A graffiti welcome to Birmingham, England’s “Second City” and commonly also known as a “Venice of the North” due to the city having arguably more stretches of canal than the Italian city of canal fame and renown (Author’s Collection).
May I extend to you a wholesome and hearty welcome to this, the third of a continuing series of snapshots from a canal stroll into the heart of a major English city. My entirely different walks into Chester and Wolverhampton are linked below and whilst we’re on the subject of differences, what makes this particular series of articles different from my plethora of other ambles around a time capsule to a bygone age is my aim to bring you a flavour for the city herself, as well as the canals that snake their path through the centre of the metropolis. Whereby I was lucky to catalogue beautiful Chester (oh so beautiful Chester), the canal and the route to the river Dee, the architectural beauty, the racecourse and the centuries old ruins of the St John The Baptist Church, Wolverhampton recently treated me to a heatwave morning walk amongst the 21 Locks that lead to it’s city centre as well as the graffiti that adorns nearly every available square inch of it’s history. Which brings us neatly to the introduction of my amble to and through England’s self proclaimed “Second City” of Birmingham.
As I expected after my walk into Wolverhampton, graffiti was prevalent throughout the nearly three mile stroll and it made for a long and smile filled conversation with a local, a regular walker of the canals himself and still equally as fascinated as I am with the weaving of the old with the new, the historical with the history of now. I’m not agnostic on the subject of graffiti, I adore artists who raise radical and societal changing issues. I’m just a dreamer who wishes these radical changes had been made long ago and we now live in a utopia that doesn’t require graffiti and certainly not adorning a living monument to real, tangible history. So I’ve documented and recorded what I saw and I LOVE the headline image that accompanies the title of this article.
But what follows isn’t all about the graffiti and it was never intended to be so. I purposely chose the district of Aston as my starting point as the canal snaked its path beside the train station and was clearly easy to find and the winding course of the commonly known “Cut” would take me, via over 20 canal Locks, through the “Gun Quarter”, “Jewellery Quarter” and through “Theatreland” in the centre of the city to the beautiful “Gas Street Basin”. I’m a football fan so I couldn’t resist a sneak peek at the football ground that resides in Aston and a ground I haven’t been to in over two decades. Nearby was both Aston Hall as well as the parish church of St Peter and St Paul, and after a long and winding stroll into the city herself, we end with a rather lovely image I was lucky to capture in a very busy “Victoria Square”.
In essence, the continuing article is in 4 parts:
(1) The suburb of Aston
(2) The graffiti lined canal leading into the city
(3) Commemoration plaques and historical landmarks on the outskirts of the city
(4) The continuing canal winding its way through the beautiful city centre
Only colour commentary from hereon in and I sincerely hope you enjoy this virtual pictorial stroll into the heart of England’s “Second City”.
*All images captured by me on Tuesday 26th July 2022*
A somewhat foreboding start with the clouds giving “Aston Hall” a threatening backdrop!
“The Holte” public house is named after Sir Thomas Holte who helped build Aston Hall. The adjoining land was part of the Aston estate and Aston Villa Football Club’s “Home End” sits on this land and is named “The Holte End” in recognition of this.
“Villa Park”, home to Aston Villa Football Club since 1897.
This year’s 40th anniversary commemoration of Aston Villa’s greatest ever sporting night and their 1–0 defeat of heavily favoured German Champions Bayern Munich in the 1982 European Cup Final in Rotterdam, Holland. Here is the team’s defensive trio of Number 5 Ken McNaught, Captain and Number 6 Dennis Mortimer and dogged midfielder and Number 7 Des Bremner.
The remainder of Aston Villa’s defensive line up with a historical twist. Veteran goalkeeper Jimmy Rimmer was injured and replaced by the youthful and now local hero Nigel Spinks, and he played behind (2) Kenny Swain, (3) Gary Williams and (4) Allan Evans.
And Aston Villa’s incredibly gifted, creative, dogged and generational attacking talent that won them the European Cup on that famous night in May 1982: (8) Gary Shaw, (9) Peter Withe, (10) Gordon Cowans and (11) Tony Morley.
Statue of William McGregor, founder of the football league, outside the entrance to Aston Villa, a founding member of the football league.
Villa Park, home of Aston Villa FC.
Parish Church of St Peter and St Paul, Aston, Birmingham.
War memorial and the Church of St Peter and St Paul cloaked in a veil of trees.
Parish Church of St Peter and St Paul, Aston, Birmingham.
“Gas Street Basin” here we come, and in just over three winding miles of the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal.
A “Perfect Timing” moment at Aston Lock Number 11 with “Electra”, a fully electric, purpose built canal boat. I’d never imagine there could or would be such a thing, but it’s a perfectly apt beginning to our stroll from the past into the days of future past.
A look back toward “Electra” and a look forward to the graffiti that lines the route into Birmingham.
The Lock Keeper’s Cottage at “Thimble Mill Lane” and Aston Lock Number 10. “Joseph”, “Jossy” and “Jo” are rather keen to add their names to the graffiti that adorn all the Locks as we wind our way toward the city!
(1) “Roof Top Vandals” at Lock Number 8.
(2) “Roof Top Vandals” at Lock Number 8.
(3) “Roof Top Vandals” at Lock Number 8.
Aston Lock Number 7 near “Long Tail Bridge”.
Approaching Aston’s “Top Lock” where the canal splits to the “Digbeth Branch” and another stretch of the canal circling the city.
View from Aston’s “Top Lock” demonstrating the steady incline of Locks that separate this small stretch of the canal.
“Aston Lock Number 1 Turnover Bridge”.
The return of “Joseph”, “Jossy” and “Jo” near Aston Junction Bridge.
The graffiti that adorns “Aston Junction Bridge”.
“Aston Junction Bridge” with the Digbeth Branch of the canal continuing to the right of the picture and around the outskirts of the city.
A wider and more picturesque view of the branching canal.
A “Perfect Timing” moment and perfect juxtaposition between the ancient and the modern?
“Barker Bridge” on the edge of the city’s “Gun Quarter” as we approach the “Jewellery Quarter” and the final 13 Locks that pave the way into the centre of the city.
Reflections on the graffiti seen under “Snowhill Old Bridge” on the outskirts of the city.
One of the many commemoration plaques that line our journey into the city.
“Saturday Bridge” near “Farmer’s Bridge Lock Number 4”.
A mile or so until we reach our final destination of the “Gas Street Basin”.
Magnificent view from on high of the “Farmers Bridge Locks” and the city’s tallest building and a seeming forever landmark of Birmingham, the “BT Tower”.
Located at “Cambrian Wharf”.
“Cambrian Wharf”.
Located at “Cambrian Wharf”.
The continuing canal as we enter the city and the “NIA” or “National Indoor Arena”. It’s sponsored now but I prefer to simply call it the NIA.
The final approach into the city centre and a perfect representation of the delightful views that lay ahead.
View from the “Malt House Basin Bridge”.
Here the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal merges with the New Main Line and the “Oozells Street Loop” at it winds around the city centre.
Back from whence we came but a perfect representation of the beauty of central Birmingham.
From here, follow the winding bridges in the direction of the ICC (International Convention Centre) for central Birmingham.
The “New Main Line” heading toward the “Old Main Line” of canals leading to Wolverhampton.
Almost but not quite: The NIA, BT Tower, ICC and Sea Life Centre buildings all in one shot. Almost!
The ancient and modern of central Birmingham.
The “Malt House” public house, canal cruiser and the imposing National Indoor Arena.
View from the “Brewmasters Bridge” toward the National Indoor Arena.
View from “Grindley Place Bridge” toward “Broad Street Tunnel Bridge” and through and onward to “Gas Street Basin”.
(1) Broad Street Tunnel Bridge or, as it’s been known since 2019, “Black Sabbath Bridge”.
(2) Broad Street Tunnel Bridge or, as it’s been known since 2019, “Black Sabbath Bridge”.
The ancient and modern again, this time, “Gas Street Basin”.
A final stretch through the “Gas Street Basin”.
“Gas Street Basin”, Birmingham, 26th July 2022.
“Gas Street Basin”, Birmingham, 26th July 2022.
A final look back on the ancient and the modern of Birmingham city centre from “Salvage Turn Bridge”. Turning left here results in joining yet another of the branches of the canal, this time the “Worcester and Birmingham Canal”.
“Victoria Square”, Birmingham, around 2pm, and at the end of an enlightening 3 mile canal stroll into the city.
Your humble narrator at the “Staircase” locks of Grindley Brook on the Llangollen Canal, early July 2022.
Thanks for reading. The first two “city” editions are linked below as well as a recently published article on my ambles beside the canals of England and Wales:
