Lots of Canals . . . .

A large version of this image can be viewed HERE.....

Great cycle ride today.

I headed into Walsall town centre by road, then nipped through the Arboretum and its extension, until I reached my first canal of the day - the Rushall canal.
Heading southwest I soon reached Rushall junction, where I took the Tame Valley canal northwest, towards the heart of the industrial Black Country. This 3 and a half mile stretch of canal has been described as the dreariest stretch of the BCN (Birmingham Canal Navigations ), but I quite like it.
Pretty soon I reached Tame Valley Junction, and headed south on the Walsall canal, until I reached the junction with the BCN mainline, at the quaintly named Pudding Green junction.
Heading northwest, I took an arm of the canal that took me to the original BCN mainline, which was superseded by the straighter, shorter "new" mainline in 1838. I much prefer cycling the meandering course of the old line.
Passing through Ettingshall, where I took this panoramic shot of the disused Chillington Wharf, I soon arrived in Wolverhampton city centre, and after descending a flight of 21 locks I reached Aldersley junction, where I took to the Staffs & Worcester Canal, heading north.
Autherley junction was a short ride along the towpath, and I headed north from here, along the beautiful Shropshire Union canal. A quick pitstop in Brewood, for water and Haribo, then I was back on the canal, heading for the picturesque village of Wheaton Aston.
It was road riding now until I reached Penkridge, where I rejoined the Staffs & Worcester canal for a short ride to Rodbaston. More road riding, until I reached Cheslyn Hay, and the Wyrley & Essington Branch canal nature reserve - a disused stretch of canal. Following this canal, and a cycle track which is a continuation, I reached the good old Wyrley & Essington canal at Sneyd Wharf, and several miles later I was home.

A great day - 54 miles covered, 5 litres of fluids, 2 packs of Haribo and a sliced malt loaf consumed . . . . . A GPS track, and lots of trivial data, can be seen HERE......