Weeks ago, I promised to give you some more of the archive of pictures local historian Clive Roberts had happened upon, and haven’t got round to it – so here’s a remarkable blast of pictures of the lost and largely derelict Wyrley and Essington/Lichfield Canal, which ran from Ogley Junction Brownhills (near Grasmere Gardens) to Lichfield via Pipe Hill and on to Huddlesford, near Whittington, where it joined the Coventry Canal.
The canal had 30 locks in total and was believed to have been abandoned around 1933, but formerly closed in 1957. I’m not certain of that – perhaps waterway buffs could enlighten me with the exact date and reason for closure?
The canal is now referred to as the Lichfield Canal and is being restored as part of the Lichfield and Hatherton project, carried out by dedicated enthusiasts.
I’ll give the source in a subsequent post next week – but I don’t want to spoil a further surprise.
