Botterham bridge and locks with adjacent circular weir

The site includes a canal bridge, a two-lock staircase, and a circular weir, dating from approximately 1770 and designed by James Brindley. The bridge and lock chambers are constructed of red-orange bricks laid in English bond, with blue brick and ashlar dressings. The lock gates have timber balance beams and iron gears; the iron paddle gear at the upper lock is a reuse from the Birmingham Canal Navigation, while the lower gates have more modern beams and mechanical gears.

The lock staircase consists of two rectangular lock chambers arranged along a north-south axis, each with splayed flanking walls. The upper lock chamber is closed at its head with a single gate, and the lower lock chamber has double gates to its head and tail, all with balance beams. The lower gate of the upper lock serves as the upper gate of the lower lock. The lock chambers and gate quadrants are paved with red and blue engineering bricks, with diamond-patterned pavers at the waterside edges. The lower lock chamber has a brick overflow weir arcing from its east side, rejoining the canal to the south. A shallow cast iron footbridge with low latticed sides spans the lower lock to the south of its gates. The circular weir to the west of the upper lock has a low brick parapet with half-round coping and a central domed cage.

The bridge is oriented roughly east to west, crossing the lower lock from the south end of Botterham Lane to the tow path along the west side of the canal. The south side of the bridge has a ramped parapet with half-round coping that curves south and slopes down to the lower lock chamber. The upper courses of brickwork appear to have been rebuilt. A cast iron bridge plate, reading ‘Botterham/ No. 42/ Bridge’, is set into the south elevation. A barrel vaulted tunnel passes through the bridge, featuring quoined imposts supporting brick voussoirs and a stone hood band. The north side of the bridge is level with the upper lock chamber, and a low engineering brick wall runs between the middle lock gates and the bridge.