The northern section of the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal, from its junction with the Worcester and Birmingham Canal in Kings Norton to its link with the Grand Union Canal near Lapworth, opened in 1802. It is completely level until it reaches the 18 locks of the Lapworth flight, and this two and a half mile walk takes in part of that level section, between Illshaw Heath and Braggs Farm.

There is plenty of room to leave your car on School Road, between the M42 and Wedge’s Bakery. From here, walk down Illshaw Heath Road until, just past its junction with Waring’s Green Lane, a footpath sign on the left indicates a stile in the hedge.

Follow the path through a dip and up the other side, bearing slightly right at a group of trees to emerge into Vicarage Road.

Turn left and then right into Salter Street. After a short distance, opposite a red roofed barn, is an open gateway and a track. This is another public footpath, which leads in an almost straight line down through another dip and up to Lady Lane.

Turn left onto Lady Lane. The next gate you reach on the opposite side of the road is the start of another footpath. This follows the edge of a single field to Bragg’s Farm Lane.

Here, you can join the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal towpath and walk back to Illshaw Heath Lane. The exit from the towpath is easy to identify. It is a short path to the road, adjacent to a cottage, as the canal takes the sharp right hand bend.

En route, though, there is an opportunity to leave the canal for refreshment at the first bridge you come to, on a left hand bend.

Just over the bridge from the towpath here is Lady Lane Wharf, a licenced cafe and restaurant, where, depending on the time of day, you can sit at the canalside and enjoy breakfast, lunch or just a drink before setting off again to complete your stroll.

Beside the Wharf you can see the water entering via the feeder channel to the Canal, pictured above, from Earlswood Lakes. The lakes were created in the 1820s to keep the canal’s summit level topped up.