18/05/13 - Boy from the Black Country

Distance - 10
Geocaches - 6 Found, 6 Not Found
Walk Inspiration
Gaggles of Tramps - 2


Sonia is working in Birmingham today.  In preparation for when I am a kept man, I decide to support her and share the commute.  The plan is to go for a walk that take me through the heartland of my birthplace and spiritual home - the Black Country. 

I didn't realise quite how many canals there would be.

Train from Kidderminster and I leave Sonia at the Hawthorns to pick up a tram.  I go to the office and ask for a single to Wednesbury Parkway.  He serves me but gives me the look of "Are you sure?".

A whole 1 minute wait for my virgin tram experience.  They can get quite a wriggle on when they want.  After many stops, we arrive at Wednesbury Parkway and I am the only person to disembark.  I feel like the cowboy at the start of "Once upon a time in the West", about to be met by the local baddies.  Fantasy ruined when I see the sign saying how close Walsall is.

Cue Harmonica Soundtrack in my head

I have a short walk through a housing estate to get to the canal.  Stop to take a couple of photos and a slight detour for the first cache of the day.

Lets follow the canal all the way back to Birmingham

As far as the walking goes - this is it for the journey.  10 miles of canals.  It's not my usual type of walking but there is something strangely beautiful walking through our industrial heritage.  And a lot of tramps drinking Special Brew.

After a couple of caches that are no longer there, the first place we hit is Great Bridge.  I know this, as the black country people spin beautiful poems with their words.

Couldn't stop laughing at the name of this bridge

So, if there was a really nice bridge in Great Bridge - would they call it "Great Great Bridge Bridge" or "Great Bridge Great Bridge".  This thought kept me going for quite a few miles along the more boring stretches.

Pass my first "Gentlemen of the Waterways" and head down to the locks at Rydal Green.  Have you ever wondered what happens when someone lets the plug out of a canal?

Mud Pit

At Ryder Green Road - I decide its time to stop and setup a personalised pic.  Trust me to pick the only time I have met someone else along this canal.

Ride on past - he's acting odd.

This break does lead to rather a nice discovery.  Fine looking pub, next to a series of eight locks.

 

 

Boing Boing - More Black Country Poetry with their place names.

The walking is getting a bit monotonous.  To keep me on my toes, every sign for the next four miles has Birmingham being "4 Miles Away".  It just never seems to get closer.

In the distance, I can see what I think is a teenager bombing towards me on a moped with no helmet.  This isn't on and I resolve to distract myself from the canal by giving him a piece of my mind when he pulls level.

He's 70, so I respect my elders and give it a miss.

Spon Lane Locks provides me with another DNF cache and at least a decision to make..... which fork shall I take?

Left or Right>

But first, I am reminded of a story from my youth. My nan lived near here in Quinton. She had a small pond put into her garden and about a year later was mystified when fish appeared in it. After much debate about how they got there, she would not agree to anything else other than "A heron must have dropped them from its claws". How we laughed at the unlikihood of this scenario.

Its only Nan's Heron!

Have you ever wondered what its like under Junction 1 of the M5?

 

 

Me Neither.

We do arrive at the Canal Heritage of Smethwick. There is a restored pump house and Galton Bridge is quite impressive. I actually noticed it for the first time on the train here and now I will never be able to go past without a look.

50 Years to build between 1800 and 1849 and once the worlds highest Iron bridge

During the taking of these photos and others along this stretch, I realise that I am being followed by a sinister looking person in a red coat.  I've seen "Don't Look Now" and the combination of my stalkers attire and the canals make me get a bit of a wriggle on.  Soon leave him behind at my second set of Canal Side drinkers.

Seeing them enjoying their special brew has made me thirsty and at Rofle Street, I do pop my head up into civilisation - hoping for a pub for some refreshment.  I was halfway successful.

Hopes dashed

We have canals by us - and you cannot move for pubs alongside them.  All I have is some nice gooselets (as the first Mapp in University calls them), as I return to a recent caching location at the Soho Loop.

Very cute.  The big ones hiss if you get close.

At last, the signs indicate that Birmingham is less than four miles away and I hit gentrified civilisation as we come towards town.

I know there is a pub close now

At familiar ground when I meet the Canal Roundabout and see the pub where Bill Clinton famously had a pint.

Good enough for the president of the USA - good enough for Mappiman after 9 miles.

Sit down with my pint, watching the world go by and pondering why Birmingham has a Sea Life Centre.

Almost too good to touch

Get the call from Sonia and she is about to finish work.  I grab a couple of caches as I leave here and meet her for the train back from Moor Street Station.

A nice way to end an adventure.