Tag: bridge

#365daysofbiking A taste of honey

June 6th – On the way home, I noticed the handsome, sprawling honeysuckle that grows along the railings on the southern flank of the Black Cock Bridge in Walsall Wood are in full bloom now.

Sadly, someone will be along to clip this back like a hedge soon, they always do when in flower and that always puzzles me.

It remains lovely though, and it tumbles down the embankment in the pasture below, a haven for bees, bugs and passing cyclists who adore the scent.

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#365daysofbiking Locked out

May 21st – On a late journey to work following a meeting near home earlier, I tried to get on the canal at Smith’s Flour Mill, on the New Walsall Ring Road – but I was thwarted by…. A flood.

I’ve noticed this happen here before: Someone leaves both paddles open on the lock above and I don’t think the overflow sluice next down the line – the lowest in the Birchills flight – can handle it. As a consequence, the pound between floods under the bridge.

The cause  appeared to be inexperienced boaters who were in the lock above, looking a bit helpless.

I contacted the Canal and River Trust local team who came and sorted things out.

At least it should clean some of the detritus of the path under the bridge…

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#365daysofbiking Chilled out

May 18th – On a quiet afternoon following the busy and better than expected Brownhills canal festival (pictures on my main blog here) I slipped out for a circuit of Brownhills after some mechanical fine tuning.

It was grey, but warm and pleasant with little wind. My favourite tree at Home Farm, Sandhills visible as a landmark across the fields from Catshill is in blossom. Such a joy to see. Bet there will be a good crop of conkers this year.

Further up, the mystery family of swans that appear to have nested beyond public sight near Freeth Bridge, Newtown were resting in a canalside garden – family of 8 clearly doing well. Lovely.

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#365daysofbiking Major artery

May 12th – Another long ride out exploring west towards Coven, Brewood and Lapley, on a bad, but not awful stomach was hard work, but I’d decided to revisit Lower Avenue, site of the astounding bridge of the major canal artery, the Shropshire Union Canal.

I wasn’t disappointed and it was worth the effort.

The bridge – built for access to Chillington Hall was originally part of a long, well maintained avenue of trees now split into upper and lower; lower is publicly accessible and now woodland with this stunning centrepiece, giving an air of genteel decline.

I dropped down on to the canal below and rode to Lapley, crossing the Telford-constructed Stretton Aqueduct. The view of this beautiful, limpid green waterway were wonderful, soothing and very enjoyable.

At this time of year, Staffordshire is at it’s finest. Get out there if you can.

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#365daysofbiking Multiplication

May 7th – On a grey, cold and very un-springlike morning, real delights on the way to work: Cygnets from what I believe must be the Watermead swans near Clayhanger Bridge and similarly young goslings near Bentley Mill Way aqueduct in Walsall.

Such a delight to see new life and proud, protective parents.

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#365daysofbiking Demolition, man

April 20th – I didn’t think anything could annoy me on such a beautiful day. I didn’t counter for the absolute jobsworthyness of Derby County Council employees at their most officious.

At Longcliffe near Brassington, in an accident with a too-tall HGV the previous Wednesday a bridge had been completely wiped out under the High Peak Trail – clearly not the fault of the authority who moved quickly to make it safe and fence off the danger.

On this sunny holiday Saturday, the trail was busy with riders enjoying the sun. Was there a posted diversion? Was there heck. Nothing. Asking at the trail centre at Middleton Top I was told ‘I’m sorry I’m not allowed to offer advice on bypass routes’ immediately after them asking if the y could help me.

At the site itself, an officious, pompous man from the council informed me that there was absolutely no way around and I should go back from where I came. Looking at the map I found an easy public right of way off the trail and a way back on a couple of hundred yards further up.

Derbyshire Country Council, the High Peak Trail is one of your tourist earners. Cyclists come from miles around to ride it. Had this been a road, a diversion would be in place within an hour. On this you were rude, unhelpful, officious and useless.

Get a grip.

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#365daysofbiking Going green

April 12th – Returning home was hard tonight. Tired, into the wind, and again, that biting, horrible windchill finding every slightly undone zip and gap in clothing. I ached, my body was weary and mentally, I was on my limits.

Just to get out of the traffic and find a bit of peace, I took to the canal between the Black Cock Bridge and Pier Street. Resting a while at Catshill Junction, I noticed how much greener everything was.

I was nearing home. Rest, food, and copious mugs of tea were within sight. Spring is carrying on despite the cold and it’s going to be gorgeous when the warmth finally arrives.

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#365daysofbiking Quiet and still

April 6th – Nipping up to Chasewater after a day of bike maintenance and cleaning. It was a dull but clear afternoon that felt more like late October than April. Still cold, at Ogley Junction it felt very quiet and still.

I note the factories were quiet too – unusual really – they used to run right over the weekends. I hope this isn’t a sign of trouble ahead.

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#365daysofbiking Haunted

March 30th – I had to nip to Walsall at noon. I was tired from a very demanding week, but the weather was nice and the riding surprisingly easy.

I don’t mind Walsall these days – I long ago resolved my conflict with my memories and learned to embrace the place anew. It’s never been a bad town. It’s just that many who live here hate it because it isn’t the same as when they were young.

Of course it isn’t – all places change, and what folk resent is not the change in the town, but the change in themselves, I find.

I pushed my bike up Church Hill and admired the view, I plodded around the town below aimlessly but enjoying it immensely. I stopped for coffee in the sun. Then out on the canal to call at Sainsburys in Reedswood, where I noticed the last (nearly) whole remnant of Reedswood Power Station – the old pedestrian bridge over the long gone railway, now orphaned and fenced out of use between a pub and and the retail park.

Walsall is haunted by it’s own past, let alone the half-imagined one it has projected upon it.

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#365daysofbiking Feeling flush

 

 

March 11th – I had time to spare so hopped onto the restored canal at Droitwich for a mooch. Just under the railway bridges in the last entry, I noticed this relic of the Ordnance Survey.

Flush Bracket 480 is one of a range of such brackets intended as mapmaker’s datums, the slots in which were for mounting surveying equipment at a known datum – in this case 28.7490m above sea level (the Newlyn Datum).

Now redundant as cartographer’s aids, these are more a historical curiosity than anything else, but I still get a buzz from spotting them in the wild.

You can find out more about this one here.

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