Birmingham Canals

It is said that there are more miles of canals in Birmingham than in Venice. The canals contributed much to the growth of Birmingham bringing coal and merchandise into the town. From 1838 to 1932 Birmingham continued to grow and absorb neighboring communities. Originally independent canal companies were responsible for these waterways, today run by British Waterways, whose local office at Ocker Hill serves Birmingham and the Black Country. Although part of the national network, each Birmingham canal retains its original identity and most are still in water and regularly used. This illustrated book captures the old Birmingham canals under busy trade days and compares them to the twilight years and the modern more recreational age.

Résumé
Birmingham is famously reputed to have more miles of canals than Venice. These canals contributed much to the city's growth, bringing coal and merchandise from the surrounding areas. As the city prospered economically, it continued to grow and absorb neighbouring communities, a process in many ways bound together by the waterways. Although part of the national network, Birmingham's canals, including the Worcester & Birmingham, the Stratford-upon-Avon and the Birmingham Canal Navigation, retain their original identity and most are still in water and used regularly, albeit in different ways to their original industrial purpose. Fully updated and illustrated with stunning new photographs, this book captures the heritage, development and modern role of Birmingham's canals in a way that will appeal to canal users as well as those with a wider interest in Britain's second most populous city.