Rushall Junction - Location

Location

From the junction, the Tame Valley Canal heads westwards, running alongside the M6 motorway for about 0.5 miles (0.80 km), before the two diverge, and the canal crosses the M5 motorway western slip road and a railway line on aqueducts. It is level for 3.5 miles (5.6 km) to its junction with the Walsall Canal at Tame Valley Junction. In the other direction, the canal heads to the south east, passing under a towpath bridge and the eastern sliproads of the M5 motorway. It reaches the top lock of the 13-lock Perry Barr flight, which drops the level of the canal by 106 feet (32 m) after 2.2 miles (3.5 km). The Tame Valley Canal has towpaths on both banks for most of its length.

The Rushall Canal heads northwards, under a towpath bridge, and almost immediately under the M6 motorway. The towpath is on the western bank, and the canal is level for 0.9 miles (1.4 km) to the bottom of the Rushall locks. After the motorway, there are three accommodation bridges, the third of which, Hill Farm Bridge, is a grade II listed structure. It is made of cast iron with abuments of brick and sandstone, and the balustrades consist of a latticework of saltire crosses. The footbridge to the east of the junction is of a similar design, and is also listed.