Tag: empty

October 15th – Sometimes, all you want to do is tear up the trails and get rid of the pressures of the previous days, and on a borrowed 29er, that’s exactly what I did.

It’s amazing how, late on a Sunday afternoon with dusk encroaching, the Chase is deserted, as if most of the bikers, dog walkers and explorers are only fair-weather friends. But this period – with empty trails, beautiful subdued colour and a wealth of fungi, flora and wildlife, is a magical time.

I crossed Rainbow Hill to Birches Valley, then up Penkridge Bank to Rifle Range Corner, down Abrahams Valley to Seven Springs, back to Stepping Stones, up the Sherbrook Valley and back via Brindley Heath, much of it in peaceful darkness.

Flowing down the trail, hearing owls, dear and startling rabbits and badgers, a fantastic evening ride that was just what I needed to refresh my jaded mind.

July 2nd – Out on a long ride I was sad to note that the Meynell Ingram Arms in Hoar Cross – refurbished at huge cost after a previous closure – is still empty and gently decaying.

I thought it had closed relatively recently, but it closed without explanation in 2014, and has been vacant ever since. The last refurbishment was extensive, and must have cost a lot: outdoor ‘dining pods’ and other gimmicks apparently failed to pull the punters when perhaps more concentration on service and quality would have been more beneficial. A look at Tripadvisor is informative.

The establishment has had a chequered history and it’s current ownership and any plans for it are unknown.

This is a lovely country pub in a beautiful valley that would make an ideal real ale house with decent, basic food, and it’s so sad it can’t find an owner who loves it.

A real shame.

October 11th – Crossing the Shire Oak Junction and heading down to Brownhills at dusk is a sadder experience of late.

The Shire Oak Pub – recently refurbished at no little cost – closed some weeks ago following poor public reception and has yet, despite assurances of people who apparently knew what was going on, to reopen, and stands in total darkness.

The lights of this landmark used to shine out in the darkness and often be like a welcome as I crested the last hill into Brownhills form a day at work, or long ride out. Not any more.

Let’s hope it reopens soon. It could be a great house.

March 16th – The old Effluent Disposal/Leigh Environmental/Sarp/Veolia site in Walsall Wood, itself formerly the Walsall Wood Colliery remains empty, but secure. This once controversial plant, where huge quantities of industrial waste were poured into a former mineshaft deep under Walsall Wood, was often the seen of protest and trouble, then when dumping stopped here, it was laboratories and main offices. The plant flipped between a few companies over the years, and the last one – Veolia – moved to larger, new build premises a few years ago in Cannock.

The site is very secure, with caretakers living on site, and seems to be just quietly decaying.

There was talk of a food company buying these premises and moving production here, but I think they must have realised the former use probably wasn’t conducive to good customer feeling, and the place is still like a set from Day of the Triffids.

I would imagine this plant will be quite hard to sell.

February 2nd – bright and cold, I cycled to work in glorious sunshine, and for a change, pottered through Alumwell’s backstreets. On the corner of Ida Road and Scarborough Road, I’ve just noticed this old, empty building. The Edward Shelley School closed a while back, and the site became part of Walsall College, which later closed it when the institution moved to new premises. I don’t have specific dates, and I’ve only noticed it recently because the thick hedgerows have been cut back. It’s a lovely building, and in very good condition; I’d love to know more about it.

I hope the sudden grounds maintenance is a precursor to reusing this place…

January 15th – also seemingly decaying unloved is the old Veolia plant on the Lindon Road on the border between Walsall Wood and Brownhills. Once a chemical waste disposal site, it started life as Effluent Disposal, and went through a number of incarnations before being purchased by Veolia, who’ve since built a new HQ at Cannock, leaving this place vacant.

It appears to have resident security on site, as one would expect.

There was talk of this place being converted into a food processing factory, which seemed bizarre, given the history. The site was up for sale for ages. It’s hard to think of what it could be next, really.

I imagine any estate agent has a challenge on their hands shifting this.

December 26th – I nipped out again in the evening. Crossing the tollroad bridge at Pool Road, I took a shot of a deserted M6 Toll. For quite a long time, there were no passing cars at all. So quiet.

It’s like a ghost-road. But then, everywhere was quiet, I don’t think I saw a soul. Christmas renders everywhere ghostly, I guess.

December 22nd – Last Thursday, I recorded the former Shoulder of Mutton pub, lathery a restaurant, as being boarded up and derelict. Things seem to move fast in these parts, as today when I passed, the pub wasn’t open, but the boards had been removed and lights were on.

Anyone have a clue whats going on?

Reader Andy Colman said in response to the original post:

I was just thinking that my abiding memory of this pub is the smell riding past it on club runs and then you stated the same thing. Maybe if we’d popped in from time to time ?

Andy, you’re probably right. The trouble I have is that often, I pass establishments like this, and The Trooper et al, and wonder if they’re still really pubs, and would they welcome a cyclist? It’s a bit of a vicious circle, I guess.

October 10th – Back in Walsall, I realised I was wrong; there is something awfully special about Walsall at night, too, but for deferent reasons. In Birmingham, It’s about the rush dying down, about the custom changing, about the shift from daytime economy to night time. In Walsall, it’s about empty, stone empty urban space. Places that in the daylight one doesn’t notice, or care about, but in the sodium light make a different, slightly threatening world.