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.

  • GBB Hire Base

  • Numbered Attractions

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UK Canal map

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[iee_image_hotspot hotspot_image=”https://www.greatbritishboating.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/The-Black-Country-Ring-1.jpg” hotspot_size=”15″ hotspot_text_color=”#ffffff” hotspot_background_color=”#f25d1c” hotspot_background_color_hover=”#f4971d” tooltip_text_color=”” tooltip_background_color=”” pointer_effect=”sonar” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=””][iee_image_hotspot_item title=”Shugborough
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 Nature Reserve” link_url=”” target=”_self” hotspot_position_left=”55.5″ hotspot_position_top=”45.8″ pointer_type=”count” pointer_icon=”fa-map-marker fas” tooltip_position=”top” tooltip_text_color=”” tooltip_background_color=”#666666″ /][iee_image_hotspot_item title=”Black Country
 Museum” link_url=”” target=”_self” hotspot_position_left=”30.9″ hotspot_position_top=”58.0″ pointer_type=”count” pointer_icon=”fa-map-marker fas” tooltip_position=”bottom” tooltip_text_color=”” tooltip_background_color=”#666666″ /][iee_image_hotspot_item title=”The Grand Theatre” link_url=”” target=”_self” hotspot_position_left=”29.2″ hotspot_position_top=”51.0″ pointer_type=”count” pointer_icon=”fa-map-marker fas” tooltip_position=”right” tooltip_text_color=”” tooltip_background_color=”#666666″ /][iee_image_hotspot_item title=”Brindley Place” link_url=”” target=”_self” hotspot_position_left=”43.9″ hotspot_position_top=”67.7″ pointer_type=”count” pointer_icon=”fa-map-marker fas” tooltip_position=”top” tooltip_text_color=”” tooltip_background_color=”#666666″ /][iee_image_hotspot_item title=”Alvechurch Marina. Click HERE” link_url=”https://www.drifters.co.uk/bases/alvechurch/?location=Alvechurch” target=”_blank” hotspot_position_left=”40.0″ hotspot_position_top=”75.6″ pointer_type=”icon” pointer_icon=”fa-star fas” tooltip_position=”top” tooltip_text_color=”” tooltip_background_color=”#f25d1c” /][iee_image_hotspot_item title=”Worcester Base. Click HERE” link_url=”https://www.drifters.co.uk/bases/worcester-marina/?location=worcester” target=”_blank” hotspot_position_left=”26.0″ hotspot_position_top=”92.0″ pointer_type=”icon” pointer_icon=”fa-star fas” tooltip_position=”right” tooltip_text_color=”” tooltip_background_color=”#f25d1c” /][iee_image_hotspot_item title=”Autherley Base. Click HERE” link_url=”https://www.drifters.co.uk/bases/autherley/?location=Autherley” target=”_blank” hotspot_position_left=”27.9″ hotspot_position_top=”54.9″ pointer_type=”icon” pointer_icon=”fa-star fas” tooltip_position=”left” tooltip_text_color=”” tooltip_background_color=”#f25d1c” /][iee_image_hotspot_item title=”Gailey Base. Click HERE” link_url=”https://www.drifters.co.uk/bases/gailey/?location=gailey” target=”_blank” hotspot_position_left=”29.2″ hotspot_position_top=”42.1″ pointer_type=”icon” pointer_icon=”fa-star fas” tooltip_position=”top” tooltip_text_color=”” tooltip_background_color=”#f25d1c” /][iee_image_hotspot_item title=”Great Haywood Base. Click HERE” link_url=”https://www.drifters.co.uk/bases/great-haywood/?location=great haywood” target=”_blank” hotspot_position_left=”37.1″ hotspot_position_top=”33.9″ pointer_type=”icon” pointer_icon=”fa-star fas” tooltip_position=”top” tooltip_text_color=”” tooltip_background_color=”#f25d1c” /][iee_image_hotspot_item title=”Brewood Base” link_url=”https://www.drifters.co.uk/bases/brewood/?location=brewood” target=”_blank” hotspot_position_left=”22.1″ hotspot_position_top=”47.0″ pointer_type=”icon” pointer_icon=”fa-star fas” tooltip_position=”left” tooltip_text_color=”” tooltip_background_color=”#f25d1c” /][iee_image_hotspot_item title=”Tardebigge Base. Click HERE” link_url=”https://www.drifters.co.uk/bases/tardebigge/?location=tardebigge” target=”_blank” hotspot_position_left=”39.0″ hotspot_position_top=”79.3″ pointer_type=”icon” pointer_icon=”fa-star fas” tooltip_position=”left” tooltip_text_color=”” tooltip_background_color=”#f25d1c” /][iee_image_hotspot_item title=”Stoke Prior Base. Click HERE” link_url=”https://www.drifters.co.uk/bases/stoke-prior/?location=stoke prior” target=”_blank” hotspot_position_left=”32.4″ hotspot_position_top=”82.0″ pointer_type=”icon” pointer_icon=”fa-star fas” tooltip_position=”left” tooltip_text_color=”” tooltip_background_color=”#f25d1c” /][/iee_image_hotspot]

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.

Canal boat holidays in Staffordshire

Shugborough Hall Estate

The National Trust’s Shugborough Estate lets you explore a beautiful Georgian Mansion House, servant’s quarters, working heritage breeds farm, walled garden and fascinating parkland dotted with monuments and follies.
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Canal boating holidays in the Heart of England. Dudley canal tunnel

Dudley Tunnel & Mines

Regular boat trips operate at Dudley Tunnel bringing the history of the mines to life with on-board commentary, a music and light show in the Singing Cavern and a video show in Little Tess Cavern explaining how limestone was formed.
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Brindley Place at the heart of Birmingham, England

Brindley Place, Birmingham

Cosmopolitan tree-lined squares, a range of vibrant bars, international cuisine and an enviable canalside location make Brindleyplace one of Birmingham’s most exciting and popular destinations and mooring points.
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explore Birmingham on a canal walk and tour

Birmingham City Walk

Take a guided walk with one of Birmingham’s hugely experienced, knowledgeable and passionate Blue Badge Guides. See all the sights and hear the fascinating and fun stories about the history of England’s Second City and its people.
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Visit the Black Country living museum on a canal boat holiday on the Black Country Ring

Black Country Living Museum

Visitors to the 26-acre open-air Black Country Living Museum can meet costumed characters explaining what it was like to live and work in one of the world’s most heavily industrialised landscapes.
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Visit the Birmingham museum and art gallery whilst on a canal boat holiday with Great British Boating

Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery

A unique chance whilst in Birmingham City to see to the most important collection of Pre-Raphaelite art in the world as well as the ‘Staffordshire Hoard’, which is the largest collection of Anglo-Saxon gold ever found.
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Visit the Birmingham symphony hall. canal boat holidays in England

Birmingham Symphony Hall

Home to the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, this concert venue, where a pin dropped on stage can be heard anywhere in the Hall, hosts the best in jazz, folk, rock, pop plus stand-up comedy.
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Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton

The very special Grand Theatre in Wolverhampton has a stunning original three-tired Victorian auditorium which seats well over 1200 people and plays host to a wide range of major touring productions.
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