Darwal one

Verified Slow Way

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I completed this walk today travelling southwest from Walsall. A fairly good walk which I think has been covered in detail by the other reviews here.

A little over half of the walk is along the canal which has a few points of interest along the way. Steps down from the canal onto Bentley Mill Way, and then along Kendricks Road and across the Flatts which was pretty muddy when I did the walk.

Definitely doable and can still be recommended.

Walked from Darlaston to Walsall. Mostly good, but the footpath through the Flatts is getting very overgrown and would benefit from more use. There are steps up to the canal aqueduct, and the canal part of the route is excellent.

From the Darlaston meeting point, we head up the ramp and across the Asda car park, then left up the pedestrianised King Street Precinct, which leads us into the surprisingly pleasant old part of Darlaston. We follow Victoria Road past a park and a leisure centre, then turn right into The Flatts, continuing on a path that is becoming neglected and overgrown by nettles and thistles, but is still passable with a little determination. Kendricks Road looks uninviting - an access road for industrial buildings with no pavement, but does offer a direct route to Bentley Mill Way, where we turn left to walk towards the Walsall Canal aqueduct, which is rather impressive for an eighteenth century structure. To reach the canal we need to go up a flight of grassy steps.

Once on the canal the rest of the walk is easy and pleasant (at one point I passed a tame heron which flew past and settled about 10 feet behind me), on a tarmac path that leads us directly to the Walsall Basin. From there it is a short easy walk to the meeting point in the pedestrianised Park Street.

We walked this route from Walsall to Darlaston. It was easy to follow and pleasant particularly along the canal and outskirts of Darlaston. The area around the motorway is post industrial brownfield sites and it will be interesting to see how this develops over the coming years. Care is needed walking along Kendricks Road and crossing Heath Road. Its also easy to miss the entrance to the footpath at this point (avoid walking up the service road - the footpath is slightly to the right). Overall a good and interesting route.

A really enjoyable walk and a great example of a Slow Way. Leading from the meeting point by the Asda bus stop, the crossing of the car park is swift to King Street, the main shopping street in Darlaston. The journey out of the town is very pleasant and pavement soon gives way to wooded footpath. It's only by the sound of the vehicles that you would know that this path is surrounded by industrial units. As you emerge and cross Heath Road you go straight across into Kendricks Road which is marked as "access only". Don't worry, that's only for cars, although I suspect many use it as a short cut nevertheless. A certain amount of caution is needed as there is a narrow bridge with no pavement. It is however, quickly crossed and the surrounding are quiet enough that you can hear any vehicles approach. Beyond there you round the cemetery, and as you get to the aqueduct you climb the steps to join the Walsall Canal. The walk along the canal at first, offers views over to Wednesbury and you soon pass under the M6. As you enter Pleck the surroundings become more industrial. The last section bring you into the very centre of Walsall with the New Art Gallery, numerous bars and eateries and new flats. Having left the canal the walk along Park Street is decidedly less flash but there are options for stops and shops along with direct access to both railway and bus stations. This for me, is so much of what a Slow Way should be: Direct, safe, offroad and varied. A welcome addition to the network. Full marks!.

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