Tag: waterway

#365daysofbiking Stopping the line

May 19th – A fairly short ride out on a grey but warm Sunday ffternoon took me to the incredibly busy Strawberry Cabin cafe in Hints for excellent tea and cake, and from there I dropped down to Fazeley on the old A5, and went to check out the old WW2 pillbox on the aqueduct over the Tame.

Pillboxes protecting bridges on the River Tame and Trent are a familiar sight even now, and they lie in various states of decay, little more than a historical curiosity one passes by without much thought – but this one has always fascinated me.

The stop line it formed part of was envisioned to confront the possible nazi invasion at the crossing points of the river, which would have formed a natural pinch point. So this could have been a vital component in the defence of the Realm.

Now it’s just a curious anachronism in a really sleepy, beautiful waterside spot. Thank heavens it was never needed.

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#365daysofbiking Now clear and still

May 16th – The green aura continues along the canal, with only blossom puncturing the seamless, endless bright emerald green copses and hedgerows between Walsall Wood and Brownhills.

I’m glad to note, however, that one patch of green seems to be fading and dissipating – the algal bloom that’s been present on the Brownhills canal for months.

It was perfectly natural, and is totally organic in nature – but it did look ugly, I must say. Now dying back, today Catshill Junction was fairly clear and millpond still – whereas for the past weeks it’s been like a bright green, unpleasant soup.

Nice to see clear water again.

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June 5th – This is an urban canal in the Black Country – Between Walsall and Darlaston, at James Bridge.

It runs past the site of what was one of the most polluting factories in Europe: James Bridge Copper Refinery.

The canal is green with water lilies, and dappled with yellow and white blooms from them; flag irises aggravate my hay fever but line the water margins. Two families of Canada geese promenade in the sun.

Not all change is for the worst.

May 3rd – On the way to work on a sunny morning, the canal in central Walsall was beautiful.

All the weeks and months of riding in the rain, cold and dark, dreaming of rides like this.

Yet again, another winter is survived and the warmer, longer days are here: Nature is greening, the weather is good and the light is upon us.

Always worth the wait.

March 1st – Cycling on NCN 535 between Witton Lakes and Brookvale Park, I noticed this culvert portal to the brook that flows through the lakes from Kingstanding to the Tame. This steelwork may look ugly and grim, but it’s a vital piece of environmental equipment: it’s called a Trash Screen and stops large items of debris from entering the culvert and causing a blockage where it would be difficult to extract. The grid traps litter, flotsam and jetsam, and can be removed easily by technicians, even in heavy flood conditions.

In the weather we’ve had, clearing trash screens is a major job for councils and the Environment Agency. Often unpleasant, but very, very necessary.