Relaxed route (north): Shebdon and Return – 27 miles, 2 locks, 11 hours total
Cruise north across Stretton Aqueduct and through one lock at Wheaton Aston, which has various shops and pubs - a good place to moor on your first night. The canal then continues lock-free through scenic countryside and woodland, passing under numerous brick or stone-built bridges. Navigate through Cowley Tunnel (81 yards) then past the edge of Gnosall village (pub). Cruise along the Shelmore embankment to Norbury Wharf – a working boatyard with a canalside café and pub. Just after Norbury Wharf, pass under the iconic 'High Bridge' and along Grub Street Cutting. Continue past High Offley, under Anchor Bridge and its canalside pub, stopping just before the little aqueduct at Shebdon (nearby pub). Turn around at Shebdon 'winding hole' before the aqueduct and return to Brewood. Moor at Brewood Wharf on your last evening - the village of Brewood (pubs, shops, cafés) is within walking distance (quarter of a mile).
Intermediate route: Penkridge and Return – 31 miles, 16 locks, 16 hours in total.
Follow the relaxed route above, past Hatherton Marina to Gailey, then continue further east to the historic market town of Penkridge. Penkridge has excellent facilities including local shops, a bank, chemist, cafés, takeaways and plenty of traditional pubs. Local markets take place on a Saturday and Wednesday, offering a variety of stalls including homemade food, plants, hardware, etc. Turn around just before Penkridge Lock No. 38 and return to Brewood. Moor at Brewood Bridge for your last night, walking into the village that evening before ‘pootling’ back to the wharf the next morning (approx. 20 mins).
Intermediate route: Market Drayton and Return- 42 miles, 12 locks, 19 hours total
Best suited to a midweek break. Depart the wharf and cruise north up the Shropshire Union Canal and over the Stretton Aqueduct (built 1832) heading through woodland to the first lock at Wheaton Aston, just over an hours’ cruise away. The next canalside village is Gnosall after which you’ll arrive at Norbury Wharf which has a café, a shop and a pub. Just past Norbury you pass under one of the most iconic symbols of this canal; one of the very high, arched bridges that stretch across the ‘deep cutting’ of the canal. Cruising though farmland you reach a small aqueduct at Shebdon, followed by a long stretch leading to an ex-chocolate factory that used to take goods for Bourneville. Just north of Goldstone Bridge you’ll find the very narrow, green corridor of Woodseaves Cutting and encounter another of the high arched bridges. Next comes the 5-lock flight at Tyrley - take care at these locks to read the signs on the lock gates. After Tyrley Locks it is easy cruising to Market Drayton visitors’ moorings, from which you can walk into the town itself. The centre of the town is a good 25 minute walk from the canal but offers some very interesting Tudor architecture and places of historic interest, such as the ‘Butter Market’ (dated 1824). Turn at Turley Wharf then return to Brewood.
Active route: Kinver and Return - 40 miles, 42 locks, 24 hours total
A very busy midweek break. Depart the wharf and head south down the Shropshire Union Canal through a series of pretty stone bridges to Autherley Junction, where you will find an easy ‘stop lock’ that allows you to join the Staffordshire & Worcester Canal. Turn right, cruising to Aldersley Junction keeping to the right at the junction and continuing past Dunstall Park Race Course (on the left). Mooring options for your first evening include Compton Bridge 59 (3.5hrs from Brewood) or Wightwick Bridge 56 (4hrs) and both have pubs within walking distance. There are just 4 locks between Brewood Wharf and Wightwick Bridge. On your second day you’ll encounter a couple of locks between Dimmingsdale and Awbridge, followed by the scenic 3-lock ‘Bratch’ Flight. The Bratch has an old ‘Lock-Keeper’s Toll House’, an historic bridge and old pumping station. After the Bratch, you pass through Wombourne followed by 3 locks and a low aqueduct, then to Greensforge lock. From here to the next junction at Stourton the route has just one lock at Gothersley, next to the ruins of a roundhouse. After this comes the Stourton Aqueduct, then the junction. Soon you reach Stewponey Wharf, which has an interesting octagonal toll office. After 2 more locks and a short tunnel (25 yards) you reach the very pretty village of Kinver, with its attractive village centre. There are a couple of pubs, a café and a decent fish & chip shop. The village is very historic and has some interesting features including ‘rock houses’ dating back to 1777 and a plaque recording a charter granted by Ethelbad in the year 736! Cruising from Wightwick Bridge to Kinver visitor’s moorings will take approx. 8 hours to complete. Just after the village is another lock followed by a turning place; turn here and return to Brewood.
Relaxed route: Rugeley and Return – 62 miles, 30 locks, 31 hours in total
Follow the short break route (above) towards Gailey, then continue east past the market towns of Penkridge and Stafford – this is a pretty route with plenty of countryside. To access Stafford, moor near Radford Bridge 98 and walk into the town from there. Further ahead you’ll find the lake-like stretch of water known as Tixall Wide, before arriving at Great Haywood (pub & shops). At Great Haywood Junction turn right, heading down the Trent & Mersey Canal. Moor at Haywood Lock to visit Shugborough Hall and Gardens, a beautiful stately home. Continue south past Little Haywood (pubs) down the scenic, meandering canal to Wolseley Bridge, from where you can walk to an antique, craft & garden centre (nearby pub). Cross the River Trent over an aqueduct, before arriving on the outskirts of Rugeley. Moor up near bridge 66, which will give you easy access to the busy town and all its facilities. Turn just before bridge 65 and return to Brewood.
Depart the wharf and cruise north up the pretty Shropshire Union Canal and over the Stretton Aqueduct (built 1832) heading through woodland towards your first lock at Wheaton Aston, just over an hours’ cruise from your starting point. The number of small brick bridges that dot this canal is noticeable and you get used to aiming the boat through them as you cruise along. The next village is Gnosall, which offers pubs, a water point and moorings (approx. 3 hours from Brewood). Continuing through more woodland, you arrive at Norbury Wharf which has a café, a shop and a pub, soon after which you’ll pass under an iconic symbol of the Shropshire Union Canal….one of the very high, arched bridges that stretch across the ‘deep cutting’ of the canal. After the small aqueduct at Shebdon, the canal leads you to an ex-chocolate factory that used to take goods for Bourneville. North of Goldstone Bridge you’ll find the very deep, narrow, green corridor of Woodseaves Cutting and encounter another of the high arched bridges, after which you’ll reach the 5-lock flight at Tyrley….take care at these locks to read the signs on the lock gates themselves, as there is one lock where you must wait before you cruise out of one lock and into the other. After Tyrley Locks it is easy cruising to Market Drayton visitors’ moorings next to Bridge 62, from which you can walk into the town itself. The centre of the town is a good 25 minute walk from the canal but offers some very interesting Tudor architecture and places of historic interest, such as the ‘Butter Market’ (dated 1824). Three miles further ahead there are 5 locks at Adderley, followed swiftly by 15 locks leading to the village of Audlem and the iconic ‘Shroppie Fly’ pub, then its lock free until you get to Hack Green (with its ‘secret nuclear bunker’). Next you come to the town of Nantwich where there is an aqueduct and a boat basin. The main road under the aqueduct leads to the town centre and like market Drayton, Nantwich has some lovely historic ‘timbered’ buildings. It also has an excellent array of shops, pubs and restaurants. On the opposite side of the canal to the town, you might like to walk to the Jacobean mansion ‘Dorfold Hall’ (C. 1616 – 1621). Turn at Nantwich basin after bridge 92 (or at the winding hole after bridge 95) and return to Brewood.
Intermediate route: Stourport Basin and Return - 61 miles, 60 locks, 38 hours total
Depart the wharf and head south down the Shropshire Union Canal through a series of pretty stone bridges to Autherley Junction, where you will find an easy ‘stop lock’ that allows you to join the Staffordshire & Worcester Canal. Turn right, cruising to Aldersley Junction keeping to the right at the junction and continuing past Dunstall Park Race Course (on the left). Mooring options for your first evening include Compton Bridge 59 (3.5hrs from Brewood) or Wightwick Bridge 56 (4hrs) and both have pubs within walking distance. There are just 4 locks between Brewood Wharf and Wightwick Bridge. On your second day you’ll encounter a couple of locks between Dimmingsdale and Awbridge, followed by the scenic 3-lock ‘Bratch’ Flight. The Bratch has an old ‘Lock-Keeper’s Toll House’, an historic bridge and old pumping station. After the Bratch, you pass through Wombourne followed by 3 locks and a low aqueduct, then to Greensforge lock. From here to the next junction at Stourton the route has just one lock at Gothersley, next to the ruins of a roundhouse. After this comes the Stourton Aqueduct, then the junction. Soon you reach Stewponey Wharf, which has an interesting octagonal toll office. After 2 more locks and a short tunnel (25 yards) you reach the very pretty village of Kinver, with its attractive village centre. There are a couple of pubs, a café and a decent fish & chip shop. The village is very historic and has some interesting features including ‘rock houses’ dating back to 1777 and a plaque recording a charter granted by Ethelbad in the year 736! South of Kinver there are two locks before you arrive at Cookley Tunnel (65 yards) with Cookley Village above it, followed by a third lock. The next lock is Wolverley. Nearby are houses and caves crafted from the local sandstone rock which were once used as dwellings. Arriving at the outskirts of Kidderminster, famous for its carpet weaving, you’ll find a church with a turquoise clock face overlooking a lock that takes you under a busy roundabout in the centre of town. The canal moves through the suburbs then passes under two interesting bridges at Falling Sands. On the outskirts of Stourport the canal gets narrower, with more bends and bridges. Pubs, houses, tea rooms and shops overlook the canal, then there’s one last lock before you enter the Stourport ‘clock’ basin (c. 1770). This is an excellent place to stop and walk into the town; there are plenty of places to eat out or visit nearby. Turn here and return to Brewood Wharf.
Active route: Black Country Ring - 85 miles, 81 locks, 47 hours total
Depart the wharf and head south down the Shropshire Union Canal through a series of stone bridges to Autherley Junction, where you will find a very easy ‘stop lock’ which allows you to join the Staffordshire & Worcester Canal. Turn left, cruising north-east through a narrow section of the canal towards the waterside pub at Cross Green. The canal meanders through countryside and after Hatherton Marina you arrive at Gailey Wharf which is identified by its round toll-keeper’s watch tower. There is a pub just a short walk away and a shop at Gailey Wharf. After Gailey you pass through 5 locks and arrive at Penkridge. North of Penkridge are 5 more locks before the canal arrives at ‘Tixall Wide’ which was made to look like a lake, so as not to spoil the view from the former Tixall Hall. After Tixall Wide you reach Great Haywood Junction, turn right here on to the River Trent. If you allow time, you can stop at the next bridge and visit ‘Shugborough Hall’. Cruising south, the canal follows the contours of the land towards Rugeley where there are pleasant moorings. After this a huge power station comes into view. Between here and Handsacre there are 6 pubs and no locks until you reach Fradley where there is a café, the grade II listed Swan Pub and a popular Nature Reserve. Turn right at Fradley Junction on to the Coventry Canal which leads to the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal (a stone marks the point where the two meet) through lock-free countryside until you reach Hopwas to the south. Next is Fazeley Junction where you’ll find another pub. Turn right here, travelling towards central Birmingham. A busy road runs adjacent to the canal until you reach Drayton Basset. Between Fazeley Junction and Drayton Basset you can visit Drayton Manor Theme Park and Zoo (open late March to October) allowing extra time to complete the cruising ring if you do. Approaching central Birmingham, a flight of eleven locks begins at Curdworth, followed by a short tunnel (57 yards) and the start of a residential/industrial area travelling towards Minworth, where there are 3 locks and access to local amenities. Your next turning is at Salford Junction, left under Bridge 110, leading to 11 locks at Aston (from now onwards you will need a T-shaped ‘anti-vandal’ key to unlock the lock gates). Turn right at the Aston Junction where you’ll meet a flight of 13 locks at Farmers Bridge. This takes you right into the centre of Birmingham to Cambrian Wharf which is within walking distance of Gas Street Basin, Broad Street, the National Sealife Centre, the ICC, Symphony Hall and Brindley Place. There are visitor’s moorings available close by. The New Main Line then takes you north through 3 locks and the 103 yard Summit Tunnel. At Tipton Green there are 3 locks and a pub just before Factory Bridge, then the much longer 360 yard long Coseley Tunnel. A lock-free section then winds its way straight in to Wolverhampton where your surroundings get more urban once again. There are visitor’s moorings just before the first of 21 locks. After the Wolverhampton Flight the scenery changes as you meet the pretty Staffordshire & Worcester Canal at Aldersley Junction. Turn right here and very soon you will come to a bridge on your left and a familiar ‘stop-lock’ ahead of it at Autherley Junction Turn left, under the bridge and through the lock, then it’s easy cruising for the last leg of your journey back to Brewood Wharf.
