TAME VALLEY CANAL JUNCTION BRIDGES 1844 Wednesbury West Midlands SO977 936 N51o 48' 17.1" W0o 3' 24"
This junction in the modern Birmingham Canal Navigation near Ocker Hill was part of The Tame Valley Canal network that was opened in 1844 to relieve the congestion on the old Birmingham canal system first laid out by James Brindley in the 1770's. The Horseley Iron Company of Tipton had made iron canal foot bridges of Thomas Telford's design for his improvements to the Brindley canals during the late 1820's. The company continued to produce this basic bridge for the next thirty years. They occur throughout the Tame Valley canal system, especially at the junctions where a roving bridge was needed to allow the towing horse to cross the canal to another tow path.
Off a roundabout on the A41 between Ocker Hill and Wednesbury, there is a huge shopping center with an ASDA/Walmart store. Go to the far corner of the parking lot by the Boots where there is a modern foot bridge across the canal. Walk to your right (with your back to the parking lot) along the canal for 20 minutes to the Tame Valley Junction bridges.