Engine Arm Aqueduct

52°29′52″N 1°57′59″W / 52.4979°N 1.9665°W / 52.4979; -1.9665OS grid referenceSP023888CarriesBCN Engine ArmCrossesBCN New Main LineLocaleSmethwickMaintained byBritish WaterwaysHeritage statusScheduled Ancient MonumentCharacteristicsTrough constructionCast IronPier constructionStoneTotal length52 feet (15.8 m)Width8 feet (2.4 m)Traversable?NoTowpathsBothNo. of spansOneLocation

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.

• 
  The top of the aqueduct
• 
  Roving bridge at the junction
• 
  Aqueduct approaching from the east

See also

• Canals of the United Kingdom
• History of the British canal system

References

• Canal Companion - Birmingham Canal Navigations, J. M. Pearson & Associates, 1989, ISBN 978-0-907864-49-3