A Landywood Loop

Post number 900 on the West Midlands Exploration blog is finally here, and we've rolled out the big guns in order to properly celebrate such a milestone moment. Yes folks the Beardsmores are back as we embark on a gentle tour of Landywood, Cheslyn Hay and Great Wyrley...

- Inspecting the Wyrley Branch -

It's Friday 29th April 2022 - nearly sixteen whole years on from my very first blogpost - as Stephen, Mr B Senior and I board the Chaserider 71 at Heath Town for a journey into South Staffordshire. The route is quite twisty around Long Knowle and Essington before performing an extended wriggle around the estates of Great Wyrley (Wardles Lane, Telford Avenue etc). Cheslyn Hay is our alighting point so that we can a) catch glimpse of the Salem Church and its associated Sunday School, and b) join the remains of the Wyrley Branch Canal at the nature reserve off Dundalk Lane. 

- The last of the April blossoms -

The old canal used to run for 3.5 miles from Sneyd Junction to Great Wyrley Colliery and has been mentioned in previous blog dispatches. On this occasion we cover the section south to Strawberry Lane, passing stern 'No Day Ticket' missives from the Shifnal Angling Club. The various pools prompt fishing analysis from Beardsmores young and old as we try to pinpoint the location of Gilpins Basin. The lanes of Landywood then beckon, noting Upper Landywood Methodist Church (on Streets Lane) and then arcing past the Malt pub, a local snooker club and a primary school with Holly Lane ultimately emerging onto the A34 Walsall Road. 

- The Wheatsheaf, Walsall Road -

An hour's worth of leisurely walking interspersed with cricket score updates from Taunton (Warwickshire aren't doing well) brings us to the Wheatsheaf, a Greene King roadhouse with a hint of Brewer's Tudor about it. We decide to make this our lunchtime stop, hence we scour a Flaming Grill menu when plumping for respective skillets of Hunter's chicken or 8oz gammon, all served on a sizzling bed of chopped onions. Mr B Senior forgoes any barbecue sauce but there's no chance of him turning down a pint of John Smiths, and some Australian rugby union action from Perth helps take Stephen's mind off the Bears' woes in Somerset. 

- Landywood Station Sign -

It can be tricky these days to tell where Landywood stops and Great Wyrley starts, the two communities having almost become blended together over time. Wharwell Lane begins our post-lunch investigations, noting Harrison's Sports & Social Club with what appears to be an absolutely immaculate bowling green. Hilton Lane supplies us with St Andrew's Church (very 1970s I'd say) closely followed by Andys' Ale House micropub, setting for our second drink of the day. Nailmakers Clout Stout is the obvious choice of tipple for me here but Mr B Senior takes pot luck on whatever the other customers are having and ends up with a 5.5% glass of Dancing Duck's Abduction, significantly stronger than his usual preferences. Thankfully the ale meets with his approval and there's no lasting damage as we survey Landywood railway halt.

- Stephen champions Cheslyn Hay -

The last leg of our loop will take us full circle back to Cheslyn Hay via Landywood Lane and High Street. Stephen gamely models the village sign, stoically hiding his disappointment as we get further bad news about Warwickshire batting collapses, and there's quite a slope up past the Co-op to reach the Salem Church again. Our return 70 bus is due at twenty to five which gives us ample time to finish off in the New Talbot, a bustling community boozer just across from the war memorial obelisk. Enville Ale - or more John Smiths if you're Mr B Snr - helps us settle in among golfing notices and 1990s Premier League re-runs plus it's great to see a pub so lively on a Friday afternoon after all the travails of the pandemic. The bus home behaves itself and my 900th posting is in the bag - cheers!