| 1. This route is 100% Canal towpath, so you can cycle from The Wolverhampton City Centre just off the ring road and only meters away from Wolverhampton Train station right into Walsall town centre at Walsall Wharf and the new Walsall art gallery, or the route can be done the other way round, or both ways.
From Wolverhampton, you start on the main Birmingham mainline canal, shortly along you will turn left onto the Wyley and Essington canal, This firstly runs to Wednesfield passing wolverhampton's New cross hospital, and the Bentley Bridge retail park, a great place to stop for refreshment, with shops like Argos, There is also a big family pub called the Nickleodeon, and some fast food retsaurants. The route then continues towards Willenhall then into the outskirts of the busy urban area passing Rough Wood country park then under the M6 motorway and passes through Bentley Nature reserve, where you can also stop and explore the paths and pools, the canal then continues back into the urban surrounds and soon arrive at Birchills Junction, where you turn right, signposted Walsall, The canal runs alongside the A34 (Green Lane), along this stretch is another place to stop for refreshment, you will see a Sainsburys supermarket and family pub, also a fast food restaurant just passed the supermarket, The canal also passes over an old disused railway line at this point then on and then down 8 locks all in a line, at the bottom of the last lock cross the towpath footbridge and turn back on yourself following the canal to Walsall wharf where this route ends at the doors of Walsall town centre's modern art gallery |