- Welcome to Doxey -
Saturday 19th March will supply the fourth of my annual Stafford specials and this time around I'm going to dedicate the morning to Doxey. After catching the 9:41 train from Wolverhampton, I muster the mandatory Victoria Park pictures of springtime flowerbeds and WG Grace's bowls statue. The terraced sidestreets around the Railway Inn then project me onto Doxey Road as I bear west of the town centre, passing the Rugby Club drive and over the railway line. Doxey declares itself to be a separate village - in fact it was listed as Dochesig in the Domesday Book - so I'm intrigued to see what features await me.
- The former Doxey Arms -
The Chevron Car Centre isn't a bad start, its garage forecourt populated with decommissioned ambulances, before I spot the telltale hallmarks of a lost pub up by The Crescent. Blackened beams and doorway lanterns are clues that this building used to be the Doxey Arms, one of two local watering holes that are no longer operational - the other was the Three Tuns which stood on the corner with Bradbury Rise but was demolished several years ago. Village shops also seem to be relatively scarce despite the presence of a fish bar and a convenience store, although Bradbury Rise does contribute its own little minimart too.
- Doxey Primary School -
The main bus route covering Doxey is the number 12, currently operated half-hourly by Select Bus Services. The terminal loop utilises Greensome Lane so I have a mooch around by Fern Drive and Conway Road, wondering if there might be a footpath through onto Doxey Marshes Nature Reserve but I can't see one. Emerging onto Doxey Road once more, I pick out two further photo targets, namely St Thomas & St Andrew C of E Church (distinctively pointy and dating from the mid 1970s, it is upstaged by the old cottage next door) and the local primary school. It's been a very interesting hour, seeing a part of Stafford I hadn't ever visited before.
- The Isabel Trail near Eccleshall Road -
Heading back towards the town centre, my plan now is to bear northwards by intercepting the Eccleshall Road. A leisure walkway close to the rugby ground offers a handy shortcut and on closer inspection turns out to be part of the 'Isabel Trail', flanking the eastern edges of Doxey Marshes and crossing the River Sow near a large cemetery. The footpath follows the course of the disused Stafford to Uttoxeter Railway, a line which hosted passenger services from 1867 to 1939 and had intermediary stations at Stafford Common, Salt & Sandon, Ingestre, Chartley and Grindley. There is definitely more walking potential here, even if I just do the stretch up to Beaconside, but on this occasion I exit at Izaak Walton Street.
- St Bertelin's Church, Holmcroft -
Sticking to my Eccleshall Road guns, I home in on Holmcroft to add to the pictures I gathered in 2018. The weather is vastly improved this time around and St Bertelin's Church is bathed in morning sunshine as I note a scout hut, a kiddies play area and a riot of golden daffodils. Add in a branch library, the Stafford North End Community Centre plus an eponymous roadhouse pub and there's a lot to keep my camera occupied. Elsewhere, the principal access to the aforementioned Doxey Marshes reserve is via the car park off Wootton Drive; managed by the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, the site comprises over 300 acres of wetland, grassland and coppice that together form an important breeding ground for many bird species.
- The Luck Penny, Trinity Fields -
I've nearly reached the M6 Junction 14 roundabout but I turn off just shy of the intersection so that Crab Lane can introduce me to the Trinity Fields estate. The resident box boozer here is the Luck Penny, promoting At The Races tv coverage and boasting a rather shiny extraction pipe. I've earned myself a pit stop and therefore check out the nicely original 1960s front bar over a pint of Carling and a pack of scratchings - there aren't many other punters in to watch the Villa v Arsenal early kick-off so I hope it gets busier later in the afternoon. Similarly quiet is the Shire Horse near the Mustang Drive Business Park, nestled in the shadows of a sizeable Screwfix Distribution Centre. Normally I can't get remotely enthusiastic about Chef & Brewer (Greene King) establishments but there is something enjoyable about sitting in a sunkissed beer garden with the wind ruffling your hair, even if the £3.75 IPA isn't up to much!
- A 'Chocolate Corker' Conclusion -
Generally satisfied with that double dose of lunchtime refreshment, I steadily make my way along the A34 Stone Road where a Pat Collins funfair has set up camp on The Common - the glorious weather means they're all set for a bumper turnout with lots of excitable youngsters already in attendance. Cloudless skies have meant the emphasis has been very much on photography rather than beer this trip although I do allow myself a couple more pints once back in Stafford. The Greyhound by the Gaol can always be relied upon for quality cask and doesn't disappoint, supplying the magnificently malty Bradfield's Irish Dexter while keeping me entertained with its gallery of canine-themed illustrations. Following that is a tough ask but Ye Olde Rose & Crown ably steps up to the plate care of Joules's seasonal 'Chocolate Corker' brew, a fitting finale with some bonus Six Nations action to boot. Cheers!
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