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The charity making life better by water

Making life better by water

Three swans swim in the centre of a calm stretch of water, which is lined with long grasses and reeds either side.

Daw End Canal

The Daw End Branch Canal is one of the most rural of the Birmingham Canal Navigations, and a hotspot for anglers.

Pronounced by locals as 'Doe End', the Daw End Branch Canal links the Rushall Canal to the Wyrley & Essington Canal in the West Midlands region.

Stretching 5.4 miles, it was built to carry limestone to Black Country furnaces; now its surroundings are peaceful and green.

What was once the limestone quarry is now the popular Hay Head Heath Wood Nature Reserve, a leafy haven rich in plant life.

Daw End and Rushall Canal Junction by John M

Boating the Daw End Canal

All you need to know about boating the Daw End Canal

Things to do on the Daw End Canal

A fishing coach, sitting next to student learning how to fish.

Fishing

A top place to fish, find out more about getting your rod in the water

Daw End reflections by C. Johnstone

Walk to Longwood Junction

Enjoy a one mile walk with sweeping views over farmers’ fields

A kingfisher on a branch perch

Nature spotting

From the common mallard to the elusive kingfisher, what wildlife will you see?

Two canoes being paddled down the canal

Water sports

This lock-free waterway makes it an enjoyable paddling route

Carl Nicholls on the Daw End Branch

Fishing on the Daw End Canal

Fisheries & angling manager Carl Nicholls talks about fishing his favourite stretch of canal

Places to visit near the Daw End Canal

Volunteering outside

We'd love to tell you more

Our newsletter is packed full of exciting updates and stories of how our charity keeps canals alive.

Three canals joining together with a mini roundabout in central Birmingham with two boats passing.

Birmingham Canal Navigations

Learn more about one of the most intricate canal networks in the world

More from the West Midlands

See local news and events, plus what we're doing to improve community wellbeing in this region

photo of a location on the canals

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