Canal Boat Holidays

Alvechurch on the Worcester and Birmingham canal to start you Canal boat holidays.

< Back to Alvechurch Marina.

Alvechurch Cruise 3 :

3 NIGHT LOCK FREE CRUISE ALONG THE STRATFORD UPON AVON CANAL TO THE START OF THE LAPWORTH FLIGHT OF LOCKS.

Start & Finish : Alvechurch marina, Worcestershire
Total Distance: 32 miles
Total Locks: 0
Tunnels: 2
Cruising Hours: 14 hours

DAY 1

Once setting off from Alvechurch, you soon leave the traffic behind and cruise through lovely Worcestershire countryside to your 1st Tunnel at Wast Hills which at 2726 yards is one of the longest in the country!

For your 1st nights stop it is nice to cruise for an hour to Hopwood & then stop by Bridge 67 where there is a convenient pub - The Hopwood House, by the Canal.

DAY 2

Continuing on through the Tunnel, for those with children you might want to make a short detour to Cadbury World which is 1 mile north of the Kings Norton Junction (booking is advisable Tel. 0121 451 4159). (You will need to moor up at the Kings Norton Junction).

Before you turn off at the Kings Norton Junction, onto the Stratford on Avon canal, there is a an old Canal House on your left, and as you turn you will see the interesting guillotine mechanism of the now disused Stop Lock which was balanced by chains & counterweights.

The Canal briefly passes through a small tunnel & the quiet residential outskirts of Birmingham before leaving it behind and passing out into open country.

There are very few villages along this stretch, but there is a steel lift bridge which is lowered & raised electrically, and you will need your British waterways key for this. One button does all!

The Canal continues through the countryside until you get to Hockley Heath where you can moor up & get refreshment at the nearby Wharf Inn. Tomorrow you can turn around just after Bridge 27.

It is 7 hours cruising back to Alvechurch