Canal & River Trust publishes new West Midlands Places to Visit Guide to inspire great days out by the water this Easter

Last year over ten million people visited the charity’s 2,000-mile network of canals and rivers to enjoy walking, cycling, running, boat trips, fishing, wildlife spotting, feeding ducks, watching boats go through locks, paddleboarding, visiting a museum, enjoying food and drink at a canalside café or pub, and marvelling at some of the world’s finest examples of working industrial heritage.

Henriette Breukelaar, the Canal & River Trust’s director for West Midlands, says: “The Canal & River Trust cares for over 500 miles of canals in the West Midlands, providing free to visit outdoor open spaces, and the chance to connect with nature and the region’s rich canal history. Every year, millions of people visit our waterways to be active, relax and to enjoy the scenic landscapes our canals offer. 

“Our canals provide free and low-cost family-friendly days out by the water, and the chance to have some fabulous waterside experiences this Easter. Even in city centres, people can spot a variety of birds, animals, insects and plants along our canals and rivers. And from locks and bridges, to tunnels and aqueducts, there are hundreds of historic structures to marvel at.

“We want to encourage more people to visit our canals, rivers, reservoirs and docks so they can experience the physical and mental health and wellbeing benefits of spending time by water, and find out more about the work of our charity to care for the nation’s world-famous historic network.”

The Canal & River Trust’s Places to Visit in West Midlands guide provides information on the following locations:

Bancroft Bain (CV37 6BB) in Shakespeare’s Stratford connects the River Avon to the Stratford Canal. Now surrounded by gardens, the Basin was once home to wharves and warehouses with canal boats loading and unloading coal. Visitors to Bancroft Basin can enjoy a traffic-free cycle or walk along the Stratford Canal to Mary Arden’s house, explore the river on a boat trip, enjoy a picnic in the park and views of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, and watch waterway wildlife, including the famous colony of Stratford swans. 

Birmingham famously has more canals than Venice and Central Birmingham’s canals have been transformed from industrial arteries into an oasis in the heart of the city. The waterside bars and cafes are now the perfect place to relax, while historic bridges and buildings provide a glimpse of bygone days. Visitors to the canals in Central Birmingham (B1 2JF) can walk around Gas Street Basin, once a thriving port and now home to colourful canal boats, take a tour at Roundhouse Birmingham and try kayaking or paddleboarding, and enjoy a coffee in one of the many cafes or pubs at Brindleyplace.

This once busy industrial site is now transformed into a place to relax by the water. Visitors to Coventry Canal Basin (CV1 4LY) can visit the Canal & River Trust’s welcome hub in the historic Weighbridge Office, admire the hump-backed Draper’s Fields Bridge, industrial warehouses and coal vaults, and enjoy a walk or traffic-free bike ride along the towpath towards Hawkesbury Junction.

Diglis Island and Diglis Fish Pass in Worcester (WR2 4FF) are two fascinating visitor destinations created through the Unlocking the River Severn project. The largest of the four fish passes is 100 metres long and has its own underwater viewing gallery where visitors can spot different species swimming through the pass. Visitors can book a 90-minute tour visiting both Diglis Island and the fish pass or take the 70-minute ‘Locking the Severn’ walking tour. Tickets are also available for 20-minute Fish Pass drop-in sessions. 

Originally constructed to supply water to the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal, today Earlswood Lakes (B94 6AD) are one of the best places in the area to spot wildlife and enjoy nature. Visitors to Earlswood Lakes can enjoy a 2.6-mile accessible walking trail, watch out for woodpeckers, kestrels, owls, otters and muntjack deer, and follow the path to the Old Engine House, once used to pump water into the canal feeder channel.

This charming market town on the banks of the Llangollen Canal is home to The Mere and an abundance of wildlife. Visitors to Ellesmere (SY12 0AW) can discover the historic canal buildings and forge still used today to make heritage metalwork, enjoy a waterside picnic and wildlife watching at the Mere, explore the historic market town’s High Street shops and eateries, and take a towpath walk to colourful boats in the marina.

The Coventry Canal meets the Trent & Mersey Canal at Fradley Junction near Alrewas, making it a busy place for boats (DE13 7DN). Visitors to Fradley Junction can find out more about the history of the area at the Trust’s welcome hub, follow a self-guided walk along the canal, head to nearby Fradley Nature Reserve to enjoy a woodland walk and sculptures, and enjoy a bite to eat at the Swan Pub or canalside café.

Situated at the interchange between the Trent & Mersey and Staffordshire & Worcestershire canals, Great Haywood Junction was once a major trade link for the Potteries through Birmingham and to the docks in Bristol. Today visitors to Great Haywood at Mill Lane (ST18 0RQ) can enjoy a towpath walk to the National Trust’s Shugborough Estate, take a traffic-free cycle to Cannock Chase, or visit the Canalside Farm Shop & Café.

At 1.6 miles (2.6 kilometres) long, Harecastle Tunnel on the Trent & Mersey Canal (ST6 4PX) is one of the longest canal tunnels in the country. Visitors can stroll along the towpath to the turnover bridge, built so horses pulling the boats could pass from one side of the canal to the other without being unhitched. Westport Lake, an important overwintering site for water birds, is close by, and there’s a 45-minute scenic walk exploring the green route linking the Harecastle Tunnel portals. 

Nicknamed ‘The Stairway to Heaven’, the 21 locks at Hatton take boats 45 metres up, or down, the Grand Union Canal. Visitors can discover more about the history of the area at the Trust’s welcome hub, see heritage working boats ‘Malus’ or ‘Scorpio’, follow the wildlife trail along the lock flight, and enjoy a coffee at the Hatton Locks Café next to the top lock.

Iron bridges criss-cross the canal at Hawkesbury Junction where the Coventry Canal meets the Oxford Canal. Visitors can follow part of the Centenary Way along the towpath to Bedworth (1.25 miles/2 kilometres), cycle into Coventry (4.5 miles/7.2 kilometres), visit the Trust’s welcome hub and watch boats go through Hawkesbury Lock.

Once bustling transhipment port where goods were transferred from the River Severn to the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal, today Stourport-on-Severn a peaceful place to spend time by water. Visitors can enjoy a boat trip along the River Severn, visit the Trust’s welcome hub to find out more about the history of the Basins, enjoy a riverside picnic and take a stroll around the Georgian town of Stourport-on-Severn. There’s information about the history of Stourport at the Tontine Stable and Old Ticket Office and Riverside parking at DY13 8UJ.

With three locks, two bridges and a tollhouse in an idyllic countryside location, Bratch Locks at Wombourne (WV5 8DH) is one of the most picturesque spots on the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal. Visitors can explore the area on the 1.4 mil (2.2 kilometre) circular walk along the canal and disused railway line, take a break in the Railway Café, look at Bratch Pumping Station and enjoy a picnic by the water.

Surrounded by beautiful countryside, this area is a paradise for walkers. Grindley Brook is the starting point for four long-distance footpaths – the Maelor, Shropshire Way, South Cheshire Way and the Sandstone Trail. Visitors can enjoy strolling along the canal to Mills Lift Bridge, watch boats navigate Grindley Brook Locks, visit the Heritage Centre in historic market town of Whitchurch, where there’s a choice of independent shops and cafes.

Canal & River Trust’s new regional Places to Visit in the West Midlands Guide is available to download at canalrivertrust.org.uk/free-guide

For more information on Canal & River Trust charity, including how you can donate money or volunteer to support its work, visit: canalrivertrust.org.uk.