Engine Arm Aqueduct
The Engine Arm Aqueduct, cast by Horseley Ironworks
Coordinates52°29′52″N 1°57′59″W / 52.4979°N 1.9665°W / 52.4979; -1.9665
OS grid referenceSP023888
CarriesBCN Engine Arm
CrossesBCN New Main Line
LocaleSmethwick
Maintained byBritish Waterways
Heritage statusScheduled Ancient Monument
Characteristics
Trough constructionCast Iron
Pier constructionStone
Total length52 feet (15.8 m)
Width8 feet (2.4 m)
Traversable?No
TowpathsBoth
No. of spansOne
Location

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. The structure is maintained by the Canal & River Trust. It is a Scheduled Ancient Monument[1] and is Grade II* listed.[2]

The bridge is a 52ft (16m) span cast iron arch structure formed by 5 ribs, each of them consisting of four sections with bolted joints. The ribs are connected to each other by transverse members and they are fixed to the masonry abutments. The three central ribs support the 8ft wide (2.4m) cast iron trough and the outer ones support the 4ft-4in (1.32m) towpaths and the bracing that connects to the sides of the trough. The towpath support consists of an arcade of Gothic arches with quatrefoil spandrels. The eastern towpath is paved in brick with raised strips for horses. The ironwork was cast at the Horseley Ironworks at Tipton, which is where most of Thomas Telford bridges were cast.

See also

References

  1. "Top Ten Canal Attractions". Sandwell Council. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007.
  2. Historic England. "Engine Arm Aqueduct (Grade II*) (1391874)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
  • Canal Companion - Birmingham Canal Navigations, J. M. Pearson & Associates, 1989, ISBN 978-0-907864-49-3


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