Our Route


In July/August 2018 we walked from Liversedge in Yorkshire to Oxford, where possible, on canal towpaths.

The walk started on greenways in the Spen Valley until Ravensthorpe where we joined our first canal, the Calder and Hebble Navigation to Mirfield. In Mirfield we took a greenway to pick up the Huddersfield Broad Canal, after first getting slightly lost in the Colne Valley. We followed the Huddersfield Broad Canal into Huddersfield.

The next day we joined the Huddersfield Narrow Canal to the Standedge tunnel. As there is no footpath in the tunnel we walked over the Pennines, via the Wessenden Valley, to Diggle and the southern end of the tunnel. We followed the Huddersfield Narrow Canal to Ashton where we joined the Peak Forest Canal.

We followed the Peak Forest Canal to Marple where we turned off onto the Macclesfield Canal. We followed the Macclesfield Canal to Kidsgrove where we joined the Trent and Mersey Canal. Almost immediately we had to leave the Canal, as it entered the Harecastle Tunnel, and follow a modified version of the route taken by draught horses in the early days. We rejoined the towpath at the southern end of the tunnel.

We followed the Trent and Mersey Canal to Fradley where we joined the Coventry Canal which we followed to Fazeley Junction, where we joined the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal.

We should have left the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal where it passes under the M6 and joined the Birmingham and Warwick Junction Canal, as we were going through Warwick. However we missed the junction. Even so I thought we could go into central Birmingham and then head East towards Solihull and our accommodation.

We could have corrected our first mistake at Aston Top Lock and turned East on the Digbeth Branch Canal but missed our turn and headed into Birmingham. We almost reached the centre before we realized this second mistake. However from a canal and engineering aspect, the walk into central Birmingham was really interesting. It was a rewarding, if somewhat tiring mistake.

We walked back to the Aston Top Lock and followed the Digbeth branch for a short way to the Grand Union Canal, which was soon joined by the Birmingham and Warwick Canal, which we should have taken in the first place.

We followed the Grand Union Canal all the way to Napton Junction. At Napton Junction we turned south on our final canal, the Oxford Canal, which we followed to its end in Oxford.

We started on Monday, July 16 and finished on Monday, August 13. We walked 248 miles. We travelled for 29 days, with 5 rest days, thus averaging about 10 miles per day on our walking days.


Saturday, 4 August 2018

Warwick to Lower Itchington.

We left The Black Horse at 8:50 am and were walking beside the canal within 15 minutes, joining it from wher we left it two days ago.
We passed a boatyard but the canal itself was not very busy. Probably boatwise it was one of the quietest days we've experienced. We met a few cyclists but lots of joggers.
We passed over the river Avon in an aqueduct, For a short time we were surrounded by fields with sheep grazing. A little later things became more urban  as we passed over the main railway line in an aqueduct on the way into Leamington.


The towpath through Leamington was quite wide, with plenty of trees, even though we were in a large town.  At times however it was a bit pongy. Now and again there was a vague smell of faeces, which disappeared as we got into the coutryside. Whether human or canine I did not investigate further.
People seemto have been out cleaning the canal, especially near bridges, where it was common to find piles of metal scrap.
We passed a road bridge, which has seen better days, before heading out ito the countryside.
We started at a lock but it was almost 2 hours before we came to the next and then 4 came relatively quickly, climbing up into the countryside. 
After about 3 hours we saw icecream and drinks advertised at one set of locks and so we crossed over the lock gates to investigate. Sadly no one was around.
As we were approaching Boscote locks there was quite a bit of vegetation growing in the canal. Probably doesn't help navigation but it looks attractive. However after the locks the width of the towpath became decidedly 'iffy' and for a time I was afraid my companion may fall in the canal. We arrived at Long Itchington about 1:30pm and had a drink in the pub beside the canal before heading for our B&B at Marton Hill Farm.







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