Engine Arm Aqueduct
Engine Arm Aqueduct | |
---|---|
The Engine Arm Aqueduct, cast by Horseley Ironworks | |
Coordinates | 52°29′52″N 1°57′59″W / 52.4979°N 1.9665°WCoordinates: 52°29′52″N 1°57′59″W / 52.4979°N 1.9665°W |
OS grid reference | |
Carries | BCN Engine Arm |
Crosses | BCN New Main Line |
Locale | Smethwick |
Maintained by | British Waterways |
Heritage status | Scheduled Ancient Monument |
Characteristics | |
Trough construction | Cast Iron |
Pier construction | Stone |
Total length | 52 feet (15.8 m) |
Width | 8 feet (2.4 m) |
Traversable? | No |
Towpaths | Both |
Number of spans | One |
The Engine Arm Aqueduct near Smethwick, West Midlands, England, was built in 1825 by Thomas Telford to carry a water feeder, the Engine Arm, from Edgbaston Reservoir over the BCN New Main Line canal to the adjacent and parallel Old Main Line. It is a Scheduled Ancient Monument[1] and is Grade II* listed.[2]
It is a 52-foot (16 m) span structure consisting of a cast-iron trough supported by a single arch with five ribs, each consisting of four sections with bolted joints. The trough is supported on three of the ribs, with the adjacent towpaths being supported by cast-iron arcades of Gothic-styled arches and columns. All cast-iron features were manufactured at the Horseley Ironworks in nearby Tipton. The waterway in the aqueduct is 8 feet (2.4 m) wide with the towpaths either side being 4-foot-4-inch (1.32 m) in width each. The eastern towpath is paved in brick with raised strips for horses.[3]
- The top of the aqueduct
- Roving bridge at the junction
- Aqueduct approaching from the east
See also
References
- ↑ Sandwell Council - Top Ten Canal Attractions
- ↑ Historic England. "Engine Arm Aqueduct (Grade II*) (1391874)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
- ↑ Civil Engineering Heritage: Wales and West Central England, (2nd Ed.), Roger Cragg, 1997, Thomas Telford (ISBN 0727725769)
- Canal Companion - Birmingham Canal Navigations, J. M. Pearson & Associates, 1989, ISBN 0-907864-49-X