Out in the sticks

We've spent a couple of days meandering through the beautiful tree-lined tranquility of the Staffs & Worcs canal. What a contrast to the urban grit of Birmingham – so much so, it's hard to remember we're just a handful of miles away from the Black Country conurbations.
Big drop - going down Bratch locks

We went down the curious set of three locks at The Bratch - an ingenious piece of 18th century canal engineering designed to save water and speed traffic by storing the water used to raise and lower boats in side ponds. Today it's a tourist attraction, beautifully turned out and manicured - a far cry from some of those Birmingham backwaters.
We turned off for a bit more off-the-beaten-track exploration on the Stourbridge Canal 9Above) and more mouthwatering scenery before we returned to that grit and grime.