Dudley Port to Sandwell & Dudley canal walk along the BCN New Mainline in Sandwell

Getting the train up from Birmingham New Street on Good Friday, 7th April 2023 to Dudley Port, near Tipton in Sandwell. The canal towpath access is nearby for the BCN New Mainline, which is high up. A long straight canal developed by Thomas Telford, there is several branches off the canal, and runs alongside the railway. Getting off at Oldbury Road, found the Wednesbury Old Canal as well.

Birmingham Canal Navigations New Mainline

This was an afternoon walk from Dudley Port to Sandwell & Dudley via the BCN New Mainline, starting at Dudley Port, near the Ryland Aqueduct, down to the Albion Bridge at Oldbury Road. Could have stayed on to Bromford Road, but found the Wednesbury Old Canal from Albion Road, and walked around past some steel works.

 

Dudley Port

Getting the train on Good Friday, 7th April 2023 from Birmingham New Street to Dudley Port. The exit is via some steps and a small subway to a car park, and the Dudley Port road. Walking under the Dudley Port Station Bridge and the Ryland Aqueduct, found a towpath access path up to the Birmingham Canal Navigations New Mainline. With this view of Dudley Port Station. Trains are every half an hour in both directions, when I arrived on my train to Wolverhampton, was another train going to Walsall via Birmingham New Street. This is the ideal start for a canal walk on a sunny afternoon.

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Ryland Aqueduct

The Ryland Aqueduct crosses the Dudley Port road, and is next to the Dudley Port Station Bridge. There is a view to Dudley in the distance up this road. The no 74 bus between Dudley and Birmingham passes under it.

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Rattlechain Bridge -  Site of Dixon's Basin

This bridge is just after the Ryland Aqueduct. It is cut off, so you can't walk over it, the towpath is to the right of it. The basin was probably behind where the fence is now.

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Dudley Port Junction

A short walk down from Dudley Port Station and the Ryland Aqueduct, gets you to Dudley Port Junction. Two bridges here, the Dudley Port Junction Bridge and the Dudley Port Roving Bridge, under which is the start of the Netherton Tunnel Branch

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Netherton Tunnel Branch

The Netherton Tunnel Branch is part of the Birmingham Canal Navigations. Starting here at Dudley Port Junction with the BCN New Mainline, it goes towards Windmill End Junction, where it joins onto the BCN Old Mainline. It was built from 1855 and was opened in 1858. One of the last canals to open. The canal was repaired in 1983 and 2013.

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Rattlechain Bridge and the site of the Rattlechain Brickworks Basin

Another bridge here, and a small pool of water next to the BCN Mainline. Not much to see here now, nature has reclaimed the land here.

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Dunkirk Toll Island

This is also called  the Dunkirk Stop Island. Narrowboats can go either side of it.

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Albion Junction

At Albion Junction is the Albion Junction Bridge. It is where you can find the Gower Branch of the Birmingham Canal Navigations.

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Gower Branch

The Gower Branch Canal starts here at Albion Junction with the BCN New Mainline, and is another part of the Birmingham Canal Navigations. It was authorised in 1768, but was not completed until 1836. It goes towards Brades Hall Junction with the BCN Old Mainline. On the day of this visit, in April 2023, the towpath was closed. The canal lock beyond was probably closed for repairs.

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Union Furnace Bridge

This bridge is on Union Road, but is cut off now by the railway. Nearby is William King Ltd. They are a steel stockholder and supplier in West Bromwich.

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Albion Railway Bridge

This railway bridge is between Sandwell & Dudley and Dudley Port on the Stour Valley Line, it is at this point that the railway and the BCN New Mainline switch sides.

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Albion Bridge

It was a long walk from Dudley Port, and I decided to get off at the Albion Bridge on Oldbury Road, for a walk to the nearest station of Sandwell & Dudley. I would have headed to the right, but headed to the left via Albion Road, and found the nearby Wednesbury Old Canal (see below).

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From the Albion Bridge

I exited at Oldbury Road, on the Albion Bridge, near Oldbury. This was the view from the other side of the bridge. Pudding Green Junction is on the left, and this is the start of the Wednesbury Old Canal (see below). This is the direction towards the Bromford Bridge.

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From the Bromford Bridge

The Bromford Bridge is on Bromford Road, close to Oldbury, and Bromford Lane in West Bromwich. This is the closest part of the canal to Sandwell & Dudley Station.

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Wednesbury Old Canal

Saw a bit of the Wednesbury Old Canal from Albion Road, on the Izon Bridge. The canal was opened in 1769, but parts abandoned between 1955 and 1960. So only the section between Pudding Green Junction and Ryder's Green Junction is navigable now.

 

Pudding Green Junction Bridge

This bridge is at Pudding Green Junction, at the start of the Wednesbury Old Canal and the BCN New Mainline.

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Trident Steel Works Conveyor Bridge

This bridge can be seen from the other side of the Izon Bridge on Albion Road in West Bromwich.

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Photography by Elliott Brown