narrow canal in the Midlands of England between Coventry and Fradley. With the Trent & Mersey, Oxford and Staffordshire & Worcestershire, the Coventry Canal made up the original network of narrow canals. Connecting Coventry to Bedworth took place within a year of the act being passed in 1778, but by 1771 funds were exhausted with the canal only reaching Atherstone.
Many believe that the company were not enthusiastic about building their line north to join the Trent & Mersey as that would allow cheap coal from the north to compete with their interests in the Warwickshire coal fields. They were also involved in a nasty squabble with the Oxford Canal company about the location of what is now Hawkesbury Junction. Whatever the reasons, it took another 19 years before Fazeley was reached.
In the end, pressure from a group of businessmen and promoters in the north midlands headed by Josiah Wedgewood was brought to bear on both the Coventry and the Oxford (who hadn't got past Banbury) in a bid to create a route to the Thames and so to London.
A deal was brokered where the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal (who were impatient for connections to the north) extended their waterway along the line of the Coventry to Whittington, and the Trent & Mersey came south to join them. Meanwhile the Oxford completed their route from Banbury to Oxford. Later the Trent & Mersey-built section was bought back by the Coventry.
This leaves us with the so-called detached portion connected to the Trent & Mersey Canal and a main line, connected to the Ashby and the Oxford Canal. Detached portion and main line are linked by the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal which is also sometimes regarded as the 'missing link' of the Coventry Canal.