Tag: 365daysofbiking

May 19th – The Swag, as it’s commonly known locally, is part of the wetland band that occupies the hollow between Shire Oak Hill and Pelsall. A wet area for centuries, it stretches for miles, from the common to the north, across Clayhanger Marsh, Jockey Meadows and Stubbers Green, into the Goscote Valley. Pictured looking north from the old railway line parallel to Pelsall Road, it’s easy to see the very old spoil heaps from bell pitting in the area two centuries ago.

Nowadays, they are a peaceful, post industrial wildlife haven, as is the trackbed I stand on to capture this odd little sunset. Turning around, I see an old dog fox trotting off into the distance. This is both his territory and mine, and we are familiars. No doubt having watched my approach, he’s content that everything is in order and is away on his rounds.

May 19th – An evening ride around the common failed to reward me with a sighting of deer, but the welcome stillness after weeks of quite gusty wind was refreshing. I could hear delicate birdsong again, and the rustling of small animals scurrying out of sight. Everything on the common is now a clear, vivid emerald green, and save for a fisherman on Marklew’s Pond, I was alone. I love cycling along this boardwalk… covered by a green canopy, it feels otherworldly, and makes great noises as one rides over it’s ageing timbers.

May 18th – Derelict, abandoned and crumbling for as long as I’ve been cycling, Keeper’s Cottage on Footherley Lane refuses to actually fall down. I first explored the shell of this building in 1982, and it has remained, unloved, ever since. It’s not the only derelict home in the area – there’s a boarded up bungalow on Lynn Lane and a row of similar terraced cottages in Footherley itself. All have been 3 decades empty. This is criminal. One assumes the same owner is responsible for all three.

May 18th – After a rainy, hard, grim day, returning home from Shenstone Station into the wind was hard work. The weather had brightened, however, and the sun was coming out. On the way to Footherley, along Hollyhill Lane, this path through a ripening crop of oilseed rape caught my attention. Leading to Footherley itself, the path is well used by walkers and locals alike.

May 17th – Exploring a bit more of the Arrow Valley cycle route in Redditch on the way to work, I took a trundle round the central lake in Arrow Valley Park. Home to a boat club and an outdoor centre, it’s clearly a popular, well maintained amenity, teaming with wildlife. 

It’s easy to knock the town, and I often do, but this route and park are wonderful, and a credit to their designers.

May 16th – another popular crop this year seems to be potatoes. A few weeks ago, I photographed this field belonging to Home Farm at Sandhills, freshly ploughed with Brownhills Church in clear view. The church is still visible, but the neat rows of spuds will soon be growing tall. I love the way the regimented green tramlines highlight the undulating contour of the field.

May 15th – Further into the same ride, I dropped through the lovely village of Weeford. It’s proximity to, and isolation caused by the nearby A38 puts many cyclists off coming this way. A new cycle & equestrian bridge and cycle route were constructed in 2005, yet few realise as it’s not on many maps yet. It really is a dream, and you never have to deal with the dreaded dual carriageway.