Canal walks by WCML (South of Stafford)

[gray1404]

I am looking at doing a walk tomorrow along the WCML. From looking out the window on journeys down to London, I recall there is a canal somewhere in the South of Stafford/Trent Valley area that follows the railway line. Anyone know where about this is and what station it would be best to get off at?

Perhaps a LM Trent Valley service - which I would get on at Euston - would be best to use and is it possible to walk between 2 stations (or more)? Alternatively, perhaps something further South on the WCLM there might be something similar?

Just had a look online and I think the section is by Rugeley Trent Valley station so I am go to plan a walk from there around the canal. The walk to Lichfield is a bit too far lol

Thanks

 

[causton]

Further south there is Watford (a bit of a walk from the station) - Hemel Hempstead (you can see it from the station entrance) - Berkhamsted (almost opposite the station) which you can keep on following all the way through to Leighton Buzzard and beyond (it runs all the way from London to Birmingham as the Grand Union Canal!), might be a bit too far south though!

http://www.gps-routes.co.uk/routes/home.nsf/routeslinkswalks/grand-union-canal-walk-walking-route

 

[John Webb]

From Rugby to the outskirts of Coventry there are several miles where the northern part of the Oxford Canal runs close to the Trent Valley line. Look at Landranger map 140 for the details. On the same map the Coventry canal is not far from the Trent Valley line from Polesworth to Nuneaton - this may be the stretch you were thinking of? (Prior to that there is a stretch of the Birmingham and Fazeley canal from near Litchfield to the outskirts of Tamworth.)
Then east of Stafford there is a long stretch of the Trent and Mersey canal from Handsacre NW through Rugeley, Great Hayward and Stone and on northwards towards Stoke-on-Trent running near the railway.

 

[gray1404]

Thanks so much! I shall look these up.

I think it was the Trent and Mersey bit I was seeing as it was from the window shortly after Stafford heading South.

I also also bear in mind that walk from WFJ for next time I am heading South and have some hours to spare! Thank you both!

 

[John Webb]

Both the early canal builders and railway builders were looking for the easiest routes in terms of minimum gradient changes. This explains why the railways often ran close to the earlier canals as the latter had sussed out the minimum gradients!
The best example of this is probably the "Watford Gap" near Daventry where the Romans ran Watling Street, followed by the London-Birmingham canal, the London-Birmingham railway and in the 20th Century the M1 motorway! (Although the canal close to the motorway services is actually the Leicester branch of the Grand Union, rather than the main line.)

 

[Alistair G.]

there is a section in the village of brinklow that follows the train line for a while.

quite a nice walk actually, done it myself a few times. Nice pub in the village afterwards as well!!!

 

[John Webb]

there is a section in the village of brinklow that follows the train line for a while.

quite a nice walk actually, done it myself a few times. Nice pub in the village afterwards as well!!!

Here's a view of part of that area:
Oxford Canal

© Copyright Ian Rob and
licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
(Click on the photo to go to the larger original)

I've cruised past here on both canal and railway on a number of occasions.