This is a short, green 6km (4 mile) circular walk from Birmingham city centre along leafy canal towpaths and tree lined streets – a little green oasis in the heart of England’s second city.
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Start the walk at Brindley place, by the Costa coffee shop at the centre of Brindley Place. Looking towards the East, head towards Cafe Rouge, passing it on your left, then head down the steps onto the canal towpath (map point 1). For an alternative step-free start, follow the dotted line around the back of the sealife centre.
Turn right at the bottom of the steps and carry along, underneath the bridge that has Broad Street above, heading towards the Mailbox. Keep following the canal towpath and when you see a metal bridge rising straight ahead over to the Mailbox (map point 2), don’t go onto this bridge but follow the canal towpath round to the right and keep following the canal heading away from the main buildings and keep walking!
For a detailed route map click here
You will walk under a few road bridges but the canal here leads out to the University of Birmingham and is a lovely leafy walk away from the city centre.
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After walking through quite a long tunnel (it is lit and you can see the openings at both ends!) you will come across a small brick hump back pedestrian bridge over the canal (map point 3). Take this bridge which will bring you into the University of Birmingham’s Vale student village area. Once off the bridge follow the main campus road down to the right towards the lake and take some time to walk around the lake, sit down and watch the ducks!
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Walk all the way around to the back of the lake (map point 4), going round the back of it in an anti-clockwise direction, and take the path which leads up the hill. Follow this higher path towards the tall residential Chamberlain Tower (map point 5), and head up the path to go to the far side of this tower on its left hand side. Turn right around the back of the tower to come out onto Church Road.
Turn left along Church Road and keep following this road until you come to St George’s church in the centre of a roundabout ahead of you (map point 6). This roundabout is becoming a bit of a foodies destination – with a Michelin starred restaurant, bistro pubs, brunch cafes and a cocktail bar all on or just off this roundabout! Birmingham is itself a real foodie hotspot with four Michelin star restaurants – more than any other English city except London. Take a walk to the other Michelin star restaurants of Birmingham in our Moseley and City Centre walks!
For a detailed route map click here
Keep walking straight along Church Road with St George’s church on your left, then cross over at the pedestrian lights to head up Highfield Road (map point 7) to the junction with Harborne Road (map point 8).
Turn right onto Harborne Road and follow this road along to Five Ways Island (map point 9), passing several restaurants, home interior stores and Morrisons supermarket and the Marriott hotel on your left at the end near the roundabout.
For a detailed route map click here
Take the underpass into the centre of the roundabout and out the other side to walk back along Broad Street (map point 10), one of the main night-time entertainment hubs of Birmingham, until you reach Brindley Place on your left hand side as you pass over the canal and back to the start of this walk!
Overview of route:
For a detailed route map click here
For an offline version of this walk, please download our app or this pdf file
Map details © OpenStreetMap contributors
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