The Gower Branch Canal was a fairly late addition to the canal network and Birmingham Canal Navigations though was only about 0.8 km long.
The short canal linked the Birmingham New and Old Main Lines near Tividale and allowed for easier access between the Old Main Line and the Netherton tunnel without boats having to make long detours.
The canal was authorised as part of the Birmingham Canal Act of 1768, however the canal was not completed until 1836. The canal connected to the New Main Line at Albion Junction and ran pretty straight up to Brades Hall Junction where the canal joined the Old Main Line. The Gower Branch Canal had four locks to handle to height difference between the two canals, three of them being at Brades Hall Junction and two are a staircase lock. These were connected locks where leaving one lock enters you into the next.
The canal remains a useful link for modern navigators of Birmingham's canals.
