Oldsme two

Slow Way not verified yet. Verify Oldsme here.

A good straightforward route, mostly using the canal. But, as we'll see, it's foot-only.

From the centre of Oldbury, where there are bus stops and shops, we walk past the railway station, then down a road between the car park, Network Rail and the police station. The pavement on this road lacks ramps at the crossings, so it's not good for wheeled users. At the end of the road, down a ramp and we're onto the Birmingham Canal.

A good tarmac footpath, although muddy in places, we swop sides at the next footbridge. There is presently a diversion just past the motorway bridge, the towpath ahead is closed due to a dangerous building; there is a diversion in place that takes us along the higher branch of the canal, beneath the motorway viaduct. We rejoin the route from the next road bridge, a ramp down to the towpath.

It's a pleasant walk along a deep canal cutting, with buildings and trees above our heads. Underneath Galton Bridge, we enter a tunnel; it's not too long, but it is a little dark. Once at other end, we walk as far as the pumping station (now a museum), where we go up steps to the higher branch. More or less straight after, another set of stairs to the road. As the road turns, we take a footbridge over the railway and main road (with steps), which brings us to the end near shops, bus stops and the local gurdwara.

A good, short canal walk, but a multitude of steps does mean it is foot-only, as already mentioned.

There were some interesting buildings on leaving Oldbury - some classic municipal buildings including The Big House, and the Art Deco factory building opposite Sandwell and Dudley railway station (on the West Coast main line).
Access to the canal involved three steps and a ridged ramp. I soon reached Spon Lane Junction then continued under the M5 and Stewart Aqueduct. Here I had to go up a ridged brick slope to reach the old canal line. After a quick look at the aqueduct (what a confusion of canals, railway, and motorway!) I followed the old canal, literally underneath the motorway. A slightly confusing route crossed the canal and some dry land beneath the motorway to exit onto Spon Lane via a kissing gate. A short way along the road there was a slope down to the new line of canal again.
After a while I walked through Galton Valley, all very interesting with its double level railway station, high bridges and short canal tunnel. I passed below Galton Valley Canal Museum and under the next bridge, and left the towpath up shallow steps to the old canal line again and out onto the road.
A footbridge over the busy A457 and the railway (with very interesting views) brought me to the Smethwick meeting point.
A very enjoyable route with lots of interesting canal heritage.

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