Walking Historic Birmingham Canals: Mailbox to Digbeth

Birmingham Canal Walks: Walking from Mailbox to Bordesley Junction – Birmingham Canal Navigations – via Old Turn Junction, Aston Junction, Curzon Street Tunnel and the Digbeth Branch Canal.

I was having fun backpacking in England. Five days in London, day trips to Oxford, Lichfield, and Aylesbury. I took the train to Birmingham New Street.

Birmingham is the United Kingdom’s second-largest city. I based myself at the Selina Birmingham Hostel (now Malacuna Birmingham) and explored the Birmingham Canal Navigations, walking from Mailbox by Gas Street Basin to Bordesley Junction.

I had seen parts of the canal on my first day in Birmingham, but I set aside the second day to walk it in its entirety. It is about 5 km in total, but there are many photo opportunities en route.

My hostel was located at the Vaughton Gothic Works on Livery Street. They were commissioned to make a replacement FA Cup in 1895 after the original was stolen. The Vaughton FA Cup was used until 1910.

Breakfast wasn’t included in my mid-week deal at the Selina Birmingham. My favourite place to get a Big Breakfast when backpacking in the UK and I don’t have access to kitchen facilities is JD Wetherspoon.

Big Vegetarian Breakfast with tea/coffee with unlimited refills at The Soloman Cutler in Birmingham:

The canals played a crucial role during the Industrial Revolution, transporting coal and iron across Birmingham and the Black Country.

Most of the canals were built during the 18th and 19th centuries. At one time, there were more than 170 miles of navigable canals.

The canals were used extensively during the Second World War, with canal barges carrying munitions, food and other essentials.

The canals were costly to build and maintain. By the early 1980s, all commercial traffic had stopped, and the canals fell into disrepair.

Many sections have now been restored.

Section 1: Mailbox to Old Turn Junction & Gas Street Basin

The walk starts at Mailbox, the former Royal Mail sorting office, now home to BBC Birmingham and designer shops and bars.

And then you follow the Birmingham and Fazeley canal:

The Cube, landmark building, 115,500 sq. ft of offices and shops and a hotel:

And the start of the Birmingham Canal Old Line:

Gas Street Basin, the first place in Birmingham to have gas lights:

Black Sabbath Bridge Bench:

The Black Sabbath Bridge and Bench, formerly Broad Street Bridge, renamed in 2019 in honour of Birmingham’s Heavy Metal band Black Sabbath, featuring Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward:

Section 2: Old Turn Junction to Aston Junction

Cross the Old Turn Junction Bridge with the Malt House on your right and the ​junction of the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal and the New Mainline Canal:

The Malt House, Birmingham:

The start of the 13 Farmers Bridge Locks.

The first part is quite nice, but then the areas under Newhall Street and beyond are decidedly run-down.

The Canal and River Trust volunteers working to clean up the canals:

Aston Junction:

Section 3: Aston Junction to Bordesley Junction

To the left, the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal continues to Salford Junction via the Aston Locks. The Digbeth Branch Canal goes to the right to Digbeth via the Ashted Locks, the 103-metre-long Ashted Tunnel and the 112-metre-long Curzon Street Tunnel. And finally, Bordesley Junction, where the Birmingham and Warwick Canal branches off to the left to Salford Junction.

I left the canal at the Adderley Street Bridge and walked in the direction of Digbeth via the old Bird’s Custard Factory. Built by Alfie Bird in 1906, it is now a hot spot for the coolest bars in Birmingham.

Digbeth has some amazing Street Art, which I explored in 2024:

Across the street from the Bird’s Factory, you can pour your own beer at Auto Brew, England’s first self-service bar (now closed).

This was a bit of a flashback to my childhood. Memories of home when Dad regularly made custard using Bird’s Custard.