About the Lichfield Canal

Built between 1794 and 1797 as the Ogley Locks Section of the Wyrley and Essington Canal, the now‑named Lichfield Canal was abandoned in the 1950s. The right of navigation was formally extinguished by the British Transport Commission Act of 1954, and much of the route was drained and filled in during the 1960s. We are now restoring it to make it navigable again.

Where is the Lichfield Canal?

The Lichfield Canal runs for seven miles (11 km) from Huddlesford Junction to Ogley Junction on the edge of Brownhills, passing through the south and east of Lichfield in Staffordshire.

The canal includes 30 locks between Ogley Junction on the Birmingham Canal Navigations (BCN) and Huddlesford, just outside Lichfield.

The restoration follows the original route, except for four diversions in order to avoid developments since abandonment. In 2009, a detailed Feasibility Report was produced by renowned consultants WS Atkins. Our strategy explains how we will achieve our long term goal of restoration and operational plan forms the bridge between our strategy, the projects and programmes on our sites, and what we do behind the scenes.

Is the Lichfield Canal open?

The Lichfield Canal is not yet open to navigation, but several restored sections and heritage features are open for visitors. These include the in‑water areas at Darnford Moors Ecology Park and Borrowcop Locks Canal Park, along with accessible sections at Gallows Wharf, Fosseway Heath Nature Reserve and Summerhill.

Maps

We have may different maps of the canal route and walking routes available on our maps page.

The sites

Find out more about each of our sites.