Forge Lane – BrownhillsBob's #365daysofbiking

July 30th – Passing through leafy, upmarket Mill Green on the way to work, I noted that the large abandoned house on the corner of Forge Lane looks to have reached the end of the line. Abandoned for years, I never found out how a very large, modern family home on the outskirts of Little Aston comes to fall derelict, and I now doubt I ever will, but the property was for sale for ages and was finally procured by developers a year ago.

Since then the surrounding scrub has been cleared, and a small bungalow built in the back garden. In the last couple of days, a large excavator has appeared which I suspect may demolish the house.

It’s nice to see something being developed on such an abandoned site, but one does wonder what happened.

A mystery.

December 16th – This huge house in Mill Green has been empty for years, and had piqued my interest ever since I first noticed it on the corner of Mill and Forge Lanes. It’s huge, and must, when in good condition, have been worth a lot of money.

I’ve always wondered how such a property – in quite an exclusive area – comes to be derelict. There’s a story there, but I’m not even sure I want to know it, and attempts to find out have never been successful.

The gardens and hedges – long since overgrown – have now been cleared, I noticed as I cycled past. There has been outstanding planning permission to demolish the place and build another house for a while. I suppose work will soon start.

A mystery.

April 29th – There’s a lovely old house on the corner of Forge Lane anfd the Walsall Road in Little Aston. Sheltering under a huge pine tree, imaginatively named “The Cotaage’ is a lovely, well-maintained landmark on the busy road from Aldridge to Sutton. But what I really like about it at this time of year is the gorgeous lilac creeper – I think it’s Wisteria.

Beautiful, even passing by on an overcast Tuesday evening in rush hour…

March 11th – And at the other end, a trip from Blake Street through the backlanes for a change. A fine evening, a fine golden hour. The same sun that shines on inner city Aston shines on the country byways of rural Lower Stonnall, and just as beautifully.

January 6th – It was a beautiful morning, but with a heavy, harsh southwesterly wind. It took me longer than usual to cycle to the station, and I ducked through the backlanes to get there, the high hedges offering some shelter.

As far as the wind would allow, the air was soft and very slightly misty, and it made the countryside of South Staffordshire look beautiful in the watery sunlight.

I saw these trees in Forge Lane and recalled Joni Mitchell’s line ‘Trees are shivering in a naked row’.

Here’s to less aggressive weather for a while…

November 18th – I left for work a little early today, I took the backlanes for a change. Despite the grey, overcast weather, they were beautiful in late autumn colours. A good wind now, and these trees will be stripped of their last leaves.It really is gorgeous out there at the moment.

August 14th – Spotted at Little Aston – the first ripe blackberries of the year. Note the tighter structure. These are a little hairy, and I suspect they’re a hybrid, but the fruit was firm and smelt divine.

There’s an absolute feast out there at the moment. Never seen fruiting like it.

May 15th – It was a dreadful commute on the way to the station this morning – driving rain, cold, windy. When I got to Redditch, the rain had lessened, but conditions were still challenging.

What a difference, then, when I emerged in the afternoon sunlight. The rain had gone, skies were blue and apart from an unpleasant westerly wind, it was a joy to cycle the backlanes home. Beware, though, if using Forge Lane in Little Aston tomorrow. There’s a tree fallen over the road near the old mill. Most cars would pass OK, but if you’re in a 4WD or van it might be difficult.

October 24th – The grim weather continues. Every commute is an effort this week – really poor visibility coupled with slippery, greasy roads and a fine, penetrative drizzle that soaks everything. I just want a clear, bright, cold day for a change. It’s also really, really difficult to take photos. The exposure on the camera slows down to sub-handheld speeds, and pictures are washed out and grey, just like the landscape.

Passing the junction of Forge Lane and Walsall Road, this is the old village of Little Aston, before the money moved in. These cottages, behind the venerable scots pine, are very old indeed. Just up forge lane, the original smithy still stands, up until a couple of years ago, still a blacksmith’s sop. Even on a grey day, it’s an attractive place hinting at a more rural past.

July 19th – After a terrible, lost day, it was a joy to come home through the countryside of Little Aston and Lower Stonnall. It’s funny how on some days, you see lots of other cyclists, and on others, none at all. This was one such day. This cheery chap bid me a hearty ‘hello!’ as I cruised down the hill at the end of Forge Lane. Surprising, really, given the hill he was winching himself up…