I took advantage of getting up earlyish today (aided by the daylight saving change) and went for a cycle ride to Chasewater. I’m in need of the exercise, and it’s a bout the right distance for now, and an easy ride: get up to the level of the canal, and the towpath is all level and well surfaced all the way. The only minor annoyance is having to carry the bike over the gates that keep out scumbags on motorcycles, but as the bike is light that’s OK. Chasewater itself is orginally a feeder pool for the Wyrley & Essington canal and the Daw End Branch that I rode along. Nowadays it’s a country park, still serving as a place for parents to take kids for some outdoor space, like mine did 30-ish years ago.
The W+E canal up from Catshill Junction to Chasewater is very rural, considering it’s in the urban sprawl, and the nice paths mean you can keep up a good speed. I’ve now walked most of it’s 17 mile (ish) length, only leaving out the nice loop through Goscote. I’ll probably cycle it now.
5 thoughts on “Chasewater”
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what all 17 miles off it or just the bit in goscote so you can get your bike nicked?
Not the Goscote bit for sure: I’m not sure I could dodge the half-bricks.
Actually, that stretch isn’t too bad. Just dodge the motorbikes between Goscote Lane and Slacky Lane and your past the worst part. Behind the hospital is OK and further on the towpath is the opposite side to Shakespeare Crescent so less danger of getting choked from the smoke of burning cables.
Pity it’s not summer (unlike the clock on this blog), I’d meet up with you and we could do two or three miles together (safety in numbers and all that).
Is that a date for summer ;-)?
Thanks for the heads-up on the time. The system auto-adjusts, but the blog has a seperate ‘I differ from GMT by x hours’ thing.
Pull the bike onto its back wheel and steer with the saddle to get through the BW obstructions – its a lot easier and you’ll look dead professional!
Are you getting many whistle with your lycra or are people chucking bricks at you?