The Worcester and Birmingham Canal was built between 1791 and 1815 but enjoyed only a few decades of prosperity before it was superseded by the railway, after the Birmingham and Gloucester line opened in 1840.

Trade declined steadily but didn't cease altogether until 1961 when the very last commercial cargo travelled from Diglis Basin at Worcester to Cadbury's factory at Bournville.

Since then, the canal has staged quite a comeback and is probably as busy as it ever was at its commercial peak.

It no longer carries chocolate, coal or salt but it's enormously popular with leisure users and you're guaranteed to see plenty of narrowboats in the course of this walk.

You'll meet other walkers too, probably quite a few cyclists and plenty of anglers.

The Worcester and Birmingham is a relatively short canal at only 30 miles but it is the most heavily locked canal in the country, with a total of 58 locks, all of which are in the 15 miles between Worcester and Tardebigge, raising the canal from the Worcestershire plain to the Birmingham plateau.

The longest flight of locks in Britain is Tardebigge Flight, with 30 locks, all of which you will pass on this walk.

The top lock at Tardebigge is one of the deepest narrowbeam locks in the country.

You might easily pass Tardebigge Reservoir without noticing it, as it's concealed behind a high bank.

It's worth climbing the bank to have a look at the reservoir, which is home to good numbers of birds.

One of the most charming is the great crested grebe, a diving bird which you will recognise by its crest.

The reservoir was dug to provide clay to line the canal and as a feeder to top up the water level.

At one point in the walk you will follow the railway to Bromsgrove Station.

This is another important part of transport history, for it marks the start of the famous Lickey Incline, one of the steepest main line sections in Britain.

In the days of steam at least one extra banking engine (often two or even three) was required to push each train up the Lickey.

The most famous of the bankers was Big Bertha, which clocked up a total of 800,000 miles on the incline between 1920 and 1956.

Even today, in a modern train, you can feel the change of gear as the climb up the Lickey begins.

Your starting point for the walk is Avoncroft, where the Museum of Buildings is well worth a visit.

Its primary aim is to rescue threatened buildings of historic or architectural value.

Some have been restored in situ but most have had to be removed and re-erected on the museum's own site.

Exhibits include a mediaeval merchant's house, a working windmill, a post-war prefab, a collection of phone boxes and much, much more.

There are also lots of events and activities aimed at the whole family.

DIRECTIONS

Leave the picnic place and turn right down Buntsford Hill. Go left at a road junction, pass under the railway and continue to Stoke Pound to join the canal tow path. Follow it to Tardebigge, passing the Tardebigge Flight and Tardebigge Reservoir.

When you reach Tardebigge the Monarch's Way joins the tow path. You're going to follow it for a couple of miles to Bromsgrove Station so look out for the waymarkers.

Keep going along the towpath until the canal goes into a tunnel. Go up to join Alcester Road (B4184) here and follow it north until you can turn left on a footpath.

Keep straight on when you meet Dusthouse Lane and at all subsequent path and road junctions until you come to Stoke Cross.

Turn right on Walnut Lane for about 150m then join a footpath on the left, which leads across fields and past a rugby ground to meet the B4184 again at Finstall. Turn left, then very soon left again on a footpath which runs beside the railway.

As you approach Bromsgrove Station, join St Godwalds Road and turn left. After 300m turn right on a track which leads into a field.

Walk across the field then through a copse and along the right-hand side of the next field.

Shortly after crossing a brook turn right past Maidsmere Cottage and cross two more fields to the far right corner of the second one.

Cross the railway then turn left to Buntsford Hill and retrace your steps up the lane to Avoncroft.

FACTFILE

Start: Avoncroft Picnic Place, next to Avoncroft Museum of Buildings, Redditch Road, Stoke Heath, near Bromsgrove; grid reference SO 953684.

Length: 6.5 miles/10.4km.

Maps: OS Explorer 204, Landrangers 139 and 150.

Terrain: canal tow path, field paths, quiet lanes.

Stiles: about a dozen.

Parking: Avoncroft Picnic Place.

Public transport: daily trains to Bromsgrove or buses to Stoke Heath - the 144 Birmingham service (daily) passes within 10 minutes walk of Avoncroft, while the 140/141 (not Sundays) will drop you at the museum, but you'll have to change at Droitwich or Bromsgrove for that one; Traveline 0870 608 2608.

Refreshments: plenty of choice along the way, including a cafe at the museum and the Queen's Head at Stoke Pound.

DISCLAIMER

This walk has been carefully checked and the directions are believed to be correct at the time of publication. No responsibility is accepted by either the author or publisher for errors or omissions, or for any loss or injury, however caused.