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Birmingham Canal Old Main Line

Birmingham Canal Old Main Line. © Richard Fairhurst

Much of the old Birmingham Canal is still open to boaters and walkers - and the sense of history is almost overpowering.

The Old Main Line plays a prominent part in many modern developments, such as the houses at Tividale Quays. These focus on the waterspace, a trend unimaginable only a generation ago when housing shied away from the 'grimy' canals.

Superseded by Telford's straight New Main Line, the seven-mile stretch of James Brindley's Old Main Line from Smethwick Junction to Factory Junction sees fewer boats than Telford's newer and shorter route.

Other parts of the original line survive in curious 'loops', some navigable, some lost. Like manmade oxbow lakes, these demonstrate how the first Birmingham Canal - which followed the contours of the land - was superseded by a straighter, shorter route through the Black Country.