Engine Arm Aqueduct
| Engine Arm Aqueduct | |
| Staffordshire | |
|---|---|
 The Engine Arm Aqueduct, cast by Horseley Ironworks | |
| Location | |
| Carrying: | BCN Engine Arm |
| Crossing: | BCN New Main Line |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SP023888 |
| Location: | 52°29’52"N, 1°57’59"W |
| Structure | |
| Length: | 52 ft |
| No. of spans: | One |
| Material: | Cast Iron/Stone |
| History | |
| Built 1825 | |
| Architect: | Thomas Telford |
| Information | |
| Owned by: | British Waterways |
The Engine Arm Aqueduct near Smethwick, Staffordshire, 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-ft 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 ft wide with the towpaths either side being 4 ft 4 in 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
References
- ↑ Sandwell Council - Top Ten Canal Attractions
- ↑ National Heritage List 1391874: Engine Arm Aqueduct (Grade II* listing)
- ↑ 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
