The Wyrley and Essington runs between Wolverhampton and Brownhills. Originally it nearly reached Lichfield but that section was lost in the 1950s.
It is currently being restored and hopefully one day will reach Brownhills and the rest of the canal at Ogley Junction again. The canal was built in the 1790s, opening in 1797 to take coal and other goods from Wyrley and Essington into Wolverhampton and Walsall.
The canal had few locks (and most of those on the now closed section to Lichfield or other lost branches). The canal instead twisting around contours to avoid the need for locks. This gave the canal it's nickname the Curly Wyrley. The canal continued to transport coal until 1967.
