84/85 Spaghetti Junction, Aston

An interesting afternoon stroll, taking in the sights of Spaghetti Junction (otherwise known as "Gravelly Hill Interchange" or Junction 6 of the M6) and its nearby parks.


Underneath Spaghetti Junction you will find 3 canals; The Grand Union, The Birmingham & Fazeley, and The Tame Valley Canals, 2 rivers; The Tame and The Rea, and 2 railway lines. How many more reasons could you possibly need to visit it!!

Take the train from Birmingham New Street to Aston or Gravelly Hill.


Photos and details of the walk coming soon...

Backlog

This is a new blog and we've been A-to-Zedding for a few months now so it will take us a little while to post a complete backlog of our trips.. please keep checking back for new squares.

Please leave a comment if you have been moved or inspired by what you have read here.

12/13 Codsall

The first square we visited after learning to see the A-Z in this new way, 12/13 will always hold a special place in our hearts.

Where is it? North West

What’s there? Codsall is the main town but the most enjoyment will be had by heading west for its outskirts. These are mostly grass fields with patches of woodland. Plentiful footpaths criss-cross the area. A good circular walk starting from the train station in E4, follows the footpaths to A4 then north to C1, follow the path starting in C1 and finishing in F2 then head back through the town. Savour the excitement of crossing the postcode boundary form WV8 to WV7. The ultimate square for ‘Who’d of thought I’d ever come here?’ feelings.

How do I get there? Get the Shrewsbury/Telford train from Birmingham New Street to Codsall or Bilbrook, easy.

Hints and Tips

Choosing squares

Good squares to explore are: ones you’ve always wanted to go to, ones you would never dream of going to, ones containing a street named after your home town, ones randomly generated by sticking a pencil in the map blindfolded. Try not to be too methodical.

Equipment

Choose your A-Z carefully. Nowadays, all sorts of fancy electronic versions are available, but we prefer a traditional hard copy. Within this category, there are currently four types of binding to choose from. Find the one that suits you.

Your equipment should also include a ‘zip-lock’ plastic bag, to protect your A-Z from the elements and small coloured stickers to mark the squares you’ve visited.

Solo A-Zedding

It is perfectly possible to A-Zed solo. For safety make sure you tell someone which square you are attempting.

Responsibility

Finally, a word on responsibility. Please show respect for any square you visit. Littering, trespassing and damaging property are irresponsible and may spoil the square for other users. When A-Zedding please consider the impact on the environment of your mode of transport. Most squares can be reached by, relatively harmless, public transport. Better still, you will get a great feel for how squares relate to each other if you can walk or cycle to your destination.