This canal followed a very tortuous and winding route through the coalfields and industries in the area to the south of Cannock Chase. The canal was constructed in 1792 to connect the Birmingham Canal near Wolverhampton with the Coventry and Fazeley Canal east of Lichfield, passing through Wednesfield, Bloxwich, Wyrley and Brownhills, on its journey. Much of the eastern part of this canal between Brownhills and Lichfield is now disused and drained, though the section connecting to Anglesey Wharf at the south-eastern end of the Chasewater Reservoir is still maintained along with almost its entire western route. The canal was originally built by Mr. W. Pitt, and was twenty-four miles in length upon completion.
The parliamentary Act which enabled the building of this canal was entitled "An Act for making and maintaining a navigable Canal from , or from near, Wyrley Bank, in the county of Stafford, to communicate with the Birmingham and Birmingham and Fazeley Canal, at or near the town of Wolverhampton, in the said county, and also certain collateral Cuts therein described from the said intended Canal." The Act named as executors "The Company of Proprietors of the Wyrley and Essington Navigation," and empowered them to raise the initial capital of £25,000 in two-hundred shares of £125 each, and if neccessary, the further sum of £20,000; the following Rates and Exemptions were also tabulated:
| TONNAGE RATES | |
|---|---|
| For all Corn and other Grain, Hops, Timber and other Things, (except Coal, Coke, Iron, Iron-stone, Lime, Lime-stone, Rock-stone and other Minerals) | 2d per Ton, per Mile. |
| For the above excepted Articles | 9d per Ton, per Mile. |
| EXEMPTIONS | |
| Boats of less than Twenty Tons passing any lock to pay for Twenty Tons. | |
| No Vessels to pass to or from this Canal into the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal, unless the Water in this Canal shall be at least Six Inches higher than that in the Birmingham and Fazeley, at the Junctions of the Canals, and all surplus Water is to pass into the Birmingham Canal, the Proprietors of which may take the Water used in Lockage upon certain Parts of this Canal. | |
In addition, the 1792 Act also entitled the owners of the Birmingham Canal to impose the following charges on all traffick passing into their waters from the Wyrley and Essington Canal:
| TONNAGE RATES | |
|---|---|
| For all Goods which shall be landsd within One Mile of the First Lock leading towards Autherley. | 2d per Ton. |
| For ditto carried towards the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal, and which shall pass through any Lock. | 6d per Ton. |
This Act was simply entitled "An Act for extending the Wyrley and Essington Canal," and enabled the Company of the Wyrley and Essington Navigation to extend the existing canal eastwards from Wyrley via Brownhills to Huddlesford, south of Lichfield; also to impose the following additional Charges:
| TONNAGE RATES | |
|---|---|
| For all Coal, (except Slack or Coal used for burning Lime-stone or Bricks) Iron and other Minerals, and except such Coal as has passed on the Wyrley and Essington Canal, and has paid Nine-pence per Ton, and shall not pass through any lock. | 9d per Ton. |
| For such of the above Goods as shall have paid Nine-pence upon the Wyrley and Essington Canal or upon this Canal, and shall afterwards pass through the Lock at Cats Hill. | 1s 3d per Ton. |
| For such of the above Goods as shall be produced from Ground situated below the Lock near Cats Hill, and shall be conveyed between Cats Hill and Huddlesford. | 2s per Ton. |
| For all Slack or inferior Coal for burning Lime-stone and Brick, Lime-stone and Lime, not passing a lock. | 6d per Ton. |
| For such as shall have passed on the Wyrley and Essington Canal, and shall pass a Lock. | 9d per Ton. |