August 18th – I left the house in the early evening to get some shopping in and pick up a takeaway. On my return, I crossed Chasewater. It’s really filling up now, and the recovery continues. The depth gauge on the pier now is only about 500mm clear of the water, and slowly, inexorably, the water is reclaiming the reed-beds and willows that populated the dry bed. I’d forgotten the joy of seeing a fine sunset reflected in the lake surface. Majestic.
August 12th – rounding the bend in the canal opposite Brownhills Canoe Centre, I noticed some debris on the towpath under the hazel thicket that’s grown so well there in recent years. Taking a closer look, I realised that the detritus was partially eaten hazel, or cob nuts, stripped by hungry squirrels. These are a fine, nutritious snack for our furry pals, and birds and foxes will Hoover up the remainder. I always wondered why I’d never seen these bushes fruit…
August 12th – Computer bother kept me busy all day. I’m a mac user,and one of the really great things about Apple macs is that they don’t often let you down, but when they do, it’s a major pain. I spent the day recovering from backups and generally being stressed. At sunset, I ventured out for a ride to let off steam. I took a look around Clayhanger Common and the pond at Clayhanger in a gorgeous, misty golden hour. There was a partial temperature inversion, and a peculiarly concentrated mist hung over the meadow near the old railway embankment. A very ethereal evening indeed.
August 11th – Oh my, the Autumnal signals are coming thick and fast now. Just as Home Farm are harvesting their wheat crop at Sandhills, I notice the hedgerow laden with brambles, both blackberry and dewberry. The dewberries, like those above, tend to come first – their fruit is slightly larger, less firm and has less globes than the smaller, sweeter blackberry. Soon this hedgerow will be laden with black fruit, a feast for birds, foxes and me, too. I do like a blackberry and apple pie…
August 11th – An afternoon recovery ride around Chasewater and Lichfield to keep my legs moving. At the canal by Catshill, there appears to be a film on the water. It always concerns me when I see this, as folk tend to think it’s pollution: it is, and it isn’t. It’s perfectly natural, and not man-made. The film is fibrous seed matter from thistles, willowherbs and other wind-seeding plants.
An odd phenomena that soon passes.
August 9th – Teasels are a relatively new addition to the flora of Brownhills, I never used to see them as a kid. I think when Clayhanger Common was seeded after landscaping, teasels – in this case common or Fuller’s – spread from there to the immediate commons. Here at the old cement works bridge, over the Wyrley & Essington canal at The Slough, they’re growing on the trail edges of the former railway line in abundance. They derive their name from their use – as a comb in fabric processing, used to tease or raise the nap or fluffiness of materials like felt and wool.
They’re a lovely, fascinating wildflower. It’s good to see them spread.
August 9th – Today, I had time to myself. I spent it servicing my bikes, as tomorrow, I’m heading off for a long ride. Going for a late afternoon test run, I found my way to the canal at Brownhills. Standing on the Pier Street Bridge, I noticed how the locals were out in the sun – strolling, boating, sitting by the water. This spot could be so much nicer if the marina was maintained properly, but just to stand here, sun on my back and gaze for a while, was fine enough. Hello summer, I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced…
August 4th – I spun up round the cycleway on the old railway, and at the old cement works bridge over the canal at The Slough, the heavens opened. I sheltered under the bridge for 20 minutes, then made a dash for home. The canal – like the town – was deserted save for the odd heron. As the sky above changed from a threatening black to a friendlier blue and sunset red, it lit Brownhills up in the most wonderful, cinematic fashion.
Man, I love this place.
August 4th – Barely time for a ride today, but I snatched one in the dying light of the evening. It was a grim evening, and we’d had heavy rainstorms throughout the afternoon. The sky was alternately light and dark, threatening another deluge with bands of bright blue coming through. At Coppice Lane, the small, automated pumping station in Birch Coppice was clearly swamped and unable to cope; the access hatch in front had water gushing up through it. It was flowing back down the lane and forming a large flood.The weather this summer really has been lousy.
August 3rd – Chasewater was as stunning as ever, and I thought I’d do another level update for @xswardy, who’s desperate to get back to waterskiing here. I can’t get over how much things are improving. There are no longer separate pools, and the level is only about half a metre from the bottom of the gauge on the pier. Trouble is now, with every added centimetre, the volume to fill is increasing hugely. Whilst the north of the lakebed is filling up, the shallows here are massive and will take a lot of rain to fill. Still, it’s going much better than expected.
BrownhillsBob's #365daysofbiking 