 | Birmingham and the Black Country
Herefordshire
Shropshire
Staffordshire
Warwickshire
Worcestershire
Photo: Strolling on the Titford Canal, part of the Birmingham Canal Navigations, near Oldbury.
Credit: British Waterways. |
Regional information
Local information
Walking in the West Midlands region
The West Midlands, at the heart of England, is a region of contrasts: from verdant pastoral countryside to rugged and remote hills via the rich industrial heritage of the Black Country, Britain’s second largest conurbation. Though generously endowed with great landscapes and heritage, it has few obvious tourist honeypots, making it an ideal region to discover on foot.
The southern counties -- Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire -- are mainly rolling lowland landscapes, with areas of superb agricultural land famed for orchards and hopfields, punctuated by attractive rural settlements, including Herefordshire’s distinctive ‘black and white’ villages, and historic cathedral cities.
In the southwest the Brecon Beacons rear up over the Welsh border and the gentle upper reaches of the river Wye reach the dramatic gorge at Symonds Yat. In the south, the ridge of the Malvern Hills contrasts dramatically with the surrounding countryside, while in the southeast the Cotswolds touch the edge of the region.
Birmingham and the Black Country has worked hard to shed its concrete jungle reputation. Birmingham city centre is now one of the most walker-friendly urban areas in Britain, easily explored by canal towpaths and pedestrian routes. Sutton Park is the biggest urban park in Britain, and a chain of green spaces, now part of the new Forest of Mercia, dips deep into Walsall. Just to the north is the woodland and heath of Cannock Chase, Britain’s smallest Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
There are hillier landscapes in the west and north. The Shropshire Hills, with their celebrated beauty spots of the Long Mynd and Wenlock Edge and genuinely remote uplands, seem like a piece of Wales spilling into England. In the northeast, the limestone and gritstone landscapes of the Peak District National Park reach into Staffordshire, with dramatic river valleys along the Dove and the Manifold. Just outside the national park, the steep and wooded Churnet Valley offers some fine walking.
There is much excellent waterside walking: the canal network that once transported the region’s industrial wealth now provides miles of easy, tranquil towpath walking along waterways like the Grand Union Canal and the Oxford Canal. Riverside routes also follow two of Britain’s great rivers, the Severn and the Wye. Large wooded areas include the Wyre Forest straddling Worcestershire and Shropshire and Herefordshire’s Mortimer Forest, and new woodlands are being created in eastern Staffordshire as part of the National Forest project.
 | A compact 20-page colour A5 booklet is available from us, packed with useful and concise information detailing paths and routes, parks and protected countryside areas, public transport information and a host of useful contacts. The perfect guide to finding your way about the region on foot, from Birmingham’s pedestrian-friendly city centre to the wilds of the Staffordshire Moorlands and Shropshire Hills. This is free, please send an A5 sized SAE to the main Ramblers' address. |
Public transport
The region has a good rail network centred on Birmingham, a major national rail hub with direct services to most other major British towns and cities operated by Virgin Trains. Most regional and local services are operated by Central Trains. Dayranger tickets give you unlimited travel on most trains across a large area surrounding Birmingham off-peak at a bargain price.
Long distance coaches also serve major towns: contact National Express.
Special arrangements apply in Birmingham and the Black Country where Centro oversees local rail, bus and metro services.
Elsewhere in the region buses are provided by a variety of operators. For more information on services contact national enquiry lines or see the county pages. Sunday Rider tickets allow rail passengers to travel on most buses throughout Herefordshire, Worcestershire and the Brecon Beacons National Park on Sundays and bank holidays for a bargain add-on fare and can be bought on the bus.
Private railways include the Severn Valley Railway from Bridgnorth to Kidderminster (connecting with National Rail), which serves the Severn Valley Country Park, the Wyre Forest and the Severn Way. Guides to shorter walks are available from staffed stations.
For more about public transport serving major paths, routes, parks and countryside areas, see specific paths or parks pages (above).
Regional books
- Heritage Discovery Walks in the Midlands by Peter Groves, ISBN 1 869922 50 6. Meridian £6.95.
21 historical walks in Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Leicestershire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire. 4km/2.5 miles to 18km/11.5 miles, notes on pubs and public transport. [11/05]
Note: most books are listed under county, path or countryside area. See the index above.
