Waterways Walks: Parkhead to Netherton

My occasional Waterways Walks series has gently roused itself into supplying another  towpath-based episode. This time around I will cast my explorational spotlight upon the initial reaches of the Dudley No. 2 Canal on a walk that culminates with a classic Black Country boozer...

- It's in there somewhere, honest! -

Mondays aren't a day I dedicate to being out and about all that often but the need to use up some annual leave prompts me into action on 25th July. The number 8 Wollaston Farm bus provides a direct connection from Wolverhampton to Holly Hall Road where I alight ready to reacquaint myself with a seminal canal location. Parkhead Locks are part of the Dudley No 1 Canal as it exits Dudley Tunnel's southern portal and descends towards the Delph. Pensnett Basin and the Grazebrook Arm flank either side of the main line but the mighty Parkhead Viaduct is encased in cladding during ongoing repair works. 

- Park Head Junction -

Three locks in quick succession bring me to Park Head Junction, the point at which the two Dudley Canals diverge. Sadly the old junction cottage has seen better days and is practically becoming derelict while Blowers Green Pumphouse seems to have lost its location lettering. Despite a supposedly dry weather forecast, an almighty downpour sends me scampering for shelter beneath the Dudley & Lye Waste Bridge - oh the glamour! When the rain eventually eases off again I can join the Dudley No. 2 at Blowers Green Lock, the balance beams still sodden with moisture. Blowers Green Bridge passes under Peartree Lane before the canal skirts the edges of the Narrowboat Way Trading Estate. 

- Blackbrook Junction -

Even with industrial units in close proximity, Blackbrook Valley does permit some scenic views looking out across lush greenery towards Netherton Parish Church. Blackbrook Bridge earns itself a handful of pictures and is soon followed by Blackbrook Junction as marked by a roving turnover footbridge. The actual junction aspect is no longer operational but historically boats could take a shortcut here along the Two Locks Line to Woodside, thus saving themselves from having to negotiate the full Blowers Green section. Alas the squall returns with a vengeance and some well-placed trees help to spare me from an unwanted soaking. 

- High Bridge -

The weather remains threatening as I proceed the short distance to High Bridge, which does what it says on the tin by towering over the cut from a great height. Originally this was the site of Brewin's Tunnel, a structure that was something of a short-lived bottleneck and got opened out in the 1850s to create the bridge we see today. The tunnel hasn't been forgotten though, not with an artistic panel to tell of its relatively brief existence. Indeed, the No. 2 towpath has been dotted with commemorative creations at regular intervals, pointing out many interesting details regarding the canal and its immediate surroundings

- St Andrew's Church Noticeboards -

I've still got more watery walking planned but I permit myself a High Bridge detour so as to collect snapshots of significant Netherton landmarks. Top of that list is St Andrew's Church, set within an extensive graveyard (which includes burials from the 1830s cholera epidemic) and dominating the local landscape. The church's associated primary school is just down the hill and I also note a cricket pitch plus clubhouse nearby. Immediately south of High Bridge is Lodge Farm Reservoir which acts as a watersports hub for Dudley Borough; the Lodge Farm estate meanwhile is a self-contained circle comprising Farm Road and Lodge Crescent with amenities such as Sam's Superstore and a Baptist chapel. 

- A case of dual identity? -

Returning to High Bridge once more, I arc below Netherton in an easterly fashion as the canal meanders between the back gardens of Copse Road and Bratch Close. Saltwells Bridge looks slightly ramshackle at Stoney Lane, then Primrose Bridge has a potential identity crisis on its hands having been daubed with famous 'Astle is King' graffiti over the years in honour of West Bromwich Albion's 1968 FA Cup Final goalscorer. Naturally I shouldn't approve of any mention of the Baggies being successful but this bridge has entered Black Country folklore so I'll put my Wolves allegiances to one side just this once!

- A Home Brewd Highlight -

My stroll is nearing its ultimate destination as Bishton's Bridge heralds the bend that offers access to Withymoor Island, a moorings arm populated with shimmering narrowboats. Griffin Bridge then acts as my Northfield Road exiting point and the back door of Ma Pardoe's awaits, beckoning me inside to partake of the delectable Bumblehole (the Olde Swan Brewery's 5.2% Best Bitter). The pub is a Netherton institution, one of only four home brewhouses left in the country back in 1974 and is still known after legendary landlady Doris Pardoe even though she passed away in the 1980s. Entire, Netherton Pale Ale (NPA) and Dark Swan are among the other fine ales brewed on the premises while the interior is a veritable time capsule with a warren of atmospheric rooms. Having supped two pints of nectar, I pause to admire the pub's iconic Halesowen Road frontage - complete with Pure Home Brewd Ales paintwork - and head home to Wolverhampton pleased with my day's work. Cheers!

Springing to Leek with Mr D9

Even after nearly twenty years of photographic activity, there are still parts of the wider Midlands region that I barely know. Take the Staffordshire Moorlands for example, an area I've neglected so much it forms a complete black hole in my archive. Leek in particular enjoys a glowing reputation as a prime pub destination so when Mr D9 suggested it for a Hub Marketing day out I literally jumped at the chance...

- Leek Bus Station -

I have to go way back to childhood Peak District rides to Buxton, Ashbourne and Dovedale for any previous encounters with Leek but even then any recollections are extremely hazy. The 11:14 train from Wolverhampton to Stoke gets us underway (complete with habitual D9 dash down Railway Drive past the tram extension works), before we wangle an instant Hanley link which brings the D&G number 16 route into play at midday. Availing ourselves of a £7 Knot ticket covering all of Staffordshire, we settle in for a sprightly jaunt via Bucknall, Ash Bank, Werrington and Cheddleton. Leek Bus Station turns out to be rather underwhelming, slapped on the side of a 1970s shopping precinct with minimal passenger facilities - even the closet is shut, much to the Chairman's considerable annoyance!

- The Nicholson War Memorial -

Time to get a few bearings as regards Leek Town Centre, proclaimed as the Queen of the Moorlands but living up to such a lofty title. Getting the grimness of the bus station out of our system, we admire the Nicholson War Memorial which was unveiled in 1925 and serves as the main town clock. Overlooking the same municipal square is the Talbot Hotel, which dates from 1878 and used to be a Banks's boozer prior to becoming a Premier Inn. The White Lion nearby is also no longer trading but we'll soon have active pubs in our sights, venturing along the A523 Ashbourne Road and passing the Well Street Gallery in a converted silk mill. 

- Masked Mischief in the Blue Mugge -

First up for our quaffing attention is the Fountain which we find tucked away next door to Leek Police Station. The cottagey feel is somewhat offset by a stern allover grey exterior but a Bass lamp offers a clue as to the delights awaiting within. Yes indeed, Secretary WME gets his wish for a prime pint of Draught Bass while the Chairman can savour his Burton Bridge Bitter and make the acquaintance of a bespectacled stuffed fox. If the Fountain had been a high class starter, we're blown away by the Blue Mugge on Osbourne Street. Nestled amongst a throng of traditional terraces, this is an unspoiled corner local par excellence with a hubbub of activity arranged around a central island bar. Her Majesty is so impressed she taste tests the Exmoor Ale although Mr WME is resolutely sticking with the Bass for the time being - superb!

- The Bald Spot lingers at Leek Library -

Those two tremendous taverns had taken us slightly out of town so we weave our way along Stockwell Street to undertake more sightseeing. A key discovery in this sense is Leek Library, based in the Nicholson Institute building with friezes depicting aspects of artistic endeavour. We pass the council offices as guarded by a reclining lion sculpture then ponder the quaint cobbled Market Square from afar, noting both the Red Lion and the Bird in Hand inns but not sampling their wares on this occasion. St Edward the Confessor's Church occupies a prime spot atop quite a hilly gradient, and the Green Dragon Wetherspoons is another watering hole that will go unvisited - there are so many to go at it's impossible to do everything. 

- The Church Street Closet -

One thing the Chairman is adamant we must investigate is the Church Street conveniences, an octagonally-shaped former toilet facility halfway down the hill - it isn't in active use anymore but the structure remains a distinctive feature at this end of town. From there we relocate to St Edward Street and the Wilkes Head, a Whim Ales outlet known for hosting live music festivals called 'Wilkestock' or 'Wilkestonbury'. We opt to make this our darting venue for the day albeit D9 Destroyer comes to regret that decision after suffering a 3-0 whitewash at the hands of WME Whirlwind; rumour has it the Secretary conjured up a genuine double 12 checkout with which to seal his victory. Respective pints of Hartington Bitter and IPA go down a treat as we enjoy the eclectic surroundings complete with Henry hoover, occasional cobwebs and a soundtrack that features Aneka's 'Japanese Boy'. 

- Cherry Porter in the Roebuck -

That number one hit from the summer of 1981 has a certain novelty value but is upstaged by our own silly song selections, whereby Mr D9's pick is Barbara Windsor (I'm Not That Kind Of Girl) while Mr WME unearths Binky Baker's Toe Knee Black Burn, a lyrical triumph containing just the same four words in varying combinations. Sheep Market and Derby Street lead us through the pedestrianised heart of Leek to find two more pubs that face each other across the pavements. The Cock Inn is run by Joule's and entices us in for a swift half of Slumbering Monk before we rustle up the Roebuck for some Titanic tipples; despite the Secretary's rather quizzical expression, I can confirm that the Cherry Porter was top notch!

- Benks, Stockwell Street -

As the clock ticks ever deeper into the afternoon, we retrace earlier footsteps to tick off a couple more places that weren't open at the first time of asking. Historically known as the Union Inn, Benks gets going from 3pm on Fridays and serves up yet more stunningly good Bass although the Secretary suffers a bout of vertigo when peering down into an old well, that'll teach him for being nosy! The Earl Grey also merits a mention back on Ashbourne Road, charming us with painted lettering and glimpses of ramshackle Amos garage gates. Leek has wowed us all day to be fair and topping things off is a classic old-fashioned chip shop on the junction of Fountain Street and Portland Street South; waiting outside as the chips finish frying feels like a communal event as eager folk join the teatime queue. 

- Hanley Handling with Woo Gary assistance -

All good things come to an end and sadly the time has come for us to leave Leek, although given the amount of stuff we weren't able to cover it's a surefire bet to suggest we'll return soon(ish). Our homeward steed is the number 18 bus operated by First Potteries, meaning we're getting good value from the aforementioned Knot tickets. After tracking the A53 through Longsdon, Endon and Baddeley Green, there's a bit of an estate wiggle come Sneyd Green to surface at the Sneyd Arms on the final run into Hanley. Once again we land an instant switch at Hanley Interchange, and the 25 is subjected to some reversing expertise as we trundle to Stoke Station and catch our Wolverhampton train. What a lovely day in Leek that was!

Lost Pubs from the WME Archives - Part 26

I've been so busy exploring lately that I haven't been able to dedicate very much time to matters of the West Midlands Exploration archives. Fear not folks, the pause button has now been released and we can ponder another five expired establishments from the Lost Pubs series...

- The Bay Malton -

Our opening specimen this time around comes not from the West Midlands at all but is instead an abandoned Altrincham hostelry spotted during my Bears on Tour cricket getaway last year. Previously a Thwaites tied house, the Bay Malton could be found near Oldfield Brow on the edge of town - its position close to Seamon's Moss Bridge made it particularly handy for the Bridgewater Canal, and I understand it is due to be converted into a private dwelling.

- The Grove Inn -

To the Ironbridge Gorge next where Coalbrookdale used to have two establishments pretty much directly opposite each other. The Coalbrookdale Inn is still trading (and is very much a personal favourite of mine) but the Grove Inn has fallen by the wayside despite its apparent liking for oven baked pizzas. Positioned atop the driveway down to Enginuity and the Museum of Iron, at the time of this 2010 photograph it contained a bar, guest accommodation and the Fat Frog restaurant. Despite all this it closed a few years later and is now a holiday let. 

- The Monkey House -

We're firmly back within the West Midlands remit for my third choice however, the Monkey House being a departed Banks's affair that served the Monmore Green and Parkfield portions of Wolverhampton. The building stood on Kent Road backing onto Dixon Street playing fields and began life as the Moulders Arms before upgrading its Monkey House nickname into its formal title during the 1990s. The Trinity Court Care Home now occupies the site. 

- The Springhead Tavern -

Dipping into Darlaston, let's remember a boozer I was rather fond of, at least during its brief spell as a Black Country Ales outlet. The Springhead Tavern was a slender cottage-type pub on the main A4038 Walsall Road where I first took pictures of it as a fairly average Banks's house. Alas Black Country Ales's involvement was relatively short-lived and the property has latterly been enlarged for private accommodation. 

- The Great Western -

Sometimes when getting photos of closed pubs I think there's a decent chance a place might reopen, but on other occasions you can instantly tell there's little hope of a resurrection. The above snap shows why Warwick's Great Western came under the latter camp, the building having suffered extensive damage during a devastating fire in August 2017. Sadly the situation was beyond repair and demolition was the only outcome, such a shame for a landmark that had stood next to the town's railway station since Victorian times. 

Trooping to Tardebigge with the Merry Monarch

The beer festival bandwagon is rolling into Bromsgrove and naturally Nick and I want to be there to see what's occurring, especially as we can combine our attendance with a splash of Worcestershire waterways walking. What's more, our resident royal can even muse about his liking for the Monarch's Way long-distance footpath - here comes the tale of the trip...

- Bromsgrove Station -

It's Friday 1st July 2022 and great news that the Bromsgrove Beer Festival has been restored to its customary slot on the summer schedule after Covid necessitated its cancellation in both 2020 and 2021. Nick and I meet at Birmingham New Street in readiness for the 10:50 train to Hereford, touching down in Worcestershire at around about quarter past eleven. Bromsgrove Station is a much-improved facility compared to when I first clapped eyes on it, with the 2016 rebuild now firmly bedded in and Cross City services terminating here every half an hour. The bus interchange outside offers links into a town centre which is still a fair old walk away.

- Monarch's Way at Finstall -

Nick and I will be doing some walking but the town is not our target - nope, we want to explore a stretch of the Worcester & Birmingham Canal at Tardebigge. Getting there requires usage of the Monarch's Way, a lengthy trail that reputedly charts the escape route taken by the future King Charles II when fleeing the Battle of Worcester in 1651. We pick up the footpath on St Godwald's Road, flank the railway line and then nip down the side of Bromsgrove Rugby Club (our festival setting for later) from Finstall into Stoke Cross. Dusthouse Lane takes over, passing Stonehouse Farm before we edge across fields to reach Alcester Road.

- Tardebigge Tunnel -

The village of Tardebigge has earned a certain notoriety in canal circles for being the location of the longest lock flight in the entire country. There are thirty narrow locks in total here and it is said to take somewhere in the region of four hours for boats to traverse from one end to the other. Our first glimpse of the Worcs & B'ham comes courtesy of Tardebigge New Wharf, a small marina and pumping-out station situated just below the southern portal of Tardebigge Tunnel; the tunnel itself is 580 yards long and dates from the early 19th century. Christening himself as the 'Merry Monarch' for the day, Nick is intending that we should investigate the whole flight but an unexpected heavy shower sets in and we need alternative plans. 

- Mad Goose at the Tardebigge -

Coming to our rescue is the Tardebigge pub which is stationed a little further along Alcester Road, albeit getting there still results in a minor drenching. We're soon able to dry off however in the comfort of an airy bar populated by lunching schoolmums and various prison wardens, HMP Hewell Young Offenders Remand Centre being not very far away. Bright floral wallpaper and dangly chandeliers are the other notable features as we listen to George Ezra (against Nick's will) and sup our decent halves of Purity Mad Goose. We wouldn't ordinarily have made a special effort to visit this one although the building has an interesting history having been constructed by the Earl of Plymouth in 1911 to serve as the Village Hall.

- St Bartholomew's Church -

Whilst we're in the area we might as well see what else Tardebigge has to offer, with the most definitive landmark being St Bartholomew's (otherwise known as the 'Church on the Hill'). The tall spire of this imposing place of worship dominates the landscape for miles around and will be a familiar sight to anybody regularly working the canal locks down below. Our visit happens to coincide with an assembly involving the adjacent Tardebigge First School, hence we are treated to infant voices singing a succession of hymns such as 'Give Me Oil In My Lamp' and 'Shine Jesus Shine' - it's simply magical to hear the songs and gaze out over the churchyard.

- Tardebigge Locks -

Our village detour has done the trick in terms of allowing the weather to improve, and we're now bathed in summer sunshine as we commence our curtailed descent of Tardebigge Locks. Top Lock (No. 58) is just beyond the wharf I mentioned earlier, and then the sequence really begins in earnest after Dialhouse Farm Bridge (London Lane). Of the thirty we cover a mere nine - not even a third of the complete length - but what we do see is enchanting countryside, the very essence of England. Several of the locks have accompanying cottages and for an amateur photographer such as myself it really is camera heaven! Our exit point is Bridge 54 (Grimley Lane) because we've got a beer festival we need to get to...

- A Tennis Elbow diagnosis -

Said festival as ever is being held at the Bromsgrove Rugby Club hence there's a massive marquee in situ beside the clubhouse and part of the wider pitches appear to have become an impromptu campsite. Armed with 'Yellow Pubmarine' Beatles-themed glassware and the all-important beer tokens, I work through a kaleidoscope of ales from pale (Backyard's Tennis Elbow) to golden (Platform 5's The Coaster from Torquay) to copper-hued (Teme Valley's Wotever Next) to dark (Strawberry Fields' Marmalade Skies Oatmeal Stout). Each of those proves very enjoyable but my favourite tipple is undoubtedly Byatts' Madagascar Stout thanks to its hefty thwack of coffee, chocolate and vanilla - gorgeous!

- The Merry Monarch goes international -

But what of our resident royal I hear you ask? Well Nick takes his role very seriously and thus embarks on a programme of international diplomacy. He starts off very much British care of Beowulf's Dragon Smoke Stout - always a favourite - but then progresses to Madagascar (that Byatts stout again), Ukraine (Ambridge Zenyk, brewed using aromatic Ukrainian hops) before finally landing in Brazil with a nod of Colchester's Brazilian Coffee and Vanilla Porter. That such globetrotting is all achieved from the confines of the rugby field is a very impressive effort indeed. With that we retire to the railway station for our homeward trains but it has been a truly excellent day, even with the vagaries of the English summertime. Cheers!

WME Flickr Focus - June 2022

Dearie me! - more blog posts should start with the words 'dearie me' in my opinion - we're halfway through 2022 already, how did that happen? June's transition into July means we're inching ever deeper towards high summer, those times of Glastonbury, Wimbledon and sun-baked test matches (weather permitting). The passing of another month means I'm also primed to bring you a photostream summary...

And which of my galleries is most eager for our attention in this instance? Why it's none other than WME Staffordshire which must have been bristling at my previous comments that it had been having a quiet year thus far. Not so anymore for it fashions together a mere 25 arrivals taking us from Orton (Showell Lane) to Penkridge (a viaduct view and a Covid mural) by way of Perton's Wrottesley Arms. A special shout out too for the Pendeford Mill Nature Reserve, overseen by Wolverhampton Council but geographically within South Staffs - from here I give you geese, pool panoramas and some car park signage.

No other gallery could compete with Staffordshire for sheer June accumulation although WME Wolverhampton put up a decent fist of a challenge. My Wolves whereabouts focused most closely on Oxley and Penn this month, hence the pictures of Cedar Grange Care Home, Oxley Links Road, Wells Road and Woodlands Walk. The Penn Fields Bowling Club brings back happy Hub Marketing memories of 'clubbing' (inverted commas definitely intentional) prior to lockdown and there are street sign glimpses from Palmers Cross and Parkdale too. 

After those two slugged it out for supremacy, there wasn't a fat lot left for my remaining contenders to fight over. WME Shropshire made a welcome return to prominence thanks to some Oswestry offerings comprising the Boars Head, the Oak Inn and the town's former Shropshire Star newspaper offices. Similarly the seldom-spotted WME Solihull managed to eke out two Saxon Knight artwork items outside Olton railway station, and other than that we've just got WME Walsall and the Queens pub in Pelsall. Enjoy the photos!