Birmingham & Black Country Local Sites Assessment Report EcoRec. Ref. No. EcoRec. Site Name EcoRec. Grid Ref. N.C. Designation(s) Date Notified Wyrley & Essington SO92449861 – WV020 None N/A Canal SJ96480079 Planning Authority Site Ownership Area/Length Reason for Revision Report Date Wolverhampton City Canal & River Trust 6km (approx.) Local Sites Assessment October 2013 Council Meets LS Criteria SINC Type Wildlife i.e. Wildlife/Geological Amendment New Site i.e. None; New Site; Upgrade; Downgrade; Extension; Whole/Part Deletion The Wolverhampton section of the Wyrley and Essington Canal was surveyed as part of the site assessment report. The surveyed section extends from Horseley Fields Junction with Birmingham Canal Description (see map 1) Network (BCN) Main Line to Perry Hall Bridge (Broad Lane) which forms the boundary with Walsall. The total length of the surveyed section of canal was approximately 6km. Citation (Summary of Value) The surveyed section of the Wyrley & Essington Canal from Horseley Field Junction to Perry Hall Bridge is an important wildlife corridor supporting several habitat types and a diverse range of species. The emergent aquatic flora in certain sections is particularly rich, including several plant species not commonly found in other parts of the Birmingham and Black Country canal network. The canal corridor is also an important wildlife refuge and offers excellent habitat for dragonflies, butterflies and other insects as well as water birds. It also supports healthy populations of coarse fish including roach, perch and pike. Historical records for Water Voles also exist for this stretch of the canal. The canal is fed by Chasewater Reservoir and the clarity of the water and the overall biodiversity of the canal suggest favourable water quality. However an absence of submerged aquatic plants from Dean’s Bridge onwards towards Walsall is a concern. The canal has a strong aesthetic value even though it is situated within an area consisting predominantly of light industry and housing. This is in part due to the interesting combination of wildlife and the industrial heritage found along the canal. It is also important from a recreational perspective attracting anglers, cyclists and walkers. The entire length of the canal is easily accessed by the towpath which can be reached from numerous points. A significant issue identified was extensive dog fouling along the towpath. The canal also has an important ecological significance within the wider landscape. It runs through many important Local Wildlife Sites including Pelsall Common and Rough Wood Nature Reserve. Floating Water Plantain (Luronium natans) has been recently reported from the junction between the Wyrley and Essington Canal and the Cannock extension (Trueman et al 2013). Floating Water Plantain is a nationally scarce and rare plant protected under UK law under Schedule 8 of the Wildlife & Countryside Act. From a historical perspective the canal played a vital role in transporting coal from mines near Wyrley, Essington and New Invention to the industrial centres of Wolverhampton and Walsall. Its construction was completed in the 1790’s during the period of ‘canal mania’. It therefore has local historical significance. Overall the Wyrley and Essington canal is an important site for both wildlife and people. It has ecological, aesthetic and historical value and is commonly used by the local community to pursue a range of recreational activities. Local Site Selection Criteria Ecological The Wyrley and Essington Canal is an important wildlife corridor supporting a range of habitat Habitat Diversity H types including grassland, hedgerows, scrub and woodland. The canal itself also provides an excellent open water habitat for wildlife. The canal corridor is botanically species-rich. Over 170 plant species were recorded during the Species Diversity H survey including many aquatic species. It also supports a diverse range of other species including waterfowl, fish and insects. The canal corridor supports a range of semi-natural habitats in a largely industrialised and Habitat Rarity H urbanised area of Wolverhampton. These habitats can be considered rare in built-up and densely populated areas and as such offer excellent refuge for wildlife. Certain stretches of the Wyrley and Essington Canal support species of flora that are Rare or Uncommon in the Birmingham and Black Country area. For example, in the Walsall section Species Rarity M Floating water-plantain (Luronium natans) has been recorded. Other important records found throughout are Mare’s-tail (Hippuris vulgaris) and White Water-lily (Nymphaea alba). There are historic records of Water Vole (Arvicola amphibious). The surveyed section of canal covers an area of approximately 6 hectares and is large in the Size or Extent H context of Local Sites in the Birmingham & the Black Country. The Wyrley and Essington Canal is over 200 years old. In that time large sections of the canal have developed a semi-natural character dominated by native species. These sections exhibit a Naturalness H high level of ‘naturalness’ which gives added ecological and aesthetic value not necessarily reflected in the wider landscape running adjacent to the canal. 1 | P a g e The Wolverhampton section of the canal forms an important wildlife corridor within the Birmingham and Black Country region. It offers good connectivity within the wider landscape, Position & Connectivity H forming important links to Local Wildlife Sites, the countryside and other parts of the canal network. Geological n/a No survey information available. Social The canals played a pivotal role during the industrial revolution, allowing for the mass transportation of raw materials and goods throughout the UK at a time when railways and highways were yet to be fully developed. The Wyrley and Essington Canal was no exception and Historical & Cultural H was built during a period of ‘canal mania’ in the 1790s. It is therefore of historical importance at both local and national level and still retains many of its original features and structures. Nowadays the canal is used mainly for recreation including cycling, angling, walking and boating holidays. Access H Access to the towpath is unrestricted. The canal has a high aesthetic value. It offers the visitor an interesting mix of industrial Aesthetic H archaeology and open water wildlife habitat, a combination largely unique to the canal network. The history of the Wyrley & Essington Canal and wider network is well documented and continues Recorded History H to be studied by historians. The ecological features of the canal are recorded by the Canal & River Trust and local groups on an on-going basis. Value for Learning H The canal is a rich local educational resource for history, biodiversity, geology and amenity. Site Description The Wyrley & Essington Canal was completed in 1797 and ran from Horseley Fields Junction with the BCN Main Line in Wolverhampton to Huddlesford Junction near Lichfield. The canal now terminates at Ogley Junction near Brownhills. The canal was built to transport coal from mines near Wyrley, Essington and New Invention to the industrial centres of Wolverhampton and Walsall. Many branches were built to connect the Wyrley and Essington with other canals and mines within the area. However, over time many were abandoned or fell into disrepair. Fortunately several survive and still play an integral part of the canal network. For example, the Anglesey Branch at Ogley Junction carries the main source of water of the canal from Chasewater Reservoir. For a distance of 26.5 km between Horseley Fields Junction and Ogley Junction the canal is lock-free. This section was built as a ‘contour canal’ avoiding the need for any expensive engineering works and locks. From here there were 30 locks descending to Huddlesford over a distance of 11.3km. There are plans to restore the section of canal from Ogley Junction to Huddlesford Junction (now known as the Lichfield Canal). Locally the canal is known as the ‘Curly Wyrley’ in reference to the meandering nature of the canal. A 6km stretch of the canal was surveyed as part of the site assessment report. The main land uses which run adjacent to the canal are light industry, derelict land, housing and amenity grasslands. Many of the habitat types along the canal corridor occur mainly as linear features including the grasslands and hedgerows. The most important being the canal itself which as an open water habitat supports a diverse and abundant aquatic flora and fauna. Much of the rest of the canal corridor is rural, and it links a number of Local Sites including Pelsall North Common and Rough Wood Chase and Brownhills Common. The Cannock Extension Canal, with which it links at Pelsall North Common, is a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and SSSI declared for its population of Floating Water-plantain (Luronium natans). Habitats Phase 1 Name Phase 1 Code Statutory BAP Priority Habitat NERC P.I. Rarity Standing Water G1 The initial sections of the canal from Horseley Field Junction contained areas of submerged flora including Spiked Water-milfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum), Rigid Hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum), Fan-leaved Water-crowfoot (Ranunculus circinatus) and the invasive Nuttall's Water-weed Elodea nuttallii. Mare's-tail (Hippuris vulgaris) was found throughout in patches. Several floating-leaved and emergent plant species were also recorded. These included Unbranched Bur-reed (Sparganium emersum), White Water-lily (Nymphaea alba) and Amphibious