Built in 1794, to serve the local coal measures and provide a link from Wolverhampton to the Cannock Chase Coal fields
The canal is built as a contour canal, which looped around the hill sides avoiding locks as much as necessary.
Also known as the "Curley Wyrley" it is well named as it twists about the country side. Looking at the route on a map. Its course does not make sense at first.
Its only when you remember that it is a contour canal and it was built to transport coal and other minerals from the South Staffs Coal field, that its route starts to make sense.
Unlike a road which would go over a hill, rivers and canals go around them.
Infact the lack of locks on this canal lead to a fleet of oversize barges being built to transport coal from Cannock Chase to Wolverhampton.
These barges were 86' by 7'9", and could carry 50 tons of coal. They only operate on this canal as they could not fit through the locks.
It is worth compairing this canal with the ones built later. Such as the Tame Valley Canal, the later canals were cut to go through the country side, not around it.
This was due to advances in engineering and construction equipment.
Though some of the branch canals have long since gone, such as the Bentley and Wyrley Branches.
Two remain, The Cannock Extension Canal (built in 1858) and once went as far as Hednesford. Also the Anglesey branch, which takes water from Chasewater Reservoir to feed the canal network.
The Wyley and Essington canal used to link through to the Huddlesford Junction on the Coventry Canal, but the Ogley Locks were demolished in the 1950's.
The book "The Birmingham Canal Navigations" by the Birmingham Branch I.W.A, gives more information on this canal.