12th December - The canal that wasn't

When we went for our walk at Leasowes Park last Monday I noticed the canal just off the car park.  There are a series of canals all around the Black Country and Birmingham most are hidden from the busy traffic and unless you go looking you wouldn't know they are there.  This morning I decided to go again and explore the canal.  From what I can find out this is known as the Lapal Canal and is part of the Dudley No. 2 canal which once went to Selly Oak in Birmingham and was opened in 1798.

It turned out to be the canal that wasn't.  I've been reading a bit about it and apparently there is a Lapal Canal Trust who are raising money to do restoration work, the council cleared this small first section but the rest a few years ago but the rest remains overgrown.

Behind me was the Basin, (Hawne Basin), which is all overgrown

The further on you go the more overgrown it gets, but you can still clearly see where the canal was.

The pathway eventually comes out onto a duel carriage way which must have been built over the canal from what I've read the canal does start up again over the other side of the road way.  There is another interesting walk over that side which I would like to do some other time.

The pathway I followed today was Monarch's Way.  We have seen these signs often, there are two on the next street where we live, and we have often wondered what they were for but it wasn't until I was reading more about Leasowes Park that I found the answer.

Monarch's way is a 615 mile pathway that starts in Worcester and ends in Shoreham-by-sea and is an approximation of the escape route taken by King Charles II in 1651 when he was defeated in the Battle of Worcester.  History, literally on my doorstep :-) Love it!

I took a little detour off the canal path on the way back to walk round Breeches Pool on the edge of The Leasowes 

I'm so glad I re-discovered this area again and I'm sure I'll be back there again very soon.

Can you believe we are half way through advent already?  The day's are flying by but nowhere feels very festive despite the decorations in the shops and around town.  I do love opening my little packages each morning though :-)

These are today's gorgeous yarns, I had to smile when I opened the one from Jo, she had included a fox face mask :-)  Thank you Jo, I shall enjoy a relax in the bath with this on :-)

See you tomorrow

-X-

7th December - On our doorstep

I haven't been to Leasowes Park in a very very long time.  It's probably ten minutes away by car so I don't know why I haven't made the effort.  Whenever I go somewhere I like to google it and see if there are any interesting facts, turns out Leasowes is quite interesting.  Apparently it was designed by the poet William Shenstone and is considered to be one of the first natural landscape gardens in England.  I love how you can find history right on your doorstep if you look

There are various pathways running through but as I had a small person in tow today we didn't go too far.

I'll definitely be coming back to explore more again soon.

Joanne has picked up an extra day at work so from now on I will be having Bonnie each Monday, when she popped round yesterday I promised her she could open my advents today.

I think there may be an abrupt ending to the video because I had to go and get my glasses to see where No. 7 was on the candle advent, lol.

And here they are, minus the chocolate because Bonnie wanted to eat those after breakfast!

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to comment, it's very much appreciated  :-)

-X-