With more canals than Venice, this popular 75-mile journey offers canal boat holiday-makers the chance to explore Britain’s second City and its surrounding countryside from the unique perspective of its historic waterways.
The Black Country Ring, also known as the Birmingham Ring, explores 75 miles of waterways in and around the City of Birmingham, passing through 101 locks and cruising for around 56 hours.
The route passes through a variety of landscapes, ranging from the vibrant heart of Birmingham to long stretches of green and peaceful English countryside.
On this journey, canal boat holiday-makers will explore sections of the Birmingham Canal Main Line, Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal, Trent & Mersey Canal, Coventry Canal and Birmingham & Fazeley Canal.
Highlights include Brindleyplace in Birmingham’s City Centre, the nature reserve at Fradley Junction, and the National Trust’s historic Shugborough Estate with its beautiful Georgian Manor House and walled garden.
What can you See & Do in a week?
To complete this popular circuit in a week, you will need to cruise around eight hours each day, giving time to visit canalside villages and pubs along the way, and perhaps one or two major attractions.
To create more time for visiting destinations along the way, we recommend booking a 10-day or two-week holiday to travel this route.
Pass gently through the peaceful English countryside, listening to joyful birdsong, watching out for farm animals in the fields, church spires in passing villages, and waterside wildlife.
Choose from our variety of routes listed below and enjoy exciting cultural experiences, including the magnificent Symphony Hall in Birmingham, over 1,000 years of history at Warwick Castle and Shakespeare’s Birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon.
Whether you are simply looking to escape into the English countryside, or you’d like to take the opportunity to visit some of our greatest historic and cultural attractions, Great British Boating offers a variety of route options and suggestions on where to stop along your way round the Black Country Ring.
Things to see & do
From quiet country pubs and village churches, to exciting historic attractions where history and culture come to life, you’ll find plenty of places to visit on your canal journey.
