Alrbur one

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This was the final part of my 18 mile three route walk from Shenstone via Lichfield, so I walked it from Alrewas to Burton.

Most of the route was familiar to me because I have walked the whole length of the Trent and Mersey Canal from Shardlow to Preston Brook in the last year, but at least this time I was walking in the opposite direction.

The route along the canal is clear, though it does cross the canal three times (four if you count the bridge at Alrewas). The canal path is mostly unsurfaced and is quite narrow in places, which can be a little problematical because it is popular with cyclists.

Much of the route is right next to the busy A38, so it is not quiet!

At the Burton end, just after a little bridge over a small marina entrance, the route up to Shobnall Road (B517) has a small brick staircase (8 steps). There are quieter alternative routes to the railway station available through the back streets from a little further up the canal, but this route is at least safe and easy to follow.

Nice easy navigational walk this one but spoilt by the traffic noise on the A38 which is alongside for a long distance. Away from that it's a delight but beware the canal uses the RiverTrent between Wychnor and Alrewas the pictures show what it can be like and the towpath may be flooded. At the Burton end there is a route north of Shobnall from the towpath through quite roads to the Town Hall which avoids the busy road.

I walked this route from Alrewas and was really pleased with it. The stretch through Alrewas is extremely short before joining the canal, and it sticks on that same canal all the way to Burton. Super easy to navigate and largely very pleasant walking.

I’d note a few things:
- a lot of the canal runs along the a38, which is quite noisy. The route is safe and totally separate from the road, but it’s also a bit hard to find quietude along those segments!
- navigating the roundabout at the Bass Pumping Station was quite nasty and unpleasant. I wonder if the route could be re-worked to stick to the residential neighborhoods to the north (using Shobnall Street?).

Simple, direct, relaxing and beautiful. I walked this from Burton. The route to the canal is along the pavements of busy roads but is mercifully short (about 1km). Joining the Trent and Mersey Canal at Shobnall Marina, then the towpath takes you as far as the last couple of hundred metres of the walk. The environment of the canal is varied but predominantly rural. It features surroundings such as fields, woods, a water reserve at Branston, a crossing of the River Trent at Wychnor and a marina at Barton Turns. There is a section which runs alongside the A38 but noise is the only nuisance. The route is popular with walkers, cyclists and boaters. Wildlife abounds and the walk was rich with dragonflies, butterflies and a green woodpecker on the day I walked it. There are places to get food and drink about every 4 km including two pubs and a Starbucks. If you are feeling adventurous you can make a short excursion to Barton Marina at the half way point (6km) where there are numerous restaurants, pubs, cafes and even a cinema cafe. On arrival at Alrewas you are soon delivered from the canal to the high street and cafes or pubs and the bus home. One of my favourite Slow Ways walked on a very hot day. Full marks.

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