A journey around the Black Country

Up until most most of my canal walking have been in the East of Birmingham so i decided it was high time i went out to the (wild?) West. I started off going along the Wednesbury Old Canal from Belper Bridge to Pudding Green Junction. Then along the Birmingham New Main Line to Albion Junction where i went the full length of the Gower Branch Canal (its only a short canal). Then i went along the Birmingham Old Main Line to Oldbury Junction. Finally a short stretch of the Titford Canal. And now i need a rest!

Stratford-upon-Avon (1) : The Waterways

This weekend we went down to Stratford-upon-Avon for a couple of days. I got the idea of going here from a work away day earlier in the Summer. That time i had to race around Stratford looking for clues so this time i could take things a bit more leisurely but because of the away day experience i had a little inkling of where i was going (which is rare for me).

Stratford-upon-Avon, as well as being the birthplace of a certain playwright, is also where the canal network meets the River Avon and it is a wonderful spot for boating and waterfowl. As well as going around the canal basin and river i also had a walk up the canal to the outskirts of Stratford. Of course i took many photos, many many photos. It actually took 4 times as long to upload them to Flickr than it did to get home this morning!

Aston Manor Road Transport Museum

The museum, which is opposite the Villa ground, has been under threat of closure for some time though its still there at the moment! I haven't been for awhile so i went along this morning to take some photos and sign their petition. Intriguingly there was a canal boat outside... on dry land of course (though the Tame Valley Canal isn't that far away actually). More interesting even than that was the presence of a Metrobus in Tracline 65 livery, that being the failed experiment in guided bus ways they tried in Erdington in the 1980s. I hope the museum can survive.

From Bodymoor Heath Bridge to Kingsbury Water Park

Time for a nice canal walk, not been on that many canal walks lately. Mostly that is because i have walked the local canals so many times i could do it blindfold (which of course would not be a good idea). So i went up to Bodymoor Heath and walked a stretch of the Birmingham & Fazeley i have yet to be along before. Many many canal boats!