Biddulph's Pool

On a round trip from Brownhills West Station. This was the first point where I could cross the track to get the sun on this side. The locomotive is carrying the NCB Western Area legend and is, I believe, North British 0-4-0DH No. 27876 of 1958. It is privately owned.

On a round trip from Brownhills West Station. This was the first point where I could cross the track to get the sun on this side. The locomotive is carrying the NCB Western Area legend and is, I believe, North British 0-4-0DH No. 27876 of 1958. It is privately owned.

Ambient light landscape format image, of part of public footpath through a wood. Rural public footpath leads ahead, curves left beyond the dark scrub to far left The gradual banking in front to the right, follows the paths curve. The surface of the ground is damp, sleet covered, hence the title. Beyond the close growing copse, is one of the Chasewater Park areas of water. Behind, is Norton East Road, Norton Canes.

Much abused, and filled (rather shonkily, frankly) with mortar after a recent repointing of the wall. The mark was last levelled by the OS in 1963 at 180.62m above Ordnance Datum Newlyn, but it's shown on the map of 1902 at 601.4ft Liverpool datum.

Looking north along Hednesford Road, towards Five Ways and Heath Hayes.

Located in a small park at the junction of Brownhills Road and Burntwood Road. Presumably a modern replica of an older traffic guidepost, as the arms indicate the direction of a series of schools, health centre, churches - rather than nearby towns. That said, the older maps of the area don't show 'GP' at this point, where the crossroads stood on top of the former Five Ways branchline of the LMSR.

An OS cutmark on the front wall of 59 Norton East Road, last levelled by the OS in 1963 at 149.59m above Ordnance Datum Newlyn.

Late evening mid August on the shoreline looking towards Chasewater Boat Club.

The track around the west side of the pool is behind the shrubby willows, left and centre. The path and the light railway cross the water right of centre.

They're used to humans but wisely keep a safe distance.

A foot crossing behind the bush is a way in to the Norton Lakeside Wildfowl Reserve.

* HISTORY OF THE RESERVOIR Originally the reservoir was known as Norton Pool, which was then crossed by an ancient salt way or pack horse track. On the south east side the dam was constructed in 1797 to create a feeder reservoir for the Wyrley and Essington Canal system. It is still used for that purpose today and opens into the Anglesey branch canal beyond the dam wall. The causeway was built in the 1870s as part of the mineral railway construction, linking the surrounding coal mines to the canal system. The trains took coal down the eastern side of Chasewater to the sidings in the Anglesey canal basin, where the former coal loading wharf still remains. The majority of the land you see on the north and west side of Chasewater developed as a result of reclamation schemes during the 1970s. Prior to that time the main path on the western side was a raised causeway much higher than the surrounding land. The low lying areas were filled in and then subsequently covered with topsoil, seeded and planted with trees. North of the railway line the area known as Norton Bog was actively mined until the 1950s. On the skyline beyond, the remains of Bleak House open cast coal mine can just be seen, where mining ceased as recently as 2000. Both sites were left scarred with shale heaps which have been reclaimed into the rolling hills you see today. These areas are now part of a major heathland restoration project. HABITATS Jeffrey’s Swag, to the northwest of the casuseway, is a good bird refuge throughout the year. Birds to be spotted include coot, moorhen, mute swan, great crested grebe, mallard and goldeneye ducks. The Swag is important for nesting birds and it is vital this area remains undisturbed and that visitors stick to the paths alongside the railway and the embankment of the former railway line. The lakeside plants, known as marginals, around Jeffrey’s Swag and the northern tip of the main reservoir provide nesting cover. These plants consist of yellow flag iris, amphibious bistort, bulrush and common club-rush. Dragonflies and damselflies are frequently seen throughout the summer. Watch out for common darter, ruddy darter, common hawker, broad bodied chaser and the largest, the emperor dragonfly. Common blue damselfly, azure damselfly and blue-tailed damselfly can also be seen in good conditions. Text of Lichfield District Council’s on-site interpretive sign.