Salford Park: home of the Aston Reservoir, near Spaghetti Junction

My visit to Salford Park was near the end of December 2016. The park is near the Lichfield Road in Aston, and is next to the M6 motorway and Spaghetti Junction. The River Tame flows to the north of this park, which is mostly just the Reservoir. The Cross City Line to Lichfield is also nearby as well as the Tame Valley Canal. Not forgetting Star City. You might see the reservoir from the M6

My visit to Salford Park was on the 30th December 2016. I had got the train on the Chase Line to Walsall. Coming back I got off at Aston, and walked up the Lichfield Road to check out the park, reservoir, and then head under Spaghetti Junction on a section of the Tame Valley Canal.

 

For my other park posts (of parks that are near the M6), please check out: Witton Lakes Park and Brookvale Park.

 

There is a Wikipedia page about the Aston Reservoir.

Aston Reservoir has also been known as either: Salford Lake, Salford Park Pool or Salford Bridge Reservoir. It was a 19th century reservoir, formerly used for drinking water extracted from the River Tame. It was built by the Birmingham Waterworks Company, which at the time was in the parish of Aston. On the 1st January 1876 the company was bought by the Birmingham Corporation Water Department. 

In recent years, the reservoir has been using as a boating lake, but that is no longer the case. It was used for speedboat racing in the 1950s.

 

My first view of Salford Park from the Lichfield Road. Behind is the Aston Expressway, A38(M), with the lanes from the Gravelly Hill Interchange (Spaghetti Junction). That bridge goes over the River Tame.

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This old Birmingham City Council sign from the Department of Recreation and Community Services. Calling the park: Salford Park and Stadium.

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Powerleague Birmingham is based at these football pitches to the left of the main entrance. Aston Expressway and the lanes from Spaghetti Junction seen behind.

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This Power League sign was seen from the Lichfield Road. The main entrance to the park is to the left of here.

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Trees in the park. From here I saw an abandoned crashed car. Would assume that officers from Birmingham City Council removed it during January 2017.

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More trees in the park. The park is morethe reservoir than trees and grass.

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Entering the park, I think the two men (at the time) were fishing in the reservoir. Bollards prevents cars getting in, but as I headed into the park, I saw an abandoned crashed car (windows all smashed).

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Heading around the reservoir towards the River Tame. A lorry is seen heading onto the Aston Expressway.

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The east end of the reservoir is quite curved here. As you see the Aston Expressway heading into the City Centre. Mostly from here the lanes coming in from the M6 at Junction 6.

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One more view of the reservoir from this side before heading to the Tame Valley Canal.

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This path is between the Aston Expressway and the River Tame. I went out of the park, and back onto the Lichfield Road, and got onto the Tame Valley Canal from the Salford Bridge.

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A look at the Salford Bridge at the point where it crosses the River Tame. With the M6 going over it. To get onto the Tame Valley Canal you have to go up to the bridge, then down the towpath at the Canalside Walk.

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A look at the Salford Bridge at the exit from Salford Park (to the right). The towpath to the canal was accessed from near the bridge.

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This view of the M6 from Salford Park. You can see the River Tame in front.

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Now on the Salford Bridge as I headed to the Canalside Walk entrance for the Tame Valley Canal under the M6.

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Reflections of the concrete columns seen in the River Tame from the Salford Bridge. That's the M6 up there.

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Under the M6 and between the River Tame and Tame Valley Canal. Not much to see here other than the concrete columsn and those metals bars near the metal fences.

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View from the Salford Bridge of the Tame Valley Canal, it wasn't until I went down that I saw youths riding motorbikes illegally up and down the towpath (which was intimidating and very unsafe).

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Heading down the ramp, a look at the Salford Bridge. I think the youths were up that way under the M6. I turned onto the towpath and headed to the left.

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Now on the towpath of the Tame Valley Canal. The bridge ahead carries the A5127 Gravelly Hill towards the A38(M) Aston Expressway. A slip road from the Tyburn Road also heads in that direction.

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Under the bridge, there was graffiti on the other side. Including something that Bill Drummond had done. I expect that all of this graffiti has changed in the following 3 years.

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It was a bit like a long tunnel with open concrete columns on the right. Like a bit of a silhouette. Daylight ahead.

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Under Spaghetti Junction as the M6 was on the left and a southbound slip road from the Aston Expressway, A38(M) was on the right. Looks a bit weird from down here.

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Under another bridge, probably a slip road leading from Salford Circus onto the M6 northbound.

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I think that's now the M6 heading to the right. Beyond was railway bridges for the Cross City Line, between Aston and Gravelly Hill stations.

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Getting off the Tame Valley Canal, I found a path that led back towards Salford Park. More slip roads of Spaghetthi Junction above with an old bridge railway bridge carrying the Cross City Line towards Lichfield. I think the slip road on the left is coming off the Aston Expressway, A38(M) onto the M6 Northbound, while the slip road on the right is coming from Salford Circus.

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Now following the path back to Salford Park under the Aston Expressway, A38(M), from the slip road coming off the M6 Northbound and Southbound. Salford Park would be to the left over a bridge that crosses the River Tame. Area on the right fenced off with work vans.

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Heading back into Salford Park after my short walk down the Tame Valley Canal. The path went between the Cross City Line and some of the lanes linked to the Aston Expressway. Leading to this footbridge over the River Tame.

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With the River Tame to the right and the Aston Expressway to the left, I was heading back into Salford Park which was over to the right.

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Now back in Salford Park with the Aston Expressway to the left and Aston Reservoir to the right. There is a path to the north side of the reservoir, but I think at the time I didn't walk up it, having just come off the Tame Valley Canal under the Motorways.

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Aston Reservoir from the west end of the park. Aston Expressway in the distance.

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Geese and gulls in the reservoir.

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The south west corner of Aston Reservoir, with the Aston Expressway to the left. After this, I followed a path out of Salford Park, and headed back to Aston Station to catch a train back to Birmingham New Street. The wasteland I saw 3 years ago, has now since been built on. You can also get the 65 or 67 buses up to Salford Park if you want to explore this park and the canals.

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This was the view from the National Express West Midlands Platinum bus on the X5 I caught from Erdington back in January 2019. Heading along the Aston Expressway between Gravelly Hill and Aston.

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From the bus you can see Salford Park and the Aston Reservoir, while above is the lanes coming off the M6, Junction 6, which links to the Aston Expressway, A38(M). Both from southbound and northbound lanes joining up.

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Scaffolding under Spaghetti Junction. You have to remember that it was completed way back in 1972, and in recent years engineers have had to repair the concrete columns and the structure carrying the road above.

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On the coach during September 2019, we were heading back into Birmingham from Cheltenham and Broadway (after a riding on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway). See my post on that here: Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway from Cheltenham Race Course to Broadway. The coach driver took a weird route heading back into Birmingham, leaving the A435 and heading on the M42 towards the M6. Only getting off at Spaghetti Junction. I saw the Aston Reservoir in Salford Park from the coach, a long with the Birmingham skyline (to the left).

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Photos taken by Elliott Brown.

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Birmingham We Are People with Passion award winner 2020