The Hunt for the Red Admiral

Inspiration for my outings can take many forms - a half forgotten memory from years ago, a chance conversation, a puzzling picture or sometimes a post on someone else's blog. On this occasion it was an Express & Star article that prompted me into action by mentioning the proposed closure of a pub I must admit I'd never heard of - it was therefore time for Stephen and I to get grappling with Great Barr...

- Commemorating the Colliery -

The mysterious Red Admiral is the watering hole in question and Mr Beardsmore is on hand to join me for a trip that sounds like something akin to a spy novel. We begin at Hamstead Station, plodding forth for a look at Hamstead Village where the Beaufort Arms and the Colliery Memorial merit some attention. The commemorative coaltruck stands proud on the junction of Hamstead Road and Old Walsall Road, recalling the fateful mining disaster that claimed 26 lives in March 1908.

- Gorse Farm Bridge -

Further along Old Walsall Road and the Piercy Aqueduct marks our approach onto the Tame Valley Canal. We're only walking a brief section today but it's long enough to spot a majestic grey heron and to ponder the fishing potential among the lily pads. Spouthouse Lane Aqueduct is also encountered before we reach Gorse Farm Bridge, a turnover structure that connects the adjacent estates either side of the waterway.

- The Red Admiral -

One of those estates is our prime target as we venture deeper into Gorse Farm, spotting the grounds of Ferndale Primary School before we proceed along Gorse Farm Road. A leafy roundabout forms the centrepiece to an assortment of local shops (fish bar, off licence, rudimentary barbers and such like) with the scene also watched over by the remains of the Red Admiral. The pub has only recently shut down, hence the freshly-sawn nature of the wooden boards covering over the windows - what the future has in store for the building remains to be seen but at least it has now been deposited into the WME photo archive.

- Gorse Farm Wood -

Quite how the place had escaped my camera until now is one of life's quirks of fate as I distinctly remember visiting Gorse Farm Wood on one of my Monday Mission outings last year. The nature reserve is literally just the other end of Eastwood Road from the pub so it goes down as a case of so near but yet so far, although Stephen and I do at least enjoy an in-depth stroll through the wood this time around by way of compensation, even if the resident pool apparently doesn't meet the strict Beardsmore criteria as a potential fishing location.

- Princess Charlotte's Obelisk -

A Scott Arms shuffle then precedes another look at Red House Park where I'm keen to introduce Mr B to Princess Charlotte's Obelisk, a rare memorial paying tribute to the only daughter of the subsequent King George IV. Royal lineage and potentially the whole course of British history could have been totally different had the young princess not tragically died during childbirth in 1817. Her death provoked much national mourning at the time but she seems to have been largely forgotten over the centuries.

- Bishop Asbury's Cottage -

Weaving through the Grove Vale estate, we emerge onto Newton Road for a closing look at Bishop Asbury's Cottage. Asbury is considered an important figure in the growth of Methodism in America, and this humble dwelling was his childhood home - the cottage is now maintained as a museum by Sandwell Council whereby it hosts group visits by appointment and occasional open days. Across the road, the pub formerly named after the bishop is now a spice restaurant although Asbury's portrait still features on a sign that supplies our final photos of the day. A useful little outing!