titford Canal supplies its surplus water to Edgbaston Reservoir along a feeder through Smethwick. Water from Edgbaston Reservoir feeds the Birmingham Level at the adjacent Icknield Port Loop, and once fed the Wolverhampton Level via a long feeder (now overgrown and dry) along the top of a raised embankment along Telford's BCN New Main Line to the Engine Arm. Water is also supplied by Chasewater and Netherton Reservoirs.
Water pumping
Edgbaston (Rotton Park) Reservoir was an early source of water for the Birmingham Canal
Water was a precious resource, spent each time a lock was emptied as a boat changed level. Steam pumps were employed at many flights of locks to pump water back to a higher level, for example, the Smethwick Engine.
Spon Lane engine (1778–1790) pumping Wolverhampton level to 491 ft Summit level, closed by Smeaton's removal of the Summit level
Smethwick Engine (1779–1898) pumping Birmingham level to 491 ft Summit level, pumping to Wolverhampton level after Summit lowered. It was replaced in 1892 by two centrifugal engines in a new pumphouse north of Brasshouse Lane Bridge, Smethwick.
