Urban Ramble: Birmingham Waterfront with Breakfast in the Pub!

Today we have a ramble with a difference. We meet at The Pitcher and Piano on the side of the Canal at Brindley Place where we will have Spice tables reserved for breakfast/ brunch (pay on day) but we then work off the calories with an unusual 7 miles following Birmingham waterways out of the city centre and back using greenways, parks and some urban roads. As we are following waterways, the route is all flat, so it is an easy 3 hours of discovery.

The "Brunch": You can choose what you like, be it a full breakfast or just a coffee. It's up to you and we settle up individually on the day.

The Walk: A short stroll from our brunch, we start by following the Birmingham Canal south from Brindley Place for approx. 2 miles, enjoying this once vital industrial transport link that has now been restored for the benefit of boaters, joggers, cyclists and walkers like us. We leave the canal at Birmingham University to follow Bourne Brook. On this stretch we will get great views of the University Campus.

We will walk through the campus and enjoy the impressive clock tower and Chancellors Court area - a copy of the main square in Siena, Italy! We than follow quiet roads to Cannon Hill. We can break for a few minutes by The MAC in Cannon Hill Park if people want to grab a quick drink/ toilet stop.

From here we will be following the River Rea back into Birmingham. We walk the length of Cannon Hill Park before leaving it beside the Edgbaston Cricket Ground. This last stretch is a lot more urban but still has some landmarks to discover. We will pass Calthorpe Park and walk along what was (until 1993) Birmingham's busiest Red Light District before the local community famously reclaimed their neighbourhood from 450 working girls and their pimps.

We will pass Birmingham's Central Mosque at Highgate and finally return to The City along Hurst Street where vibrant Chinese and Gay quarters add colour in contrast to The National Trust "Back to Backs" that remind us of Birmingham's austere Past. It's a fascinating journey, so please do join us!