Kingsbury's Lake and Canal
Route facts
Waterways:
Birmingham & Fazeley Canal »
Distance: 3.5 miles / 5 km
Duration: Two hours
Difficulty: Easy
Suitable for: Everyone
Circular route from: Kingsbury Water Park Visitor Centre
An endlessly varied country walk within easy reach of Birmingham. Stroll by the lakes of the Kingsbury Water Park, along the banks of the River Tame, and past Curdworth Locks on the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal.
Kingsbury Water Park is just outside the village of Kingsbury, near Tamworth. Leave the M42 at Junction 9 (where the M6 Toll begins), and take the A4097 to Kingsbury. Then follow signposts to the Water Park.
Getting there
Parking: Parking is available at the Visitor Centre car park.
Waypoints
1. Kingsbury Water Park Visitor Centre
From the back of the visitor centre walk up the road past the children's playground then turn right onto a footpath going in the same direction. At the path junction go left to Kingsbury Village, ignore the next turn and continue to Kingsbury beside Bodymoor Heath Lake.
2. Bodymoor Heath Lake
The lake is covered in wild fowl and is used for all sorts of boating. At the top of this path as it swings right a small bridge straight ahead is your route: this leads out across a flood plain on a walkway heading for the river bridge. At the river turn left and follow the river bank. You then approach a motorway: bear left into an area of old meadow full of butterflies, crickets and dragonflies.
3. Motorway bridge
Pass under the road and back to the river. Grebe Pool is now on your left, and the path then turns back around the top of Grebe Pool. In 200 yards at a T junction turn right. For the next mile, the path is a narrow strip of land between the pools, but still intimate because of the amount of woodland. At the next T junction turn right onto a wide surfaced path, through a gate into the nature reserve. There are a series of bird hides looking out over the water along this section and seats where you can sit and watch the wildlife.
4. Birmingham & Fazeley Canal
You are out in the open now, with the canal immediately in front of you. Cross the nature reserve path, continue down onto the towpath, and turn left. This is Curdworth Bottom Lock and Kingsbury Swing Bridge, beautifully decorated with flower baskets. Walk down the canal past Common Lock.
5. Bodymoor Heath Bridge
At Bodymoor Heath Bridge, leave the towpath, join the road and turn left. It is now a third of a mile back to the Visitor Centre.
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