Along the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal

NEAREST LOCATION

Wightwick

RECOMMENDED BY
DISTANCE

4.5 miles (7.2kms)

ASCENT
59ft (18m)
TIME
1hr 30min
GRADIENT
DIFFICULTY
Easy
STARTING POINT
SO870983

About the walk

This is a journey into the 18th and 19th centuries – a time when the canals and railways preceded our modern, noisy road network. The walk follows the tow path of the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal and a stretch of disused railway line to Compton. Nearby Wightwick (pronounced 'Wittick') Manor is easy to visit along the route (see While You're There).

Canal revolution

If a contest for the Greatest Briton had taken place at the end of the 19th century, one of the main contenders would surely have been James Brindley. He helped to revolutionise Britain's transport system by building a series of remarkable canals that linked virtually all of the major cities in Britain. The Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal was one of his early constructions, built to link the Severn at Stourport with the Trent at Great Heywood and carry coal from the Staffordshire coalfields. Brindley's waterways were built on the contour principle, following the lie of the land. This approach avoided straight lines of canal, deep cuttings, massive embankments and large groups of lock gates. Work on the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal began in 1766 and was eventually completed in 1772. When you walk along the tow path you can imagine the dirty barges of the late 18th and early 19th centuries being hauled along by horses, accompanied by inquisitive children, dogs and local people. Commercial traffic finally ceased on the canal in 1960 and in 1978 the whole waterway, including its buildings and its signs, was designated a conservation area. As the Industrial Revolution progressed, steam trains effectively replaced canal barges, but there were gaps in the rail network. The Kingswinford branch was built by the Great Western Railway to fill one of these, allowing through traffic from Bridgnorth to Wolverhampton. It opened in 1925 but was never a great success for passengers. It became a freight-only line in 1932, carrying people again briefly during World War II, when it was used to transfer wounded soldiers from the Normandy landings. The last train ran in 1965. The lines were then dismantled and the Kingswinford Railway Walk was introduced to allow local people to use the former line for leisure purposes.

When you walk along the now disused railway, try to visualise youngsters peering over the railway bridges through a cloud of smoke to get a glimpse of the mighty trains as they chuffed their way along the cutting. Today pleasure boats use the canal, and its tow path combines with the disused railway to provide a fine urban walk away from the noise of the busy road traffic.

Walk directions

From The Mermaid pub, cross the A454 at the pedestrian crossing to take the lane opposite. Don't cross the bridge, but bear right, descending to the tow path of the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal. Turn right (southwest) along the path, and after passing the Cee-Ders Club (on the far side of the canal), you reach open countryside. This stretch of the canal is similar to a river and you are likely to see anglers fishing for perch, roach, chub, bream or carp. Continue beneath bridge No. 55 (Castlecroft Bridge) and along the tow path until you come to bridge No. 54 (Mops Farm Bridge).

Leave the tow path and cross the bridge. Go right past Pool Hall Cottages and follow the waymarkers of the Monarch's Way, heading generally southeast. At first the path is to the right of the field hedge; later it crosses over to the left-hand side until you come to a gap leading out onto Langley Road.

Go left up the road, and immediately past the junction bear right at the postbox, go through a fence gap into the picnic area and descend steps to the dismantled railway. Head left and follow the Kingswinford (South Staffordshire) Railway Walk. This is easy walking and you are likely to meet other walkers and even cyclists. Follow the course of the railway for about 2 miles (3.2km). You will eventually pass beneath the road bridge near Castlecroft via a kissing gate; following this there are moments when the scene opens up. After passing the Wolverhampton Environment Centre and the remains of Compton Station's platform you come to Compton. Leave the disused railway line and descend to the A454, going left.

Cross the road and then the canal bridge to descend to the tow path. Pass beneath bridge No. 59 and take it back to bridge No. 56, passing a couple of lock gates and a number of moored narrow boats. Go beneath bridge No. 56 and leave the canal, walking onto the pavement of Windmill Lane. Continue towards the main A454 road and cross over to return to The Mermaid pub in Wightwick.

Additional information

Canal tow path, disused railway track and field paths

Open countryside near urban residences

Off lead along tow path and disused railway, otherwise under control

OS Explorer 219 Wolverhampton & Dudley

Near Mermaid pub, Wightwick

None on route

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WALKING IN SAFETY

Read our tips to look after yourself and the environment when following this walk.

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About the area

Discover West Midlands

After Greater London, the West Midlands is the UK’s biggest county by population, and after London, Birmingham is the UK’s largest city. There’s a lot to seek out here – it has a vibrant culture, with exceptionally good nightlife. Coventry used to be more important than Birmingham, until the 18th century when the Industrial Revolution started and Brum forged ahead. 

Apart from Lady Godiva, Coventry is best known for its cathedrals. The medieval parish church became a cathedral in 1918, but the Blitz on Coventry in 1940 left only the spire and part of the walls. After the war, it was decided to build a new cathedral alongside linked to the ruins. 

Dudley was one of the birthplaces of the Industrial Revolution, and this history is reflected in its architecture and the Black Country Living Museum, a recreation of an industrial village, with shops and a pub, cottages and a chapel. Stourbridge is also worth a visit, mainly due to its involvement in glassmaking, which has been going on since the 17th century, and is still a part of the town’s culture; there’s a glass museum and a bi-annual glass festival.

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