Waterways Walks: Parkhead to Netherton

My occasional Waterways Walks series has gently roused itself into supplying another  towpath-based episode. This time around I will cast my explorational spotlight upon the initial reaches of the Dudley No. 2 Canal on a walk that culminates with a classic Black Country boozer...

- It's in there somewhere, honest! -

Mondays aren't a day I dedicate to being out and about all that often but the need to use up some annual leave prompts me into action on 25th July. The number 8 Wollaston Farm bus provides a direct connection from Wolverhampton to Holly Hall Road where I alight ready to reacquaint myself with a seminal canal location. Parkhead Locks are part of the Dudley No 1 Canal as it exits Dudley Tunnel's southern portal and descends towards the Delph. Pensnett Basin and the Grazebrook Arm flank either side of the main line but the mighty Parkhead Viaduct is encased in cladding during ongoing repair works. 

- Park Head Junction -

Three locks in quick succession bring me to Park Head Junction, the point at which the two Dudley Canals diverge. Sadly the old junction cottage has seen better days and is practically becoming derelict while Blowers Green Pumphouse seems to have lost its location lettering. Despite a supposedly dry weather forecast, an almighty downpour sends me scampering for shelter beneath the Dudley & Lye Waste Bridge - oh the glamour! When the rain eventually eases off again I can join the Dudley No. 2 at Blowers Green Lock, the balance beams still sodden with moisture. Blowers Green Bridge passes under Peartree Lane before the canal skirts the edges of the Narrowboat Way Trading Estate. 

- Blackbrook Junction -

Even with industrial units in close proximity, Blackbrook Valley does permit some scenic views looking out across lush greenery towards Netherton Parish Church. Blackbrook Bridge earns itself a handful of pictures and is soon followed by Blackbrook Junction as marked by a roving turnover footbridge. The actual junction aspect is no longer operational but historically boats could take a shortcut here along the Two Locks Line to Woodside, thus saving themselves from having to negotiate the full Blowers Green section. Alas the squall returns with a vengeance and some well-placed trees help to spare me from an unwanted soaking. 

- High Bridge -

The weather remains threatening as I proceed the short distance to High Bridge, which does what it says on the tin by towering over the cut from a great height. Originally this was the site of Brewin's Tunnel, a structure that was something of a short-lived bottleneck and got opened out in the 1850s to create the bridge we see today. The tunnel hasn't been forgotten though, not with an artistic panel to tell of its relatively brief existence. Indeed, the No. 2 towpath has been dotted with commemorative creations at regular intervals, pointing out many interesting details regarding the canal and its immediate surroundings

- St Andrew's Church Noticeboards -

I've still got more watery walking planned but I permit myself a High Bridge detour so as to collect snapshots of significant Netherton landmarks. Top of that list is St Andrew's Church, set within an extensive graveyard (which includes burials from the 1830s cholera epidemic) and dominating the local landscape. The church's associated primary school is just down the hill and I also note a cricket pitch plus clubhouse nearby. Immediately south of High Bridge is Lodge Farm Reservoir which acts as a watersports hub for Dudley Borough; the Lodge Farm estate meanwhile is a self-contained circle comprising Farm Road and Lodge Crescent with amenities such as Sam's Superstore and a Baptist chapel. 

- A case of dual identity? -

Returning to High Bridge once more, I arc below Netherton in an easterly fashion as the canal meanders between the back gardens of Copse Road and Bratch Close. Saltwells Bridge looks slightly ramshackle at Stoney Lane, then Primrose Bridge has a potential identity crisis on its hands having been daubed with famous 'Astle is King' graffiti over the years in honour of West Bromwich Albion's 1968 FA Cup Final goalscorer. Naturally I shouldn't approve of any mention of the Baggies being successful but this bridge has entered Black Country folklore so I'll put my Wolves allegiances to one side just this once!

- A Home Brewd Highlight -

My stroll is nearing its ultimate destination as Bishton's Bridge heralds the bend that offers access to Withymoor Island, a moorings arm populated with shimmering narrowboats. Griffin Bridge then acts as my Northfield Road exiting point and the back door of Ma Pardoe's awaits, beckoning me inside to partake of the delectable Bumblehole (the Olde Swan Brewery's 5.2% Best Bitter). The pub is a Netherton institution, one of only four home brewhouses left in the country back in 1974 and is still known after legendary landlady Doris Pardoe even though she passed away in the 1980s. Entire, Netherton Pale Ale (NPA) and Dark Swan are among the other fine ales brewed on the premises while the interior is a veritable time capsule with a warren of atmospheric rooms. Having supped two pints of nectar, I pause to admire the pub's iconic Halesowen Road frontage - complete with Pure Home Brewd Ales paintwork - and head home to Wolverhampton pleased with my day's work. Cheers!