Winter in West Wolverhampton

I've commented before that one of lockdown's rare joys is being able to record the changing of the seasons in my little corner of Wolverhampton. Having accounted for springtime blossoms, summer sunshine and autumn's golden hues, the natural cycle of the year now brings forth the icy blast of winter...

- Willow Pond -

I haven't ventured very far at all during January, preferring to stay close to home whenever cobbling together my occasional pieces of photography. Wintry weather has certainly been my inspiration of late, including on Thursday 7th when a hoar frost combined with moody mists to give the Smestow Valley Nature Reserve an extra layer of eeriness - it felt as though a ghostly apparition could skate across the ice-topped waters of Willow Pond at any moment. 

- Smestow Valley Snow -

Sunday 23rd January saw the arrival of significant snowfall so I once again headed for the chilly tranquility of Smestow Valley, taking in the shrouded spectacle where the former Environmental Centre used to be. Children with sledges (or in one case an ironing board) were keen to make the most of the white stuff, gleefully hurtling down the hillside or building snowmen complete with the statutory carrot nose.

- Old Nursery Pond -

A soft hush had descended upon Old Nursery Pond which - like Willow Pond nearby - has given me a steady supply of pictorial content over recent months. On this occasion the reeds were draped with snowflakes while the background trees had a skeletal quality, quietly watching on as the skies threatened further flurries. Thankfully I made it back home before the next batch of blizzard came along. 

- Castlecroft Gardens -

Much of the snow was still lingering on Monday 24th, enticingly tempting me into a little circuit covering Finchfield and Merry Hill. Crisp lunchtime sunshine smiled down as I surveyed Castlecroft Gardens, a model residential development first conceived in the 1920s by the Canadian builder Major Kenneth Hutchinson Smith. Timber framing is to the fore in giving the arts and crafts houses a chocolate box appeal that would later result in conservation area designation by Wolverhampton Council. 

- The Merry Hill -

Tiptoeing my way via The Avenue and Bellencroft Gardens, I reach Merry Hill roundabout where several routes converge (Bhylls Lane, Coalway Road and Langley Road among them). A longserving Trysull Road landmark here is the Merry Hill pub, currently part of the Mitchells & Butlers 'Sizzling' brand; the bus stop outside has been a timing point for many years, served by routes such as the 513, the 4 and nowadays the 15. 

- Farewell from a Frozen Friend -

Woodland Road leads me then to The Coppice, a patch of preserved woodland complete with a snow-capped log pile or two. Last but not least I call in on Meadow Road in order to make the acquaintance of a certain scarf-wearing snowman - despite all the difficulties of the Covid pandemic, it's always good to finish with a smile. Cheers!