Bradley Locks Branch - lower (Walsall Canal) end

Bradley Locks Branch - Lower (Walsall Canal) end
April 2020

The lower section of the Bradley Locks Branch was the first portion constructed when the Birmingham Canal was extended as far as Broadwaters in 1785. This reached the coal mines to the west of the Gospel Oak Road, having passes through three locks (now referred to as 7, 8 and 9.

The complete Bradley Locks Branch viewed from the bottom

Locks 6 to 9

Pool beside Great Bridge Road as a lido (now drained and built over)


Locks 7 to 9 1949 with Willingsworth Branch at bottom right

Lock 7

Lock 7


Lock 7 1949

Great Bridge Road Bridge


Great Bridge Road bridge today

 Lock 8 to the Gospel Oak Bridge 1974 (Hugh Potter)


Lock 8

Lock 8

Lock 8 1966 Peter Freakley

Locks 8 and 9

Lock 8 Laurence Hogg

Lock 8 1949

Locks 8 and 9

Lock 9

Lock 9

Lock 9 1974

Lock 9

Lock 9


Chamber of Lock 9 1974 (Hugh Potter)


Lock 9

Lock 9 to junction 1974 (Hugh Potter)


Lock 9 1974 (Hugh Potter)

Bradley bottom lock 1970 - John Whitehouse



Lock 9

Moorcroft Junction from Metro Bridge

Lock 10 1966 Peter Freakley

Moorcroft Junction 1965 Philip Weaver / RCHS

Moorcroft Junction 1974 (Hugh Potter)

Lower Bradley Locks Branch (right) - Wolverhampton Archive

Arthur Farrand Radley 1982

Moorcroft Junction 1986 - Trevor Littlewood

Moorcroft Junction 1970 (John Whitehouse)

Click here to return to the Bradley area index page

The above photos have been assembled from various sources, including those freely found on the internet. My thanks go to the many photographers alive and dead who have contributed to this collection and in so doing, are keeping the memory of these lost canals alive. These images are reproduced for ease of research are are not necessarily the property of this blog, and as such should not be used for commercial gain without the explicit permission of the owner (whoever that may be).