Wilnecote
I took the bus to work, today, as I wanted a walk post-work.
I finished work just before 16:30 and took a brisk walk from Digbeth to New Street Station, arriving a tad before 16:45.
A train was leaving platform 7a at 16:49 so I didn’t hang around. I arrived on the platform just as the three coach DMU pulled in.
Unfortunately, all the seats were taken when I clambered on board but I would only have to stand for about fifteen minutes so not too bad.Just after five, we pulled into Wilnecote and off I got.
I spent a few minutes getting ready – fleece jumper on, poles extended, head-torch put in a get-at-able pocket and once the watch had found some satellites, I pushed the start button and was off.
The first mile was mainly along the busy B5404, which used to be the even busier A5 before the Fazeley – Two Gates – Wilnecote bypass was opened in 1995.
At Fazeley, I left the roads for the quieter canals. Putting on and firing up my head-torch, I followed the Birmingham – Fazeley canal for nearly three miles before taking a parallel path through the Middleton Bird Sanctuary before re-emerging onto the towpath which was followed to Kingsbury Water Park.
A winding route was taken through the waterpark, pausing near the visitor centre to swap the batteries in my torch.

The road ended just past the church but a short path deposited me on the Hams Hall Industrial Park.
After about a mile of walking past lorries from around Europe parked up for the night, I took a path which lead to Coleshill Parkway Railway Station.
Another couple of miles or so of very familiar territory and I was back home.
All in all, I had walked 12.95 miles in a time of three hours and fourteen minutes – exactly fifteen minutes per mile (or 4 mph).
I had had a good walk, at a fair pace considering that I was using my poles and on varying terrain.