Cycling routes in the West Midlands. Cycle through the park, passing the colourful gardens, tearoom and bandstand, as well as the mac (formerly the Midlands Arts Centre), where you can see, hear and create your own art. Lying on the Birmingham Plateau, England’s second-largest city occupies mostly flat ground. 2km and 5km cycling, walking and jogging routes, temporary closures are posted on the Canal and River Trust website, common sense guide to sharing the towpath, Birmingham Cycle Revolution - Our journey. National lockdown: Stay at Home Check out our coronavirus updates and advice. There are options for every level of rider. Birmingham was an industrial powerhouse, the canals being only one remnant of this fascinating history. Cycling along Birmingham’s waterways can also take you to the rivers Rea and Cole. Multi-day adventures can take you to the stunning Shropshire Hills AONB, where offroad trails take you high onto rolling summits and have you speeding down to pretty villages. This short eight-mile cycle route from Birmingham City Centre to Gravelly Hill travels along... Rea Valley Route, Birmingham. 2km and 5km cycling, walking and jogging routes Canal towpaths Birmingham is well known for its extensive canal network which provides traffic free routes through many parts of the city. On the 19th July 2016, I rode 152 miles from SEA LIFE London to SEA LIFE Birmingham, along the length of the Grand Union Canal. Intermediate. Biking the tow path: The UK's best canal cycle routes Traffic-free and incredibly pretty, biking along canals offers fantastic fun for cyclists of all levels. Looking for the best cycling routes around Walsall? Check out our coronavirus updates and advice. 46.6 km. From thigh-burning day rides to canalside adventures with the kids, bike rides in Birmingham have plenty to offer. Is it possible to cycle the entire length of the grand Union Canal from Birmingham to London with little road cycling. Start at Cannon Hill Park, passing the mac, the boating lake and the children’s play area. With historic bridges, old warehouses and vast factories, riding through Birmingham will reveal snippets of history everywhere. Birmingham resurfaced 8 canal towpath cycle routes, created or improved over 15 miles of cycle routes across green space, signed 11 routes along quieter roads, implemented 20 … The Starley Network is a regional network of cycling and walking trails. The dodgy parts are on the Stratford upon Avon Canal onwards to the return journey up on the Grand Union to Knowle locks. From easy-going paths to challenging mountain trails. The Worcester & Birmingham Canal is a justifiably popular cruising route and is now part of both the Avon and Stourport Cruising Rings. We are trying to plan this route to cycle this summer and hope it can be completed in 3 days. You start near Birmingham New Street Station and head west along the Birmingham Canal. You then turn north towards West Bromwich passing through Sandwell Valley Country Park with its lovely woodlands and meadows. The River Cole, Stratford-Upon-Avon Canal and Worcester & Birmingham Canal are more than happy to lead you along wonderful, flat trails until hunger sets in. A lovely objective on a Birmingham bike ride, the hall is open during the summer only. On this page, we bring you the top 20 bike rides around Walsall so you can just get out and go. The Rea Valley cycling route. All temporary closures are posted on the Canal and River Trust website. Hide this message. This will get you comfortably to Edgbaston and Selly Oak, Wednesbury and Wolverhampton, or Gravelly Hill and Erdington. Great for any fitness level. This six-mile or 12-mile return route (with a shorter three-mile option) follows blue signs along the River Rea and the Birmingham and Worcester Canal… Route map for 'Birmingham Canals Loop 53 Miles' - a 85.72km cycle route near Wednesbury, UK. Intermediate bike ride. The city also has a small number of cyclepaths through country parks. The new Blue Routes are a positive addition to the city and to finally have some dedicated cycling infrastructure is amazing. These are blue surfaced cycle routes which are separated from other traffic wherever possible with dedicated signals for cyclists at major junctions, m aking cycling much more ac cessi ble.. Here are a few of our favorite places to ride in and around Birmingham. Getting onto and along the canal is easy too, with improvements at access points and the opening up of towpath gates and barriers. Landmarks/Pubs for lunch/Sites to see? You could see cyclists, walkers, boaters, anglers, kayakers and even horses pulling boats along the water. Get recommendations on the best single tracks, peaks, & plenty of other exciting outdoor places. Highlights on the route include the fascinating Saltaire. Ride north to pedal your way around the 2,400-acre (970 ha) Sutton Park. For country houses, the 17th century Aston Hall is an impressive mansion set in beautiful grounds. Canal and River Trust welcomes all users and encourages you to respect the serenity of the local environment and each other. Ride north 15 miles (24 km) to Letocetum and imagine going back a few thousand years in this important Roman settlement, now excavated and open to the public. Occasionally, sections of towpath have to be closed for maintenance or improvements. You’ll find plentiful opportunities for cycling in Birmingham’s surroundings as the city is flanked by beautiful countryside and rural trails. Top 20 cycling routes around Birmingham Sutton Park – Keepers Pond Loop from Butlers Lane. 03:17. The canal comes out from underneath the M5 and you arrive at Anchor Bridge which carries the busy A457 Birmingham Road. If you want to remember a specific page forever click the pin in the top right corner and we will be sure not to replace it. Explore more of England: Browse the best Cycling Routes in other regions. Whatever your age or cycling ability, taking to the towpaths on two wheels is a great way to escape rush hour traffic, get some exercise and enjoy a little bit of the countryside in the city. Cycling … Whether you want to enjoy a gentle cycle for an hour or so or go at it hard for several days, the canal cycle routes below are terrific for two-wheeled adventure. If history (or literature) is your bag, pausing at Sarehole Mill on explorations of the River Cole won’t disappoint. The Route End-to-end the canal is ~150 miles and makes a challenging 2 day or a more leisurely 3 day trip. Journey Planner. Birmingham Canal Navigations 31: Swan Angling Club Wyrley & Essington Canal Stokes Bridge to Perry Hall Bridge Sweeping parklands with labyrinthine cycle paths allow you to head out of Birmingham and dedicate an entire day to riding in unadulterated nature. An open source map and journey planner is available from CycleStreets. Intermediate. The Birmingham Canal Navigations Many people wouldn't think of spending their holidays cruising beneath city streets, past the backyards of factories and industrial estates and alongside busy railway lines, but the amazing network of canals, junctions, locks and tunnels left over from the industrial revolution has a fascination all of its own. JRR Tolkien's inspiration for the mill in Hobbiton, Sarehole Mill is now one of only two working water mills in the area. A “there-and-back” 36km (22 mile) trip along canal towpaths, quiet roads and green routes through New Hall Valley Country Park all the way to the beautiful 2400 acre Sutton Park National Nature Reserve, one of the largest urban parks in Europe. Days out along the Worcester & Birmingham Canal Encircled by the wonderfully rural counties of Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire and Shropshire, your bike rides around Birmingham have unadulterated access to wonderful countryside. Looking for new places to ride? Cycle A-way’s list of routes, maps and resources for the West Midlands. Mountain Biking | Birmingham & Black Country Canal Cycleway | The towpath of the canal from Birmingham to Wolverhampton, known simply as the Birmingham Canal or the Main Line, is largely good quality. Check out our events calendar to find a ride that suits you Wildlife – Bridge Loop from Sandwell and Dudley. A full list of services can be found on our A–Z listings page. All surfaces are good quality. This is the toughest section with the highest … For either option I recommend Birmingham to Braunston (approx 50 miles) as the target for Day 1. To help you make the most of these fantastic routes, we have created six downloadable maps, each highlighting a key canal route in the city. It links hundreds of miles of cycle r… Information on bus, rail and metro in the West Midlands region of UK ... Sandwell to Birmingham canal route map; Continuing south the path takes you through trees, along a stream, through Pebble Mill Playing Fields and joins Kitchener Road. The route continues onto Walsall where a dismantled railway line takes you onto Pelsall, … Birmingham’s traffic-free routes are largely based on the canal system. Click the buttons below to explore local trails and bike paths. Working in partnership with Canal and River Trust, we have resurfaced over 50km of canal towpath in the city with a clean, well-drained, grippy grit surface. 35 miles (56 km) of canals work their way through the city and cycle routes in Birmingham will invariably lead you along at least one. In Birmingham you will find traffic free cycling routes, including canal towpaths, on road cycle lanes and signed routes on quieter roads. West Midland Towpath. Mostly paved surfaces. Our Tour recommendations are based on thousands of activities completed by other people on komoot. Top routes in and around Birmingham Birmingham to Sutton Park. For family bike rides, wherever there’s water, there’s usually flat routes and in Birmingham, you’re never too far from a snack stop and a pretty park either. The Grand Union Canal towpath will be improved further towards Solihull, and the Tame Valley Canal… Brompton hire comes to Birmingham Follow the historic Grand Union Canal as far as you like or head to Kingsbury Water Park to explore the trails. More confident cyclists may also choose to cycle on larger roads, mixing with faster moving traffic. Birmingham City Council has pledged to build another eight miles of off-road cycle route. Cycling Routes in Dudley. The best is the Rea Valley route, part of National Cycle Network route 5, which wends attractively out from the city centre to Kings Norton and Longbridge. Birmingham Canal – Resurfaced tow path nice Loop from Rowley Regis. Cycle Steps Brum 40 mile canal route, easy for the majority of the route but you do encounter some bad stretches even for a hardtail. My longest bike ride ever to date. It features 150 miles of traffic free walking and cycling paths along canals, rivers, and through the 8000 acres of parks of the Birmingham plateau. Plotted with the plotaroute.com route planner. I wanted to experience a canal bike ride but a longer/ far one. Gas Street Basin central Birmingham canal on The City Route - best family cycling routes in Birmingham ahead of BikeFest (Image: Roy Watson) The Nature Trail: Cannon Hill Park Cycling … The following links are virtual breadcrumbs marking the 9 most recent pages you have visited on birmingham.gov.uk. To make sure everyone gets the most out of their time by the water, Canal and River Trust has worked with canal users to develop a common sense guide to sharing the towpath and what to expect of others: Read more tips on the Canal and River Trust website. Woodgate valley country park – Birmingham Canal Loop from Cradley Heath. Following two years of research it is designed to appeal to a wide range of users who wish to explore the area and its fascinating industrial legacy. Cannon hill park – Birmingham Canal Loop from Yardley Wood, Sutton Park – Keepers Pond Loop from Butlers Lane, Birmingham Canal – Trittiford Park and Lake Loop from Hall Green, Centenary Square – Birmingham Canal Loop from Bournville, Birmingham Canal – Birmingham Roundhouse Loop from Bournville, Worcester and Birmingham Canal – View of Frankley Reservoir Loop from University, Winterbourne Botanic Gardens – Cannon hill park Loop from Moseley, Lichfield Cathedral – Keepers Pond Loop from Wylde Green, Birmingham Canal – Centenary Square Loop from Jewellery Quarter, Croxall Lakes – National Memorial Arboretum Loop from Sutton Coldfield, View of Frankley Reservoir – Waseley Hills Country Park Loop from Northfield, Birmingham Canal – Cannon hill park Loop from Harborne, Canal intersection – Trittiford Park and Lake Loop from Bournville, Trittiford Park and Lake – Earlswood lakes Loop from Yardley Wood, Canal intersection – Cannon hill park Loop from Rednal, Birmingham Roundhouse – Birmingham Canal Loop from University, Home on the range – Singletrack climb to quarry Loop from Four Oaks, Cannon hill park – Canal intersection Loop from Small Heath, Birmingham Canal – Birmingham Roundhouse Loop from Sutton Coldfield. START POINT : Bilston Bus Station, Hall Street Bilston next to Bilston Central Tram Station and Bilston Market. Getting around Birmingham and Wolverhampton, and canal routes galore. 02:49. Lakes, marshes and woodlands filled with oak, birch and alder make for a nature-filled day on the bridleways. Cycling events in the West Midlands. To cycle from the same to points in Birmingham and Walsall using only the canal network and no roads, use our BIRMINGHAM to GREAT BRIDGE cycle route and then our GREAT BRIDGE to … Birmingham Canal – Trittiford Park and Lake Loop from Hall Green. As the weather is warming up we want everyone to be able to enjoy our canals and rivers in the safest possible way. Starting from the Tourist Information Centre, Chamberlain Square in central Birmingham, head out on the Rea Valley route through Cannon Hill Park. With 58 locks in all and five tunnels, it's well suited to energetic crews, or those who don't mind taking their time.