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DTSTAMP:20260420T073043Z
UID:bZ6iJA
DTSTART:20241229T110000
DTEND:20241229T143000
CLASS:PUBLIC
CREATED:20241103T170609
DESCRIPTION: Last year\, the SW Xmas walk Cole for Xmas followed a section 
 of the river Cole on an epic expedition through south Birmingham\, visitin
 g the Shire Country Park\, Chinn Brook and the Stratford-on-Avon canal. Th
 is year\, the obvious sequel to that walk is to head north and follow the 
 Cole as it meanders in the general direction of the airport. At 7 miles\, 
 Cole for Xmas II will seem like either the ideal antidote to Christmas or 
 a grim and gruelling slog. But be sure there will be plenty of intriguing 
 moments along the way: lost rivers\, woodland valleys\, remote parkland\, 
 industrial interludes and of course the odd decommissioned Royal Navy figh
 ter jet. There will be regular rest intervals before our pre-dusk arrival 
 at the final destination of Sheldon Hall\, a 16th-century manor house turn
 ed pizza restaurant. \n\n Sheldon Hall is a sprawling mix of timber\, ston
 e and brick that never seems to make it into the Birmingham guidebooks (in
 cluding Still Walkings own 111 Places book). But it is an intriguing locat
 ion to enjoy a gigantic pizza. If you don't feel able to complete the full
  route\, you are of course welcome to return home at your own discretion
 —there is no narrative that you will interrupt. The path intersects seve
 ral major roads where you can join the local bus service. \n\n The walk wi
 ll be in daylight\, but may well be cold and at least slightly damp. If th
 e weather looks set to be unenjoyably wet (ie raining relentless) we will 
 postpone to early 2025. We will endure the odd light shower\, so please dr
 ess accordingly. Most of the route is off-road but on generally reliable t
 armac-ed paths\, but some areas may be wet or muddy\, so be prepared! \n\n
  Cole for Xmas will last approximately 3.5 hours including rest stops. Tra
 velling to the start point by public transport is recommended as the walk 
 is not circular. Look for the clock tower of Sparkhill Library on Stratfor
 d Road: we will meet there. The walk will end at Gressel Lane\, Sheldon. \
 n\n The walk is FREE but tickets must be booked ahead. Please advise if yo
 u would like to stay for a meal - the restaurant will be in demand that Xm
 as weekend and will require plenty of advance booking. Please let us know 
 if you can’t make the walk after making booking\, as the waiting list ca
 n be informed. \n\n The meeting point at Sparkbrook library can be reached
  by the 3\, 4\, 5 and 6 bus services. The nearest train station to Sheldon
  Hall is Lea Hall\, approximately 25 minutes walk away. \n\n The route is 
 step-free but some sections of the path and route are likely to be wet / m
 uddy and relatively rough. \n
LAST-MODIFIED:20241104T235557
LOCATION:Birmingham
ORGANIZER:mailto:ben.waddington@me.com
SUMMARY:Cole for Xmas II - the SW Christmas Walk
URL;VALUE=URI:https://ti.to/still-walking/cole-for-xmas-ii
URL;VALUE=URI:https://ti.to/still-walking/cole-for-xmas-ii
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