I completed this walk two days ago travelling south from Tipton. It's a fairly perfunctory route which improves mainly after leaving the busy Birmingham New Road behind along what felt like an old dismantled railway route. There is some interest provided by the zoo and the castle at the Dudley end....

Steve Litchfield

When I was plotting the route before setting off I saw the off-road section and thought that looks like a good route. Unfortunately, it's this off-road section directly after the Gospel Oak Road up to the canal which is responsible for it's lowly one star rating. Upon reaching the Gospel Oak Road, the sun reflected off a million pieces of broken glass on the footpath ahead. The final section of the off-road section just before the rail tacks was awash with quad bikers and scramble bikers....

Steve Litchfield

The street walking along Bridge Street is minimal before taking you to footpaths alongside a retirement home and then Clayton park, and then to the station....

Steve Litchfield

It's a really good route, which starts by taking you along the streets to the Birmingham Canal (New Main Line) towpath which the route follows for approx....

Steve Litchfield

The canal continues ahead, first through residential areas; past a mosque; over a few aqueducts and then into a wooded area; and we also cross, and pass, a couple of junctions with other branches or canals....

Hiking Historian

Like Dave says, it's a decent route, but it fails at the exit to the bridge on Bromford Road, where the map shows it's on the opposite side to where it actually is! Apart from that, straightforward canal route....

Hiking Historian

Enjoyed this, it was mostly along the canal....

Marion Frankland

Fine in the summer!...

Marion Frankland

A safe, direct, off-road and enjoyable route that mostly follows the canal! I wallked this Slow Way with Mary - it was super pleasant and peaceful. Highly recommend....

Saira

I don't have much to add - it was a great route that mostly followed the Birmingham Canal towpath. I loved our diversion to the ghostly Netherton tunnel - (torch/ headlight recommended if you're planning to wander down). Highlights include lots of nature, a wondrous aqueduct and lunch at the cosy House of Chai - a really pleasant Slow Way + a lovely day with a lovely friend!!...

Saira

From Tipton Station, with its metalwork arch, there was a path directly onto the towpath....

Mary Oz

A short pavement-pace from the centre of Oldbury took us past the station and the Art Deco building of BGN Boards Co Ltd to the Birmingham Canal towpath, accessed by three steps then a slope....

Mary Oz

We walked it from Tipton to Coseley, and it follows the BCN Main Line canal for almost all the route, other than the last section where the canal passes through a tunnel under Coseley and the footpath goes up the hill through residential housing to Coseley station....

swebbews

We started walking down the hill for a short while alongside the main road from the centre of Oldbury, but after that the route was entirely alongside the Birmingham Canal Navigations Main Line built by Thomas Telford in 1827. The businessmen who commissioned Telford to build this canal wanted him to make it as straight as possible to speed up traffic, and Telford certainly delivered: the path is arrow-straight for most of the way to Tipton. There is no way you can lose your way on this route!...

swebbews

A pleasantly relaxing stroll along the Birmingham Canal, followed by the pavement of an A-road into Oldbury....

David Sanderson

A great walk between Tipton Railway Station and West Bromwich Bus Station. You could stay on the towpath on the Tipton Railway side until you leave, but the towpath indicated is wider and paved, so is more "all weather"....

David Sanderson

Cross the road via the bridge and access the towpath on the opposite bank....

David Sanderson

Plotting from Tipton is so vague that you can't tell which side of the canal you should walk, or where you should cross. Leaving at Albion, the junction is quiet tricky to cross...

David Sanderson

As you pass under the Birmingham to Wolverhampton Railway line you come out on to the Birmingham Canal which you follow for a very short stretch to the meeting place at Tipton Railway Station....

David Sanderson

Following a series of footpaths and then joining the canal at a good spot, it's also offroad. Full marks!...

David Sanderson

The route uses the towpath of the privately owned Dudley Canal and Caverns. The footpath between the Hippodrome building and martial arts school can not be accessed either...

David Sanderson

Having walked down a couple of residential streets with pedestrian crossings, where necessary, the route comes out at the A4123, a very busy road which needs to be crossed with great care. When I walked it, Castle Hill was closed for construction of the Metro (tram) route....

David Sanderson