Walking the West Midlands Waterways #Juneathon Day 21

Yesterday, the following was posted to the facebook page and twitter stream of Distinctly Black Country. It's a map of the canal network in the West Midlands, done in the style of the London Underground map. We live in Great Bridge, which is very close to the Birmingham Main Line (Red), Wednesbury Old (Brown) and Walsall (Yellow) canals. (In true London Underground style, the distance between 'stations'/'junctions' is not to scale!)

Image and key lined to the author's website at http://www.ultraviolence.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/canalmap/

I got the train in today, which starts my exercise for the day off with about a half mile walk up to Dudley Port train station and then a mile from Birmingham New Street to the office, which I always do by going through The Mailbox and then along the canalside at Gas Street Basin. I always find this is a quieter and calmer way than the hustle and bustle fighting your way through Victoria Square and down Broad Street. Anyone who is familiar with Birmingham in rush hour will know what I mean.

As it's my long day at work on a Friday, I get a lunch hour. Usually, I just have a walk down once side of the Birmingham Main Line canal from Old Turn to Rotton Park junction, cross over and come back down the other side. But I felt like a change today.

Instead, I headed down the Birmingham & Fazeley canal. I'd only really been down here once before and that was when we had the snow back in February. It was certainly nice to have some security under foot as I was going past the locks, unlike last time where it was quite icy in places.

Between Old Turn and Snow Hill, the space is quite enclosed, almost to the extent where it feels like people have decided they want to build something and if it happens to go over the canal so be it. I can imagine that it would be quite an intimidating place to be either at night or in nasty weather. After Snow Hill, however it widens into a much more open space again.

Birmingham & Fazeley Canal nr Livery St.

About 1/3 of a mile farther along

Using Google Maps as my guide, I left the towpath at this stage as I was going to have to go back to work at some point. I decided to head towards Bull Ring and back up New Street so I could grab my lunch. This enabled me to get a nice shot of the town hall with the floozy in the jacuzzi in front!

Enjoying the sun in Central Birmingham

A 'quick' walk at lunchtime!

I was actually out of work on time today, although it's slightly more important when I have a train to catch. Fortunately, there was a train running late today so I was able to catch that, but because I was earlier than expected, I also got off a stop early at Sandwell and Dudley. I just couldn't resist the opportunity to have another walk by the side of the canal on such a lovely day.

This walk took my a short way down the Birmingham Main Line, before I crossed over onto the Wednesbury Old Canal, continuing where it meets the Walsall Canal down 8 locks. Another three and a bit miles to go with a similar amount at lunchtime brings my walking time to just over two hours with a distance close to nine miles. I'm now going to sit down for a long time!

Walking: 8.79 miles in 2h 08m 45 (4 separate walks)


Juneathon totals:

Running:
Distance - 22.00 miles
Time - 3h 10m 26

Swimming:
Distance - 5.27 miles
Time - 3h 05m 55

Cycling:
Distance - 80.91 miles
Time - 4h 06m 18

Walking:
Distance - 17.98 miles
Time - 4h 37m 18

Cross Trainer:
Distance - 8.77 miles
Time - 1h 16mm 47

Rowing Machine:
Distance - 1.24 miles
Time - 09m 07

Total Distance - 136.17 miles
Total Time - 16h 25m 51