Because you’re free to read this blog
#365DaysOfBiking- June 17th - I love lupins. These tall flowers grow wild along... June 17, 2013
- June 17th - At Spring Road station in Birmingham, I overheard to... June 17, 2013
- June 16th - Not sure what the deal is here, to be honest. At... June 17, 2013
- June 16th - A ride out to Cannock Chase in the afternoon. The... June 17, 2013
- June 15th - Returning from the Canal Festival at Pelsall, I... June 15, 2013
- June 15th - Yesterday, a local tweeter spotted something amusing... June 15, 2013
- June 14th - The roadside verges and hedgerows are an unusually... June 14, 2013
- June 14th - Headed out to Lichfield late afternoon, and battled... June 14, 2013
- June 13th - I took a diversion from my usual route to Darlaston... June 14, 2013
- June 13th - At Birchills, on the way to Darlaston, I spotted... June 14, 2013
- June 12th - An awful commute from a weather point of view. The... June 14, 2013
- June 11th - What goes up… must come down. It’s been a few... June 12, 2013
- Bob’s music
Tag Archives: Stonnall
Going with the flow
In the modern world of asphalted roads, acres of hardstanding and housing estates by the square mile, we tend to forget that our landscape is riddled with lost brooks, springs, natural drains and man-made culverts, and all have to be managed to prevent flood and ensure adequate drainage, whilst still maintaining irrigation.
[caption id="attachment_14409" align="aligncenter" width="300"]
The water is clean and flows well at this point. Image supplied by David Evans.[/caption] Continue reading
Posted in Environment, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged brook, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Canal, Coppice House, culvert, David Evans, Drainage, Farm, Kings Hayes, Local History, Marsh, New Photos, Old maps, Redevelopment, Shire Oak, Stonnall, Stream, Stubbers Green, Taylor, Things to do, Transport, Vigo, Walsall Wood, Watercourse, Wetland, Wildlife
8 Comments
Winding Lanes
Andy Dennis writes clearly and articulately of the planning history of the Lanes Farm/Sandhills site in light of current angst over a mooted further development – I’m still of the opinion that we’re being trolled for other reasons, but Andy raises some excellent points.
Continue reading
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Churches, cycling, Environment, Events, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, It makes me mad!, Just plain daft, Local History, Local media, Local politics, News, Panoramio photo discussions, planning, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Walsall community, Walsall Council, Walsall Wood stuff, Wildlife
Tagged Andy Dennis, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Canal, Cycle rides, cycling, Lane's Farm, Lichfield, Local History, Local politics, New Photos, Panoramio, planning, Politics, Redevelopment, Shire Oak, Silly, Staffordshire, Stonnall, Things to do, Walsall, Walsall 2026, Walsall Council, Walsall politics, Walsall Wood, Wildlife
15 Comments
A long storey
This is something I’d like to expand on for a bit of summer picture fun, if any readers are up for it – since I featured Steve Wilcox’s remarkable Walsall panorama last week, and Rose Burnell’s great Chasewater image, I’m looking for odd views, panoramas or shots from on high of Brownhills or the wider area.
Continue reading
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Cannock Chase, Clayhanger stuff, Environment, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Just plain daft, Local History, Local media, News, Panoramio photo discussions, Panoramio updates, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall community, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Canal, Clayhanger, Domesday project, Events, Humphries House Landscape, JH Poole, Local History, New Photos, Panorama, Panoramio, Phil Griffin, photos, Pubs, Shire Oak, Silly, Stonnall, Things to do, Twitter, Walsall, Walsall Wood
Leave a comment
Farming controversy
I notice that over the past few weeks some outrage seems to be abroad over supposed plans to build a housing estate or industrial park, near Shire Oak on Lanes Farm, between the farmhouse at Sandhills and the Chester Road; broadly the site of the old Brawn’s Wood.
Posted in Bad Science, Brownhills stuff, cycling, Environment, Events, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, It makes me mad!, Just plain daft, Local Blogs, Local media, Local politics, News, Panoramio photo discussions, planning, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Social Media, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall community, Walsall Council, Walsall Wood stuff, Wildlife
Tagged Anthony Harris, application, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Canal, Catshill, Conservative, Consultation, Cycle rides, cycling, Derelict, estate, Events, Facebook, Home Farm, housing, In Touch, industrial, Lane's Farm, Lichfield, local blogs, Local History, Local politics, Mike Flower, New Photos, Panoramio, Pete Sears, planning, Planning 2026, Politics, Redevelopment, SAD, Shire Oak, Silly, St Modwen, Staffordshire, Stonnall, Things to do, Tory, Twitter, Walsall, Walsall Council, Walsall politics, Walsall Wood, Wildlife
16 Comments
Mapping for change
Here I can share with you four excellent quality 1:10,560 scale maps – we don’t cover that scale issue much on the blog, as oddly, they’re quite scarce online in scanned or digitised form – they are generally poor quality even from professional map service companies, with contrast and other image aberrations.
Continue reading
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Chasewater, Clayhanger stuff, Environment, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, News
Tagged 1921, 1923, 1:10560, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Canal, Castlehill, Chasewater, Clayhanger, David Evans, Gareth Thomas, Lichfield, Lichfield District Council, local blogs, Local History, Local politics, Lynn, Muckley Corner, Old maps, Ornance Survey 1903, planning, Redevelopment, Reservoir, Shenstone, Shire Oak, Staffordshire, Stonnall, Things to do, Walsall Wood
14 Comments
History is a mosaic
As readers will no doubt be aware, I’m really, really fond of local history and the way it’s evolving online, although I’ve noted concerns and issues, on the whole, the internet and cooperation it enables is making a huge difference to both the quality and quantity of work becoming available.
Continue reading
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Churches, Environment, Events, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local Blogs, Local History, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Spotted whilst browsing the web
Tagged Dave Moore, Derelict, dolphin, Events, Facebook, Gareth Thomas, Ian Pell, Kate, LDC, Lichfield, Lichfield District Council, Lichfield Keeps Blogging, Lichfield Lore, local blogs, Local History, Mosic, New Photos, Old maps, planning, Pubs, Redevelopment, Sandfields, Social media, Staffordshire, Stonnall, Things to do, Twitter, You're probably from Lichfield if
5 Comments
What and where?
Here’s a good question from young David Evans, who clocked this interesting thing yesterday while out and about, and wonders if anyone knows what it is, what purpose it serves?
Continue reading
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Churches, Environment, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Just plain daft, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged Brownhills, Canal, Clayhanger, David Evans, Mystery, New Photos, puzzle, quiz, Shire Oak, Silly, Staffordshire, Stonnall, Things to do, Walsall, Walsall Wood
8 Comments
Celebrating Triumph
This film shows Norton Motorcycles – then at Shenstone, just on Lynn Lane – in an article on top gear from the 1980s – Note the worthy, serious tone of the piece, and the great film of Lynn Lane, Wallheath Lane and Stonnall.
Continue reading
Posted in Environment, Events, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall community, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged 1980's, 80's, bike, Brian Crighton, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Clive Roberts, Events, factory, Film, footage, Honda Shop, interpol, Lichfield, Local History, Motorcycle, Shire Oak, Silver Court, Staffordshire, Stonnall, Things to do, Top Gear, Triumph, Walsall Wood
3 Comments
Inn for a treat
‘Snippets of History in and around Shire Oak’ is a very comprehensive history of the pub at the crossroads of the Lichfield Road and Chester Road, and of the brewery that few realise towered over the pub for many years.
Continue reading
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Environment, Events, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall community, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged Book, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, CLive L Roberts., Events, Facebook, Local History, New Photos, Old maps, Pubs, Redevelopment, Shire Oak, Snippets of Local History in and around Shire Oak', Staffordshire, Stonnall, Things to do, Walsall Wood
10 Comments
A Shire thing
Here’s a treat for Brownhills folk into local history – A new local history book, focussing on Shire Oak and it’s environs has been written by Walsall Wood chap Clive Roberts.
Continue reading
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Environment, Events, Fun stuff to see and do, Local History, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall community, Walsall Council, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged Book, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Clive Roberts, Events, Facebook, Local History, New Photos, Old maps, pub, Pubs, Shire Oak, Snippets of Local History, Staffordshire, Stonnall, Stuart Williams, Things to do, Walsall Council, Walsall Local History Centre, Walsall Wood
7 Comments
