Wednesbury Oak Loop - Route

Route

From Deepfields Junction, the canal passes under a London, Midland and Scottish Railway bridge, after which there was a basin to the north, which served Deepfields Colliery Pit No. 4 in 1887. It was partially filled in between 1938 and 1967, and is now gone. Beyond it was Deepfields Bridge, carrying Ladymoor Road over the canal. Then the canal turned to the north-east on a very wide bend, with a basin to the south, serving Deepfields Works, which was manufacturing sheet iron in 1887. By 1919, the works had gone and just a small section of the basin remained. The whole area was covered by Deepfields colliery, which had also engulfed a boat building yard situated by the next bend in 1887 but gone by 1903. By the next bend, there were three basins, the first of which is still there, while the next two had been filled in by 1967. Highfields Bridge carries Highfields Road, and then there was a basin, which still exists and which provides a winding point. After the next bend there is a much wider section, which acted as a basin and is the final winding point on the branch outside of the hours when the British Waterways depot is open.

Opposite it, Capponfield Furnaces was served by a basin which lasted until after 1938, although the works was still active in 1967. The Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway crossed next, with a basin on the north bank on either side of the bridge, the second serving Capponfield Iron Works. Two more basins were located on the south bank, and then a large rectangular basin served Barbor's Field Furnaces on the north bank. Only the second of the two to the south remained in 1967, the first having been covered by a refuse tip. Banks Bridge was located where Dudley Street crossed, and the line followed a big sweeping arc, to turn to the south. There were two more basins on the outside of the arc, and one inside, to serve Bradley Field Iron Works. Pothouse Bridge carries Salop Road over the canal, and then another basin served the Regent Iron Works.

The old line of the canal swung in a big loop to the east of the current line, passing Britannia and Bradley Hall Works, both of which made bar iron, and an unnamed chemical works. The loop ended where the modern British Waterways Works is located. A new line, which is now the only line, was cut across the neck of the look some time before 1887. Bradley Pumping Engine was located where they rejoined. By 1938, most of the loop, apart from the basin near the pumping engine, was dry. Tup Street Bridge carried Cross Street over the canal just beyond the present end of the watered section. A small basin to the west served Batman's Hill Iron Works, and then there was another large loop, this time to the west, its course roughly corresponding to the borders of Weddell Wynd Community Woodland. A small basin served a coal pit within the loop, which had gone by 1903, and a much longer one branched westwards from the loop to serve Wednesbury Oak Colliery, with a branch which headed northwards to Hardingsfield Colliery. Half of the northern branch had gone by 1903, and the entire basin was dry by 1919.

At some time prior to the opening of the Bradley Locks Branch in 1849, a straight cut had been made across the neck of the loop, and the new branch connected to it. Just beyond the end of the cut, a network of basins headed eastwards, to serve the Wednesbury Oak Iron Works, and some furnaces that produced pig iron. A tramway crossed, a basin served Schoolfields Colliery No 2, already disused by 1887, and a railway crossed. Beyond it, Schoolfields Colliery No 3 and its basin were also disused by this date, although the No 5 Colliery was operational, to the east of the canal, and its basin was linked to two tramways in 1903, but had gone by 1938. A modern school occupies the site of the basin. After another large bend, Gospel Oak Iron Works had a large basin with a northern branch, and Summer Hill Iron Works had a smaller basin. The canal passed round the village of Summer Hill in a large loop to the east, from which the Ocker Hill Branch left, and a basin served Hope Colliery and another served Hope Iron Works. Both had gone by 1904, when the whole area had become Moat Colliery.

Church Lane crossed the canal to the south-west of Summer Hill. After more sweeping bends, two basins served old clay pits to the north of the canal, and two more served Tipton Green Iron Furnaces to the south. A tramway bridge, three railway bridges, and a series of basins completed the final section, before it rejoined the cut from Coseley Tunnel. Most of the basins had gone by 1920.