BrownhillsBob

October 23rd – Also on my haphazard itinerary today was Tixall. I adore Tixall, and not many folk seem to know it, existing as it does in the shadow of Shugboriugh Hall and it’s large estate. There were other noble families in these parts other than the earls of Lichfield, and the Aston family built Tixall Hall, gatehouse, church and stables. The hall has long been lost, but the gatehouse – now rented as a holiday let – is a splendid architectural wonder. It’s prominent towers are replicated further up the road to Great Haywood in a tiny lodge-house, the purpose of which I’ve always wondered. The stables have been converted into luxury homes, but the air of noble history parades the village and it’s odd little follies.

October 23rd – Up on the Chase again today – can’t get enough of it at the moment. A climb to Pye Green, a bite to eat at the excellent Springslade Lodge cafe, and then over Brocton Field and down into the Sherbrook Valley, and thence up to Milford. Autumn is here, but failing to quite grip the Chase as yet. Most trees still have leaves and the bracken is still just turning yellow. An odd year, indeed.

October 22nd – Someone asked recently where there were sweet chestnuts growing wild. I found these nuts – not massive, but a decent size – falling from trees alongside the A51 on Gorsy Bank, near Breretonhill, just between Rugeley and Upper Longdon. There’s a fair few around Milford and Tixall, too.

October 22nd – I’ve noticed this tower and chapel lots of times as I’ve sped downhill through Rugeley, but only ever stopped to investigate today. I was always vaguely intrigued by the fact that it sat opposite the parish church, on the other side of the road, yet appeared to be the remnants of a church itself. The structure is sat in Rugeley Cemetery, which I’d not noticed before, and I assume it’s a chapel of rest. The tower itself has gothic touches and gargoyles redolent of that other Victorian Gothic tour de force, Shenstone Church. I must look into the history further…

October 22nd – You’d not know really, unless you were told, but this lovely spot in the Hednesford Hills, on the southern edge of Cannock Chase used to be an RAF base – RAF Hednesford. I think it was largely a training camp, and closed soon after the war. Little remains except the odd suspiciously military looking hut, a pleasant monument and a heritage walk, which is well worth doing. Victory’s beneficiaries are we all; but the history is all around, often in quiet, unassuming places like this.

October 21st – I love night photography, but I’m not terribly good at it. I love the way familiar places change totally at night. The senior citizen’s flats opposite Holland Park and the fuel tanks of the Tesco depot on the Pelsall Road don’t really register as aesthetically pleasing in daytime – interesting, but unremarkable. Shroud them in darkness and discharge light and they come alive. I think I’m starting to get the hang of this winter thing at last.

October 21st – Work was heavy today, and didn’t escape until the evening. Brownhills is very desolate at night, yet I kind of love it more like that. The shutters, sodium light and hard surfaces are very atmospheric. Silver Court fascinates me at night – this 1960’s promenade of shops and maisonettes is crumbling and needs renovation, and is one of the last remnants of the system building fad of the period. Once bustling, it’s now largely empty, even in the daytime. The driveway at the back would once have been overshadowed by the noise and bustle of the five tenements of Silver Court Gardens, but is now surrounded by an eerily quiet wasteland. Much of what ails Brownhills is concentrated here – failed town planning and lost community.

October 20th – Returning via Rushall Junction and Aldridge, I passed under this remarkable arch bridge on the Tame Valley Canal at Tower Hill. Named Freeth Bridge, it’s huge, big and awe-inspiring. It’s a fine example of the architectural surprises Birmingham tends to reserve for people who explore the city. This sight never fails to inspire admiration for those who designed and built it. I’ve still yet to pass over the top, I must get round to that sometime.

October 20th – My love for Birmingham’s canals has been well recorded here, but this to me is the essence of the city. This tunnel lies – largely unnoticed by those passing above it – beneath Proof House Railway Junction, to the north of New Street Station. The tunnel itself is functional, grubby and bleak, but is actually beautifully lit and is a veritable refuge in the heart of the city. The canals show you life from the back; old factories and yards mingle with scrubby wastes and the margins of city life. And they are charming and fascinating for it. All of Brum is here, and I love every brick of it.

October 20th – Today I found myself cycling into the Black Country to a meeting. Having finished in early afternoon, I sought something to eat in Great Bridge, which wasn’t easy as all the old style cafes seem to have closed down. Finding myself in West Brom, I pottered through the backstreets on my way to the canal, aiming to return via a leisurely run along the canal. Quite unexpectedly, I stumbled upon the Oak House, looking as beautifully incongruous as ever. There seems to be some renovation work ongoing, but I may be wrong. A gorgeous building. Must stop by and explore sometime.