Background | What to see | What’s next? | How to find it
Background
The canal originally ran from Fosseway straight through to Sandfields Pumping Station before curving round to the Duke of Wellington Pub, where the old bridge can still be seen beneath the road. As this original route has since been built over, a new line along Falkland Road was safeguarded.
In October 2024, Staffordshire County Council transferred the 670‑metre stretch of this canal corridor to LHCRT, running from Fosseway Heath Nature Reserve through to Birmingham Road. The land had been protected during construction of the Lichfield Southern Bypass, with space deliberately left for the canal to be reinstated.
Ahead of the transfer, we raised the canal level at the entrance to Fosseway Heath, and volunteers planted a roadside hedgerow so it could establish early and start shaping the green boundary of the future canal.
The new route will include a new culvert under Claypit Lane, three new locks, and a connection to the canal culvert beneath the Birmingham Road island, which was built as part of the bypass works.
What to see
Although construction has not yet begun, Falkland Road already offers several points of interest for visitors walking the canal line:
- The ‘oss sculpture – located on Falkland Road at the entrance to Fosseway Heath Nature Reserve.
- The future canal route – clearly visible as a long green corridor running parallel to the Southern Bypass.
- Wildlife-rich hedgerows and grassland – which will eventually form part of a continuous green corridor linking the restored sections. Some of the hedging was funded by the South Staffs Water Pebble Fund
- The Birmingham Road island culvert – built by Staffordshire County Council to preserve the canal route during bypass construction, is hidden beneath the ground, but you may see clues of its location.
What’s next?
A planning application is expected to be submitted in 2027 and work is also progressing on securing highways technical approval for the Claypit Lane culvert. Once these approvals are in place, construction can begin, but this is not expected to start before 2028.
How to find it
Address: Falkland Road, Lichfield, WS14 0DD
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