A circular cycle route of 18km (11 miles) along good quality canal towpaths, quiet green roads and pathways through parks – you will see some of Birmingham’s canal network, Edgbaston, Cannon Hill Park and Moseley Village. You can also link this route with the Edgbaston Reservoir/Harborne Walkway/University of Birmingham cycle route. You can use Parkopedia to find parking spots near you before and after your journey. Hire a bike with Brompton Bike Hire, West Midlands Cycle Hire, or On Your Bike.
Click here to populate part 1 of the route on Google Maps
Click here to populate part 2-end of the route in Google Maps
Route overview
Start this cycle outside the Ikon Gallery at Brindley Place.
Part 1 of the Moseley Village and Cannon Hill Park Cycle route
Facing the entrance to the Ikon, turn left to head towards Central Square of Brindley Place where the Costa Coffee pavilion is located.
Ikon Gallery. Credit cattan2011
Head over to the right hand side of the coffee shop towards Sealife Centre and take the passageway to the left of the Sealife centre towards the Barclaycard Indoor Arena.
Brindley Place. Credit: Steve Tiesdell
Don’t cross over to the other side of the canal, but turn right along the near side to head along the canal around to the right. Keep following the canal all the way through to the mailbox but do not go up over the metal bridge to the Mailbox but follow the canal round to the right to start to head out of the city.
Part 2 of the Moseley Village and Cannon Hill Park Cycle route
Keep following the canal towpath, eventually heading through a long tunnel (approx 100m long). Once the other side of the tunnel, you will come to a small hump backed brick bridge taking you over to the other side of the canal and into The Vale, part of the University of Birmingham accommodation campus.
Birmingham University The Vale Canals. Credit: Ben Abel
Part 3 of the Moseley Village and Cannon Hill Park Cycle route
Cross over this bridge, through the car park to the Vale campus access road (called Mason Way) and turn left up this road (be careful as you may need to push your bikes up the pavement here as it is one way) to come out at the top onto the B4217 Church Road.
Birmingham University, The Vale. Credit: Alan Baylis
Turn left onto Church Road and after approx 200m take the first right into Carpenter Road. Head down Carpenter Road and take the second right into Ampton Road.
Part 4 of the Moseley Village and Cannon Hill Park Cycle route
Follow Ampton Road to the first crossroads (with Arthur Road) and carefully go straight over continuing into Ampton Road.
Leafy Edgbaston in Birmingham
Follow this straight to the next crossroads with Wellington Road and carefully go straight across to head down Sir Harrys Road.
Part 5 of the Moseley Village and Cannon Hill Park Cycle route
At the end of this road where it meets the main Bristol Road A38, hop onto the pavement on your left and cross over the Bristol Road at the cycle/pedestrian crossing. Carry straight ahead along a continuation of Sir Harry’s Road until it meets the next main road, the Pershore Road A441. Cross over this road at the pedestrian crossing on your right hand side, and follow the pavement (walk your bike along here if it is still not a cycle lane!) to the left to the second road on your left, Edward Road.
Part 6 of the Moseley Village and Cannon Hill Park Cycle route
Turn right up Edward Road road, then third right onto Harbury Road. You are now on National Cycle Route 5. Head along Harbury Road and turn left at the end onto Willows Crescent. Take the first right onto Cannon Hill Road, cross over Edgbaston Road at the cycle/pedestrian crossing and head into Cannon Hill Park ahead of you.
Cannon Hill Park at sunset. Credit: Simon Felton
Part 7 of the Moseley Village and Cannon Hill Park Cycle route
Follow the main path ahead of you around Cannon Hill park – as the path bends to the right after the grandstand, follow it to go over the bridge over the lake, then turn right to follow the main path alongside the lake. Keep going straight ahead, past the MAC Arts Centre on your left (toilets available here), and follow the path around the edge of the park until you come back to the entrance gate on Edgbaston Road where you entered the park.
Exit the park at this gate, go back over the crossing to the other side, and turn right along Edgbaston Park Road to the roundabout. You may prefer to get off your bike here and push it along the pavement as this can be a busy road. Go straight on over the roundabout (or use the zebra crossing) into a continuation of Edgbaston Road. Just as the road starts to bend to the right, turn left into Edgbaston Road, then immediate right into Park Hill.
Part 8 of the Moseley Village and Cannon Hill Park Cycle route
Follow Park Hill up until the first road on the right, and turn right here into Chantry Road. Follow Chantry Road around the corner to the left up to the junction with A435 Alcester Road – this is Moseley high street. Take care (hop off the bike and use the pedestrian crossing on your right) to go straight over here into Woodbridge Road. Keep heading straight along here, keeping ahead as it changes into Forest Road, heading over the roundabout to continue along Forest Road to it’s end.
Part 9 of the Moseley Village and Cannon Hill Park Cycle route
Turn left into Mayfield Road then first right into Highfield Road. Follow Highfield Road to the end, then turn right into Belle Walk. Follow Belle Walk to the end then turn right into B4217 Wake Green Road (busy road so take care), then first left into Billesley Lane.
Follow Billesley Lane to the crossroads with Oxford Road and turn left into Oxford Road. Follow this for approximately 150m and you will come to the beautiful St Agnes Church.
St Agnes Church, Moseley. Credit: Elliott Brown
Follow the road all around the church until you come all the way back to Oxford Road and head down here back in the opposite direction to before. Head straight over the junction with Billesley Lane to keep following Oxford Road.
Part 10 of the Moseley Village and Cannon Hill Park Cycle route
Cross straight over all crossings and roundabouts to keep following Oxford Road until you come to the end at its junction with B4217 St Mary’s Row.
Turn right onto St Mary’s Row (you may wish to use the pedestrian crossing on your left) then first left onto Church Road, and follow this to the crossroads with Woodbridge Road. Turn left onto Woodbridge Road to retrace your route from earlier, but in the opposite direction.
Follow Woodbridge Road back to the main A435 Alcester Road, again cross over here (use the pedestrian crossing on your left if you prefer) and continue straight ahead down Chantry Road, following it around to the right at the bottom to the crossroads with Park Hill.
Part 11 of the Moseley Village and Cannon Hill Park Cycle route
Turn left onto Park Hill and at the bottom hop back onto the pavement to push your bike along to the main roundabout at the crossing of Edgbaston Road, Russell Road and Willows Road. Head straight over the roundabout to continue into Edgbaston Road (if pushing your bike, use the zebra crossing across Willows Road).
Take the first right into Cannon Hill Road to follow the signs for National Cycle Route 5 all the way back to Birmingham City Centre. A full description of the route from here follows:
Head along Cannon Hill Road, turn first left into Willows Crescent, then turn first right into Harbury Road. At the end turn right into Edward Road then almost immediate left into Cheddar Road.
Part 12 of the Moseley Village and Cannon Hill Park Cycle route
Follow the bike path at the end of Cheddar Road to the left to join onto Clevedon Road and follow this to the roundabout with Balsall Heath Road. Head straight over the roundabout into Longmore Street, and carry on along here to the main cycle crossing over the busy A4540 Belgrave Middleway.
Go over the crossing to continue following National Cycle Route 5 into Horton Square, Highgate Street then Gooch Street. Go straight over the roundabout to continue along Gooch Street.
Part 13 of the Moseley Village and Cannon Hill Park Cycle route
At the end of Gooch Street turn right into Sherlock Street then third left into Hurst Street. Follow Hurst Street all the way along, in front of the main entrance to the Birmingham Hippodrome Theatre, until you reach the cycle crossing over Smallbrook Queensway dual carriageway.
Part 14 of the Moseley Village and Cannon Hill Park Cycle route
Cross straight over here to carry on into Hill Street, take the first left into Station Street, then right into John Bright Street, then left into Lower Severn Street. Follow the cycle path round to the right, then left underneath the dual carriageway. On the other side of the flyover follow the path up to the right, then turn left into Holliday Street. Head along here until you have gone under a lovely old iron bridge that carries the canal above you, then turn left onto the canal network. Turn left along the canal and follow it all the way back to Brindley Place.
Birmingham Canal. Credit: Cattan2011
Click here to populate part 1 of the route on Google Maps
Click here to populate part 2-end of the route in Google Maps
Resources:
If you enjoyed this route, see our 21km Bournville and Rea Valley Route
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