Kings Norton to Mailbox Canal Saturday walk for the public

These walks offer the opportunities for non-members to bring the family and start walking in the countryside on walks led by Birmingham Ramblers members.

It is very helpful for the walk leader to have prior knowledge of numbers that will be on this walk. We ask you to complete this very brief form to help with our planning of the walk to ensure that we can safely accommodate all who wish to join us. You will receive an automatic acknowledgement when you submit this form.

To express your interest in this walk:

- click the blue + symbol above to increase the ticket count to 1 - only one ticket can be booked per booking since we ask for the name of each walker - then click Next

- on the following page click the Checkout button then complete the questions, click the Accept box and press the Confirm button. You will receive an automatic acknowledgement when you submit this form.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE FINISHING TIME OF THIS EVENT SHOWN ABOVE IS ONLY APPROXIMATE AND CANNOT BE GUARANTEED; IT WILL DEPEND ON FACTORS SUCH AS THE WEATHER AND THE WALKING PACE OF THE GROUP.

Walk leader: Paul Hatton

This is a 6 mile easy walk along the canal from Kings Norton to the Mailbox in Birmingham city centre.

If joining by train: We meet on the platform at New Street Station by 10.10 for the 10.15 Cross City service to Kings Norton, arriving at 10.30. This train usually departs from platform 11B, but check the platform and time on the day. We meet the rest of the group by the booking office in Kings Norton station entrance off the main road.

If making your own way to Kings Norton by other public transport: Buses 18, 45, 47 and 49 stop opposite the station. Please be at the booking office by 10.30.

If parking at Kings Norton station: Walk out of the car park onto Pershore Road (don't take any other exit) and turn left to meet by the booking office in the station entrance off the main road by 10.30.

The map for this walk is EX220

This is a 6 mile walk which, apart from an initial short downhill pavement walk from Kings Norton station then along a surfaced path across the Kings Norton playing fields, is along the level, lock-free and well surfaced Worcester and Birmingham canal towpath to the Mailbox in the city centre.

After crossing Kings Norton playing fields we join the canal at the Worcester and Birmingham and the Stratford-upon-Avon canal junction. We will take a short - about 10 minutes - walk along the Stratford canal to take a look at the unique guillotine lock, which used to prevent water passing between the canals but is now maintained in an open position. We then retrace our steps to the canal junction.

We then walk along the Worcester and Birmingham canal, meeting the railway at Bournville, where we pass by the Cadbury factory. There is an exit from the canal onto Bourneville station, where there is (limited) seating, so we will have our morning coffee break there.

We then have our lunch break about half-way through the walk in a landscaped area on the canal, developed as part of the new Sainsburys Selly Oak complex. There is direct access to the Sainsburys store from this area which offers toilet facilities and a good café/coffee shop as an alternative (or adjunct) to eating your own lunch here.

After lunch we continue across the high-level aqueduct by Selly Oak, with the railway bridge on our left and views to the University, including the Old Joe clock tower, to the right, after which we pass the new University station development on the left. After this it is a green walk past the University, where there is another seating area for a brief rest, before reaching the end of the walk at the Mailbox with a wide selection of coffee houses and pubs which offer further refreshment. It is then a short walk to all of the Birmingham stations and buses. Everyone is welcome to join the walk leader for refreshment in a local traditional hostelry (The Craven Arms) after the walk.

Expressions of interest for this walk will close at 06.00 on 11 April 2024. After this, please email bhamramblersenquiries@gmail.com or contact us through our contact form at https://cobra.eventcube.io/support/contact to enquire about any late availability for the walk.

If you later find that you are unable to join us it would be helpful if you let us know by sending an email to bhamramblersenquiries@gmail.com or let us know though our contact form at https://cobra.eventcube.io/support/contact - this will be passed on to the walk leader and will prevent any delay to the start of the walk should the leader be waiting for you.

General Information

This is one of several walks and activities offered by the Birmingham Ramblers. If you have found this page through a web search or other means and would like to find out more about the group then please visit the Birmingham Ramblers web site; new members are always welcome.