Small Heath

I had about an hour after work to get myself to Moseley to meet my other half after she'd finished her daily graft.

My route would take me, firstly, to Bordesley, to fill in a few gaps then across the Coventry Road and through Small Heath before a walk up Ladypool Road.

The first part went well, picking off the streets in the shadow of St. Andrew's, home ground of Birmingham City F.C.

Originally the Small Heath Alliance Football Club, the club was set up in 1875 by the Holy Trinity Cricket Club to maintain fitness during the winter.

When Birmingham received it's royal charter in 1889, the club changed it's name to Birmingham City.

The Coventry Road was crossed and I proceeded along Bolton Road, nipping up, and then down, the many tributaries.

Up one of the Cul-de-Sacs (Sandfields Avenue) was the home of someone who must have been well happy to be living in the shadow of St. Andrews.

On reaching Jenkins Street, I turned right and onto Small Heath Bridge. This bridge was built between 1901 and 1904 and crosses the A45 (Small Heath Bypass), the Grand Union canal and the railway line from Moor Street Station with a span of 200 metres.

Unfortunately, the view from the bridge is not great as the bridge was fenced in back in 2009 to stop the locals throwing stones at the cars passing underneath !