Black Patch

Settlement in Staffordshire

England

Black Patch

Pyramid Tower, Handsworth Park This galvanised steel tower was designed by the Birmingham artist Pauline Bailey. The mandalas cut into the truncated pyramid roof were designed by Bailey in co-operation with local elders, mainly Bangladeshi women from a sewing group, who expressed their life journeys through these circular patterns as part of a project called Veranda Stories. See the website of Handsworth Creative <span class="nowrap"><a title="https://www.handsworthcreative.com/veranda-stories-pyramid-tower" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="https://www.handsworthcreative.com/veranda-stories-pyramid-tower">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span> .

In the distance can be seen The Sons of Rest Building, erected in the 1930s by a society of retired men. — Pyramid Tower, Handsworth Park Credit: A J Paxton

Black Patch is a small village located in the county of Staffordshire, England. Situated in the West Midlands region, it falls within the local government district of Cannock Chase. The village is nestled amidst picturesque countryside, offering a tranquil and serene environment.

With a population of around 500 residents, Black Patch retains a close-knit community feel. The village is primarily residential, with a scattering of small businesses and amenities, including a local convenience store and a traditional pub. The architecture of the area is a mix of old and new, with some historic cottages and farmhouses alongside modern housing developments.

The surrounding area of Black Patch is renowned for its natural beauty, making it a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts. The nearby Cannock Chase, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, offers vast woodlands, rolling hills, and diverse wildlife. This makes it a haven for walkers, cyclists, and nature lovers. Additionally, the village is conveniently situated near several other notable attractions, including the National Memorial Arboretum and Shugborough Estate.

Transport links in Black Patch are fairly limited, with the village being primarily accessed by narrow country roads. However, there are regular bus services connecting the village to nearby towns and cities. The closest railway station is Cannock, which provides connections to Birmingham and Stafford.

Overall, Black Patch offers a peaceful and scenic place to live, surrounded by nature yet within easy reach of urban amenities. It provides a perfect balance between rural charm and accessibility to larger towns and cities in Staffordshire.

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Black Patch Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 52.496599/-1.9457217 or Grid Reference SP0388. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

Pyramid Tower, Handsworth Park

This galvanised steel tower was designed by the Birmingham artist Pauline Bailey. The mandalas cut into the truncated pyramid roof were designed by Bailey in co-operation with local elders, mainly Bangladeshi women from a sewing group, who expressed their life journeys through these circular patterns as part of a project called Veranda Stories. See the website of Handsworth Creative Link

. In the distance can be seen The Sons of Rest Building, erected in the 1930s by a society of retired men.

A J Paxton

Handsworth Mandalas

The mandalas, circular patterns, have been laser-cut into the galvanised steel roof of the Pyramid Tower in Handsworth Park SP0590 : Pyramid Tower, Handsworth Park. They were designed by Pauline Bailey together with a group of older Bangladeshi women from the locality, who were reflecting on their life journeys as part of a project called Veranda Stories. The tower dates from 2017 and "has a meditative quality to it when standing or sitting underneath and viewing the sky through the patterns in the roof of the pyramid" according to the website of the Handsworth Park Arts Trail Link

A J Paxton

A pair of poplars, Handsworth Park

To the right, and nearer the viewer, stands a Lombardy poplar, with its distinctive fastigiate habit (branches upright and branched together), to the left beyond the bandstand can be seen a native black poplar; they are both coming into leaf in late April. Both are subspecies of the black poplar, Populus nigra.

A J Paxton

Pond, poplar and bandstand, Handsworth Park

Handsworth Park is a late 19th century public park, formerly known as Victoria Park, and now managed by the city of Birmingham, with active support from voluntary groups. For more on its history, see the Historic England site Link

. Here we see a fine black poplar coming into leaf in late April and reflected in one of the park's two large ponds. The tree is a wild black poplar, Populus nigra subspecies betulifolia, according to the Woodland Trust tree inventory Link

. This is the native black poplar of Britain and northwestern Europe, although in this location it is likely to have been planted rather than being naturally occurring. The bandstand is a Grade II listed building and was made in Scotland in 1903 by the Lion Foundry Company of Kirkintilloch, according to the listing at Historic England Link

. It was restored for the reopening of the park in 2006; see SP0590 : The bandstand in Handsworth Park.

A J Paxton

Black poplar and bandstand, Handsworth Park

The tree is a wild black poplar, Populus nigra subspecies betulifolia, with a trunk (shaggy with ivy) of 5.28m girth at a height of 1.5m, according to the Woodland Trust tree inventory Link

. This is the native black poplar of Britain and northwestern Europe, although in this location it is likely to be a planted ornamental tree rather than one that occurs here naturally. The bandstand is a Grade II listed building and was made in Scotland in 1903 by the Lion Foundry Company of Kirkintilloch, according to the listing at Historic England Link

. It was restored for the reopening of the park in 2006; see SP0590 : The bandstand in Handsworth Park. Inner Birmingham is not well-provided with green spaces, and the park is extremely well-used and appreciated by local people. A baby-welcoming gathering was taking place in the bandstand.

A J Paxton

Pond, Handsworth Park

This is the smaller of the two ponds in the park, though still large enough for its own small island. wider, eastern, end, can be seen at SP0590 : Pond, poplar and bandstand, Handsworth Park. On Handsworth Park see its Historic England list entry Link

A J Paxton

Former Grove Lane public baths, Handsworth

The baths were built on a corner of the Handsworth Park site by the Handsworth Local Board, as the district had not yet become part of Birmingham. They opened in 1907 and offered "First and Second Class Swimming Baths, suites of First and Second Class Private Baths for Men and Women and an excellent Turkish Baths designed in ‘an appropriate Eastern style’." See the Baths and Wash Houses historical archive site Link

. Only the front survives, converted into housing, with the site of all those baths replaced by a street of housing, Pike Close. Houses should now have baths or showers, while a swimming pool is provided by the Wellness Centre in the park.

A J Paxton

West Bromwich Albion Football Ground

The Hawthorns ground.

Paul Foster

Derelict dairy

The former Avonmore Dairy at the junction of Sandwell and Island Roads which was due for demolition prior to re-development for more housing when this picture was submitted. SP0390 : New Homes, Island Road, submitted in January 2010, shows the completed development with the housing now up and in use.

David Stowell

Beacon Evangelical Church

Beside Sandwell road in Handsworth.

David Stowell