Halesowen - the Shenstone Way

I arrived at Leasowes Park, the start of the Shenstone Way, a route developed by Dudley Council
There was obviously an organised ramble going on around the park.

Although the way quickly leaves the park, I walked to the top, as I've not really been here before.

The park was landscaped by William Shenstone, who tried to keep things looking natural.

But neither the bend in the stream above, nor this waterfall, is actually natural!

He also created ponds for reflections

...and small waterfalls, which made a lovely sound as I walked there

There's a golf club too, with great views over to Clent

I left the park, and crossed over Mucklow Hill. Still a good view of the Clent Hills - this time with Halesowen in the foreground

If you look round, many of the warehouse are on the same level

Mostly because they are industrial land once served by the canal. This is Hawne Basin. The canal no longer continues on its old route

I crossed the bridge

..and walked through an industrial estate

 ...ending up here, by Furnace Hill.

More tomorrow, when the walk gets tricky! (Not what you would expect, exactly)

Tardebigge

We always go for a walk on New Year's Day
This one was cold and dull, with heavy rain forecast. The planned distant foray was cancelled, and we decided on something closer to home.

This walk is ideal. Lots to see, and good views. It starts here by the church in Tardebigge, Worcestershire (near Bromsgrove). There's an excellent free car park, too

Turning left onto the canal,

in a very short time you reach Tardebigge Top Lock.

Part way down the flight there's a reservoir which looks a bit bleak here, but probably looks lovely sparkling in the sun!

There were a few walkers out. (And the occasional passenger)

The locks continued - there are 30 in the flight, making it England's longest.

Finally we reached the Bottom Lock.

Not too get too excited, because within 800 metres is the Stoke flight of a further 6 locks

There are lots of hire boats moored up for the winter here at Stoke Prior Wharf. And look at the ice on the canal. Still large chunks

The boats were four moored four deep in places. They are all from Black Prince Narrow boats. I did wonder whether to hire a boat and start off with 36 locks on day one was actually such a good idea.

The problem with the walk was that we started at the top, and walked downhill. So the return journey of this out and back walk featured a good amount of ascent. About 400 feet.

As you can see, the towpath is is in very good condition, so this is a good walk in wet conditions.

Just by the start/finish was Tardebigge Tunnel. About 3/4 miles long, with no towpath.

The whole walk was 7.75 miles. I wanted to do at least 8, so this wasn't a bad guess.
Was it a good walk? Yes. I'd definitely do it again. Good surface, easy route-finding. Good views. Interesting all the way. I might plan in a meal at one of the waterside pubs - but this was New Year's Day, and I was trying to walk off the Christmas excess (again) along the way

The route: Park at Tardebigge church and follow the Birmingham-Worcester Canal as far as you would like to go. Then return. To Stoke Prior wharf and return is 7.75 miles.

Merry Hill walk part 2

Continuing my walk along the Dudley No 1 Canal (old line), ...


...I could see Netherton Church away to my left

 I soon reached this bridge, and the first of four locks

This industrial building, now the home of Dudley Canal trust, sat by a canal junction.

...I could either cross the canal and head towards Netherton, past the reservoir visited a few weeks ago, ...

...or, as I did this time, head towards Dudley. 

There's a poster in the window of Canal Cottage about a local boat which has been used in TV's "Peaky Blinders" 

Canal Cottage and its sign

At one point, it looks as if the locks were so busy that there was a double set to save queuing

From here, it's a few hundred metres to the start of the Dudley Canal Tunnel, the other end of which emerges into the  Black Country Museum.

Retracing my steps.

Under this bridge was the Waterfront again

...now beginning to be lit up

And the sun was just setting as I reached the start/end of my walk.

Walk details.
Parking in the Merry Hill Centre, and taking the steps up to the canal. Turn right and just keep walking. This walk was 40 mins each way (bear in mind I stop to take pictures - you may be quicker). I turned round at the top lock of the Parkhead Flight. Total journey distance 3.43 miles, which took me roughly 1hr 20 mins. A recommended walk - good surface on the towpath. And you can walk off Christmas excesses to boot!

Merry Hill - even shopping centres provide good walks

I needed to reach my December walking target, and I had a spare hour to fill, so went for a walk from Dudley's Merry Hill Shopping Centre

Even from the top of these steps, the centre looked different (better)

 I turned right along the canal

There's Netherton Church in the distance. And my shadow 

This section of the canal, the Waterfront, has been heavily developed with jolly coloured buildings 

A ziggurat?

There are some really nice moorings here for narrow boats

About 100 metres past the boats, the view gets much more rural

The canal was built to support industry, and there are interesting industrial buildings all along this section. Part of this bore the old name Round Oak, once a big steel works (now the site of Merry Hill itself)

This was probably an old hoist 

I've driven this road lots of times without realising just how close I was to the canal

At some point, this would have been a bridge over a loading bay.

Signpost saying it is 6 mins to the Waterfront. It took me 15, so I was a bit surprised. Then I saw it was for cyclists

More of this walk tomorrow. What I met next came as a surprise to me. As a local, you'll probably know! I didn't.