BLACK COUNTRY CANAL & PUB WALK

RIDICULOUSLY SHORT NOTICE, but … a walk to raise some funds to help re-establish Okhmatdyt National Children’s Hospital in Kyiv following the horrific attack on 8 July 2024.

JOIN OUR ANNUAL BLACK COUNTRY CANAL & PUB WALK … a fascinating, privately organised walk exploring beautifully restored canal pathways, woodland walkways, lesser-known open spaces, historic landmarks and, ...

... FOR THE REAL ALE AFICIONADOS, some iconic Black Country inns that have stood the test of time.

A day, therefore, with something for everyone! As one person wrote, “Thanks for an awesome day, guys! I will DEFINITELY be on another adventure with you”.

SATURDAY 10 AUGUST 2024 - the walk leaves Rowley Regis Railway Station car park at 10:30 hrs. Direct trains depart Birmingham Moor Street for Rowley Regis every ten minutes with a travelling time of 20 minutes.

To traditionalists, The Black Country is the area where the coal seam comes to the surface; a region described as 'Black by day and red by night' by Elihu Burritt, the American Consul to Birmingham in 1862. Other authors, from Charles Dickens to William Shenstone refer to the intensity of manufacturing in The Black Country and its effect on the landscape and its people.

DURING THE DAY, we see links to The Gunpowder Plot, Netherton Tunnel, Cobb’s Engine House, The Titanic, Joseph Darby, The Black Country Flag, Brewins Canal Section, The Bouncing Bomb, The Delph Nine, The Festival of Britain 1951 Clock, Stambermill Viaduct and much, much more; a truly fascinating day.

We start out along an elevated route offering panoramic views across south-west Birmingham towards The Shropshire Hills before joining the beautifully restored towpath of The Dudley Canal and on to The Olde Swan. Deservedly on CAMRA's National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors, the pub features an ornate enameled ceiling (one of only two remaining in the country) and standalone burner in the bar, an unspoilt treasure.

The next section of the walk is almost exclusively along The Dudley Canal towpaths, giving us connections to The Bouncing Bomb, The Delph Nine and many other historic gems before arriving at The Vine. Steeped in character and history and more famously known as “The Bull and Bladder", its renowned Shakespearean facade quoting "Blessing of your heart - You brew good ale" has welcomed many to Bathams, one of the last surviving family brewers in The Black Country.

We join The Stourbridge Canal, another beautifully restored section of canal, for the next leg of our journey. Make sure to spot The Festival of Britain Clock as we head towards The Bonded Warehouse at the canal's terminus. From here, we take a short walk into Stourbridge town centre and a couple of welcome ‘pit-stops’.

The last stretch of our walk is a scenic riverside walk along the banks of the River Stour, passing beneath Stambermill Viaduct before arriving at The Shovel Inn at Lye.

Lye Station, less than five minutes’ walk from The Windsor Castle has direct trains to Birmingham Moor Street every half hour with a travelling time of 30 minutes.

THE DETAIL - there is a non-refundable “Walk Registration Fee” of £20:00 payable by bank transfer (details on request) to join our Black Country Canal & Pub Walk (or £22:50 payable via Paypal to take into account their fees).

All Registration Fees will be donated towards the purchase of new ‘Invacare Pressure Mattresses’ to help re-establish the Children’s Emergency Ward at Okhmatdyt National Children’s Hospital in Kyiv.

THE SMALL PRINT - by paying a "Registration Fee" you will be agreeing to the Group’s cancellation policy, a copy of which is available upon request. Food and drinks, travel costs, incidentals and personal spending money are not included in the Walk Registration Fee.