Birmingham & Black Country No.5: Cambrian Wharf to Shirley Drawbridge Paddle Trail

Birmingham & Black Country No.5: Cambrian Wharf to Shirley Drawbridge Paddle Trail

Ben Sansom
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3-5 hours
Duration
10 miles
Distance
One Way
Easy
Difficulty
B1 2AN
Start Postcode
B90 1DD
End Postcode
A. From Cambrian Wharf, head away from the locks and toward ‘Farmers Bridge Junction’; the island in the centre of the canal outside the Sea Life Centre/Arena. This was installed during the War to enable the canal to be closed off and flooding prevented if it was bombed.

B. Turn left, onto the Worcester and Birmingham Canal, through Brindley Place and Broad Street Tunnel, into Gas Street basin. You are going through the narrow Worcester Bar. As you turn right at the Mail Box corner the BBC studios are on your left.

C. Follow the canal under ‘Lovers Bridge’, noting the many padlocks on the bridge railings. Pass through ‘Edgbaston Tunnel’ and then ‘The Vale’ Tunnel.

D. At around 2.5 miles the trail passes the hospital (right) and University (left) and shortly after, passes over the Ariel Aqueduct, built in 2011.

E. Pass over Bourneville Aqueduct, with Cadbury’s World on your right, at about 4.5 miles. Reaching Kings Norton Junction, at 5.75 miles, turn left onto the Stratford Canal.

F. Pass through Kings Norton Guillotine lock in 300m and at 6.6 miles pass through Brandwood Tunnel (300m). After this your route becomes more rural, finishing, at just over 10 miles, at Shirley Drawbridge. The bridge is too low to paddle under (unless open)

Discover More

This is trail 5 of 6 in a series, developed in conjunction with the Canal & Rivers Trust, which run through Birmingham and the Black Country. The trails are a variety of lengths and can be paddled at your leisure. Explore just one, or complete all six in a multi-day expedition.

Paddling through the bustling cafes and bars in Brindley place is a unique experience. It’s a fantastic way to view the world; floating gently through Gas Street tunnel, under Broad Street and over ‘Worcester Bar’.

Here the Birmingham Canal Company refused to connect to the Worcester Canal, so the two navigations were separated. This meant goods had to be lifted from one canal to the next. Worcester Bar was later replaced with a ‘stop lock’ which is now left open to allow passage between the two canals.

As the route passes out of the city, the canal heads straight through Cadbury’s Bourneville works – world renowned for its chocolate! Bourneville itself was a model village created by the Cadbury family wishing to provide better living conditions for the workers. There were extensive wharfs where the chocolate ‘crumb’ was unloaded from the docks. Nowadays Cadbury’s has a busy visitor centre and a popular attraction for tourists.

Shortly after joining the Stratford canal, the well-known and unusual Kings Norton Guillotine Stop Lock is now restored (and left open). This is the only lock of its kind on the canals.

Near here you can see remains of Lifford Lane Bridge, where pioneers saved the canal by forcing a low railway bridge to be raised. At the end of the route, Shirley Drawbridge is an interesting feature, cutting across the canal; lifting to stop road traffic and allow boats to pass through.

This trail leaves the busy centre of Birmingham, taking a quiet, winding route out of the city on the Worcester and Stratford Canal. The route provides a pleasant full day paddle, through residential and leafy suburbs of the big city, with bags of industrial heritage.

For more information, visit the Canal & Rivers Trust website or Paddle UK.

Licence Information

The waterways in this trail are managed by the Canal & River Trust, and it is a requirement for paddlers to hold a licence. Paddle UK’s On The Water membership includes an annual licence for here as well as other waterways.

When paddling, have your membership card with you as proof of licence; otherwise, you could face a fine. Get your digital membership card straight away with your licence and liability insurance included from www.paddleuk.org.uk.

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Safety Information

We want you to have fun and a safe paddle! Here are some helpful tips to ensure you paddle responsibly and stay safe on your journey. Please take a moment to review these important safety tips:

Tunnels: In tunnels, you must use a forward facing brightlight(such as a head torch).

– Always wear a correctly sized buoyancy aid

– Carry a mobile phone – in a waterproof case

– Tell Someone Where You’re Going

– Check the weather and conditions

– Know your limits

Check out some useful blogs and e-learnings on how to keep safe

Water Safety

Navigation eLearning

Tides eLearning

Weather eLearning

 

Environment

Wherever and however you paddle, our Paddlers’ Code helps to ensure we can all enjoy and share the water safely and protect our precious environment.

Don’t get sick doing what you love. We know water quality is a concern for many paddlers. Click here for some simple advice on water quality and how to protect yourself.

Get informed, stay safe and make good decisions by checking the National Storm Overflow Map

Paddlers can play a vital role in keeping our waters free of harmful non-native species. It is crucial you Check, Clean and Dry you boat and equipment to prevent the spread. Click here for more information on Invasive Non-Native Species.

For more environmental advice and guidance, see our Blue Space Blogs section on the Paddle UK website.

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