Completing Another Canal Walk

I was out early and walking along the Birmingham and Worcester Canal just after 7 am, this time heading south to reach Alvechurch and complete the walking of the route started on Tuesday.  It was a busy thoroughfare  for cyclists, commuters and runners in the first couple of hours.  You can see from the signposts that the total distance of the canal is 30 miles.  Well my GPS device said I'd done 19.8 miles from Worcester to Alvechurch on Tuesday and today I walked 11.1 miles from the start of the canal in Birmingham to my exit point at Alvechurch.  

I probably put the 0.9 mile discrepancy down to my need to navigate away from the canal on three occasions when it went underground through tunnels.  This proved something of a frustration as there were no way marks to direct you back to the canal as it exited the tunnel on the other side.  Today's diversion was for the Wast Hill Tunnel, a little matter of 2,438 metres long.  Since the canal was built a modern housing estate has grown up across the old surface route, making things even more difficult, though I did come across the very appropriately named Bargehorse Walk in Hawkesley.  Wonder why it was called that?

I caught the train back to Birmingham, then ran a couple of errands, including a visit to the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.  It gave me an opportunity to return a favour and buy Robvegnuti a coffee in the Edwardian Tea Rooms.  He very graciously allowed me to try out my newest camera, attached to a smartphone and I've added it as an extra.  I'm going to admit I had great fun trying out the three lenses on the phone as I walked across to the Jewellery Quarter.  The ultra wide lens is great fun!.  I wanted to visit the RBSA Gallery in Brook Street where there is an exhibition of images taken by Lachlan Monaghan.  He is a soloist at the Birmingham Royal Ballet, but is also no mean photographer and his exhibition delves into the moments backstage before a performer steps out on to the stage.  There is limited time left, for local blippers interested in seeing his work.  It isn't a big exhibition, but definitely worth a look.

Day Miles: 17.5 miles       Total Miles: 309.7 miles