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Coventry Canal at Fradley Bridge, Staffordshire

The Coventry Canal was started in 1768, and reached Atherstone by 1771, but lack of money meant that although it was planned to end at Fradley Junction, it had still only reached Fazeley by 1790. In the meantime, the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal had been built and used the Coventry Canal's original planned line to Whittington Brook. The Grand Trunk Canal Company then continued northwards to Fradley Junction. This final section was bought back by the Coventry Company later and they placed numbers on their bridges.

It explains how a long section of the canal including that pictured here is detached from the rest of the Coventry canal. The five and a half miles of canal running through Hopwas remains as part of the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal, which has un-numbered bridges. Coventry Canal Bridge No 77 at Fazeley Junction is five and a half miles from bridge No 78 at Whittington Brook.

Fradley bridge is No 90.