Coventry Canal
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Coventry Canal is a narrow Canal in England which travels for 38 miles (65 km) between Coventry and Fradley Junction,just north of Lichfield, where it joins the Trent and Mersey Canal. It also runs through the towns of Bedworth, Nuneaton, Atherstone, Polesworth and Tamworth. It is navigable for boats up to 21.9m (72ft) length, 2.1m (7ft) beam and 1.9m (6ft 6) headroom.
The Coventry Canal forms part of the Warwickshire ring.
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[edit] The Route
The canal begins in Coventry Canal Basin near the centre of Coventry, and meanders north through Coventry passing under many road bridges including prominent hump-back bridges under the Foleshill Road, Foleshill and the Longford Road, Longford. Just north of Coventry, it forms a junction with the Oxford Canal at Hawkesbury Junction, also known as "Sutton Stop". There is also a superbly preserved iron bridge over the canal, and some fascinating buildings from the working days of the canal. A few miles further north just outside Bedworth it connects to the Ashby-de-la-Zouch Canal, then runs north-west for a number of miles through Nuneaton, Atherstone and Polesworth. At Tamworth it splits into the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal. The Coventry canal finishes at Fradley Junction where it joins the Trent and Mersey Canal.
[edit] History
The Coventry Canal Company was formed in 1768. James Brindley was commissioned to build the canal, and work started on it in December that year.
Due to the high standards of construction demanded by Brindley, by the time the canal had reached Atherstone in 1769, the canal company had run out of money, and Brindley was sacked.
The canal remained half finished for another seventeen years, but was finally completed and opened in 1789. The canal was for many years an important artery of trade, and was nationalised in 1948, and taken over by British Waterways.
