Engine Arm Aqueduct
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]
Engine Arm Aqueduct | |
|---|---|
 The Engine Arm Aqueduct, cast by Horseley Ironworks | |
| Coordinates | 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 |
| No. of spans | One |
| |
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
References
- Sandwell Council - Top Ten Canal Attractions Archived 28 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- 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