The Earlswood Festive Forage

Having brought up the WME blog chiliad with my last post, I'll thrust headlong into the next thousand entries via another tale of December derring-do. Festive Forages with a certain Nick Turpin have become a staple of my wintertime wanderings each year, and for the 2023 edition we've earmarked a prime dose of Earlswood exploration...

- 'Ginger' -

It's the morning of Friday 15th December 2023 as Nick and I convene under Ozzy the Bull's watchful gaze at Birmingham New Street station; the iconic Commonwealth Games beast is currently adorned with seasonal accoutrements including Pat Butcher-style bauble earrings. Keeping with the theme of public art, the first stage of our foraging brief involves a Snowdog search starting in Hurst Street to see 'Ginger' outside the Hippodrome. This particular pooch has been decorated like a gingerbread cookie with candy cane ears and tail.

- 'Bark The Herald Angels Sing' -

Our quest to find further canine characters takes us next to The Mailbox to discover 'Sparkle' (glossy white with a silvery snout) and thence to the Bull Ring where 'Bark The Herald Angels Sing' awaits, complete with depictions of cherubic carol singers. Unavailability of train crews is causing some disruption on the line to Stratford-upon-Avon via Shirley so our Earlswood ideas need to be put on hold momentarily. We can however catch a train as far as Whitlocks End and set about covering our planned Wythall walk as a workaround solution.

- Hooray for Hollywood? -

I say Wythall but I suppose we actually cover the neighbouring communities of Hollywood and Drakes Cross instead, although they kind of all blend into one mass anyway. It has to be said that Worcestershire's version of Hollywood is nowhere near as glamorous as its Los Angeles namesake and although Nick has something of a royal resemblance he wouldn't really pass for an A-list celebrity. May Lane seems to be where some of the local amenities are based (a pharmacy, a fish bar and Lacey's craft butchers for example) although Shawhurst Lane is where you'll find Coppice Primary School, Woodrush High School and a community hub.

- Dabbling with Drakes Cross -

There aren't any pubs particularly close to Wythall railway station so the two we try out are both at least a mile away at Alcester Road intervals. The Packhorse might have a coaching inn pedigree but these days is a fairly standard Sizzling effort, admittedly lively enough with a steady stream of regulars, whereas the White Swan at Drakes Cross is a Stonehouse carvery attracting peckish pensioners. We have a half of Guinness in each establishment just to say we've been while Nick's mind boggles over the prospect of ordering either a Hot Mess or a Dirty Dawg off the Packhorse menu, never mind the invitation to pimp a brownie. Our wider Drakes Cross sightseeing then incorporates a small war memorial obelisk, a vintage granite mileage marker and a shopping parade - all useful finds!

- A Santa Smile in the Red Lion -

The earlier train staffing issues have now rectified themselves and the 14:02 departure is on schedule, meaning we can proceed to Earlswood as intended. It's only a two minute journey on from Wythall - not even long enough to devour a pack of Mini Cheddars - and we're soon proceeding along Wood Lane to reach the Red Lion on Lady Lane. Compared to the previous two pubs this is a step up in class, hence Nick feels very much at home parading around in his knitted swan pullover and worryingly-erect Santa hat. We position ourselves by a well-stocked bookcase so as to partake of Timmy Taylor's Landlord, dodging diners haranguing the poor waitresses about a lack of barbecue sauce. 

- The Bull's Head -

Lady Lane lends itself to a towpath interlude whereby it's always good to sample some of the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal. The stretch from Bridges 16 to 19 has us hurdling muddy puddles in places but we make it to the Blue Bell Cider House at Warings Green undaunted; it perhaps isn't quite as rustic as we remember here but still well worth visiting and the Weatheroak Bees Knees ale is in excellent condition. After that, a short Lime Kiln Lane scurry conveys us to the Bull's Head for a spot of Thwaites hospitality. Earlswood may be a fair distance removed from the Ribble Valley yet the Yule Love It seasonal ale is on song and we're very impressed by the sturdy outdoor marquee which keeps us surprisingly warm.

- The Lakes at Dusk -

Had the Reservoir still been trading we'd likely have tried that for a finale but it's being readied for a 2024 Hickory's Smokehouse relaunch so that'll be that. We do have the not insignificant pleasure of seeing Earlswood Lakes at dusk though, Malt House Lane bisecting Windmill Pool and Engine Pool just as the last vestiges of daylight drop below the horizon. Together with Terry's Pool, these bodies of water were constructed as canal feeders and continue to act as suppliers to the Stratford Canal as well as important wildlife habitats. Last but not least, we pitch up at The Lakes railway station for our homeward connections; facilities are minimal and the platforms are short but the station is no longer treated as a request stop following the May 2023 timetable changes. All that remains is for Nick and I to wish you all a Merry Christmas!