Bircol two

Verified Slow Way

Verified by 100.00% of reviewers

I completed this walk today travelling East from Birmingham to Coleshill. Overall it is a fairly direct route. The whole walk is on tarmac except for a very brief section next to the HS2 works where the tarmac appears to have disappeared due to the construction work. I only give the walk three stars due to the high volume of traffic the route takes you next to. Approximately two thirds of the walk is next to busy roads, with the remainder of the walk through the Cole Valley an 'oasis' within surburbia.

When I did this walk, there was a lot of construction work going on all the way through Digbeth (photo 11). I couldn't help feel that there always seems to be construction going on in this part of town. Hopefully when it's finished it will make this section more pleasant. After crossing the A4540 ring road, and passing the football ground at St Andrews, the walk takes on a more residential feel as you walk a good length of Bordesley Green.

Eventually after passing Alum Rock and Stechford, the walk enters an extremely welcome section away from the busy traffic and into the Cole Valley. This is undoubtedly the highlight of the walk. The traffic noise soon disappears, to be replaced with the occasional aircraft as the flight path to land at the nearby airport goes directly over this section. It felt a shame to leave the Cole Valley behind and return to busy traffic on Cooks Lane and onwards into Coleshill.

I am able to recommend this walk, it is doable, and even with the burnt out car in photo 12, I felt safe. It is a fairly direct route, and is also interesting as a study into the changing demographic with distance away from the centre of Birmingham. I'm glad I did the walk in this direction as ending at the pretty church of St Peter & St Paul in Coleshill (photo 15) seemed a better option to me than ending in the chaos of Birmingham City centre.

However, at the cost of adding a couple of miles onto the walk, I think it can be improved - at least if getting away from traffic is a desirable outcome. I'm tempted to make a new Bircol three myself, but i'm not actually sure on accessibility. If someone reading this has better local knowledge, perhaps one to consider...

The first improvement I would suggest is getting onto the Cole Valley sooner. The maps seem to suggest this can happen at the junction of the Grand Union Canal near the Ackers adventure centre. The second suggestion is continuing along the Cole Valley further, and then to cross the motorways a little further south via the Green Lane subway and bridge. I suspect however, the Green Lane footpath may not be accessible due to HS2 works, but this could be worth exploring.

I found this walk a bit relentlessly trafficky for my liking - two thirds were alongside noisy roads. The Cole River Walk third was a relief but was also a wide tarmacked path for its whole length, so that's 10 miles of hardness underfoot. When I finished I was really unusually exhausted for a walk of this length - I blame the pounding of tarmac along with walking stiffly due to traffic and rain. My lungs and ears hurt too! So... not my favourite day! But I whined on Twitter and David Sanderson who designed the walk defended it, saying it's unlike any other Slow Way, going as it does from the centre of the UK's second biggest city, all the way out, plus over four motorways, and the HS2 site, and right past the airport, and still manages a long stretch of lakes and river. So... granted.
I think without the rain it would have been much better; the motorway crossing part was quite exciting. Walking out of the city straight from New St Station was good. Digbeth High St was exciting with all the heavy roadworks for the tram. I think an east Birmingham local might be able to design a variation for the city stretch that could be more on residential roads and parks perhaps, which would make a big difference to the relentlessness of the overall walk.
Highlights - planes overhead, heaps of geese on Gumbleberrys Close heralding the end of the city section, and getting to the very different vibe of Coleshill, on a Friday night as the pubs started getting going!.

Varied, reasonably direct route. The first section follows Digbeth High Street into Deritend. As well as all the entertainment and artistic endeavours of Digbeth, most bus routes south from the centre pass through here and the route passes Birmingham Bus Station. The street is currently having tramlines fitted to extend the existing network. It is very well connected. Having turned under Bordesley Railway Station you cross the inner ring road to join a road to take past St Andrews, Birmingham City's Football Ground and then on to Bordesley Green. This inner city section, as well as being heavily residential, offers a lot of cheap and cheerful shops and takeaway options. As you get to the edge of Alum Rock you turn away from the main road and follow a series of residential streets to enter the Cole Valley. The next section is a combination of offroad trails through recreation grounds, parks and nature reserves. The sound and then sight of planes taking off from nearby Birmingham Airport was the only reminder of where I was! City life hits you again at Bacon's End and you cross the road to join the pavement which takes you all the way to Coleshill. There are two crossings of roundabouts, the second of which, crossing the A452 needed extra caution to cross. The last section is a walk along a pavement next to the busy B4114 through edgeland. It's not particularly enjoyable but it does get you safely over three motorways! After exposure to so many motorways in such short succession, and the apparent creep of HS2, arrival in the pretty, historic village of Coleshill is welcome. A Slow Way featuring city centre, inner city, city parks, nature reserves and historic village. Safe, not the most direct, but I think the variety of the Cole Valley makes up for that. Transport links are excellent at the Birmingham end. I'd definitely walk it again!.

Share your views about this route, give it a star rating, indicate whether it should be verified or not.

Include information that will be useful to others considering to walk or wheel it.

You can add up to 15 photos.