The route had to cross the River Tame, just to the north of the junction with the Walsall Canal, and this required an aqueduct and an embankment.

[2] It was built to serve the coal mines and a limestone quarry in Bentley,[3] which were owned by the Earl of Lichfield.

In order to tap into the mineral resources further to the north, the Bradford Branch was proposed, but only a small section was built as a canal, and the rest was constructed as a narrow-gauge tramway.

The pumps could deliver 10.6 million gallons (48 Megalitres) per day, and once the water had passed through the power station, it was discharged into the Wyrley and Essington Canal to supply the Wolverhampton level of the Birmingham Canal Navigations.

[1] When the M6 motorway was built, it crossed the route of the branch, but because of its water supply function, a culvert was provided.

[2] The remains of the branch, covering an area of 13.6 acres (5.5 ha), have been designated as a site of local importance for nature conservation (SLINC) by Walsall Council.