The historic canal junction at the heart of the Birmingham canal network, where narrowboats from different canal companies once had to unload and transfer goods because rival companies refused to let their waterways connect. Today it is the best place in the city to appreciate Birmingham's extraordinary canal heritage — the city has more miles of canal than Venice, most of them dug in the late 18th century to feed the Industrial Revolution.
The basin is surrounded by converted warehouses and former wharves, now occupied by bars and restaurants that spill onto the towpaths in summer. Walking west along the canal from here leads through Brindleyplace — a successful commercial and leisure regeneration of the 1990s — past the Ikon Gallery and out toward Centenary Square. The canals are navigable and narrowboat hire is available; even a two-hour trip along the Old Main Line gives a completely different view of the city.