Canal walks

Have been watching repeats on BBC4 tv of Canal Boat Diaries, by Robbie Cumming. Reminded of pleasure of walking by canals. Canals have towpaths because boats were pulled by horses. Now used by walkers, runners and probably cyclists.

For my first twenty odd years lived about a mile from Tame Valley Canal in Birmingham. Recall two walks from there. Back in early sixties was trespass, though don’t remember being challenged.

Tame Valley Canal opened 1844, late in canal era. Early canals often followed contours, avoiding costly earthworks. This one more direct, with deep cuttings and high embankments.

First walk was westward from College Rd. Rely on memories of sixty years ago, old map, modern A-Z. Up past Perry Barr locks, a total of 13, rising 106 feet. Can remember few details, partly because i probably marched steadily towards destination. Uphill past the locks, though not steep. Past Perry Barr park, its large canal reservoir used for boating. Canals need supplies of water: every boat passing a lock sends thousands of gallons downhill. Deep cutting under Tower Hill. High embankment with aqueduct over Old Walsall Rd. Past Hamstead Colliery. Left canal, prob at Holloway Bank, Wednesbury. West Bromwich bus to Soho Hill. Birmingham bus home via Perry Barr.

Second walk southeast from College Road, between Lucas’s sports ground and the river Tame. Past ICI at Witton. Salford Junction, continuing on Birmingham and Fazeley Canal. This was opened in 1789, principal engineer John Smeaton. Built to connect Brum with the Coventry Canal and hence London. Now goes on to join the Trent and Mersey Canal. Salford canal junction is underneath Gravelly Hill interchange on M6, Spaghetti Junction.

Nowadays Salford Junction has Tame Valley to northwest, Grand Union south to Birmingham centre and on to London, Birmingham & Fazeley to east. East is where i walked. Next to Kingsbury Rd. Huge sewage works at Minworth, luckily on other side of Kingsbury Rd. Then rural. Must have left canal near Fazeley for Midland Red bus home. Remember bottle of “pop”, maybe Tizer the appetiser.

Time of decline of canals. Little commercial traffic. Before the rise of leisure/pleasure cruising. Long isolated walk.

Canal towpaths are mostly flat. Pleasure of walking by water. Generally, roads and rail take city into country. Canals bring country into the city. Looking back am amazed at lack of preparation. No water bottle, no food, no backpack with waterproof and first aid. Had learned to wear two pairs of thin socks to avoid blisters. Didn’t tell parents where i was going. Folly of youth.

Thanks to Birmingham A-Z, Ordnance Survey, and Wikipedia of course