Birch Coppice is all that remains of woodland that once stretched all the way to the old railway at Engine Lane, but was obliterated by the clay pit. Imagery from Bing! Maps.
I’ve had a really interesting enquiry in from reader Luke Statham, who’s a geocacher and would like to place some caches in Birch Coppice, the woodland that sits behind the Hussey Estate off Coppice Lane, Brownhills, wedged in there between the old railway at the back of the Potclays former landfill site.
Luke wrote:
Good Morning Bob,
I’m reaching our for your help if possible. I’m trying to find out who owns the woodland behind my grandad’s house in Albion Road, Brownhills. I have attached a map showing the area. I wondered with your local knowledge, whether you would know who the land belongs too? I’m not sure whether it is privately owned or owned by Walsall Council.
The reason for my query is, myself, wife and son are into Geocaching – and we would like to place some caches around the area. Before placing we have to sought permission from the land owner first. Walsall Council, do sound quite obliging towards Geocachers but i’m not sure if they own this piece of land?
Hope that you can help.
Look forward to hearing from you.
Kind regards,
Luke Statham
I’ll be absolutely honest here: I have no idea whatsoever. I don’t believe it’s the council, as I’ve never seen it referred to by the Greenspaces team, nor have I ever seen the area maintained by them; for my money it’s either owned by Potclays (see their site here) or Wallace Estates of Little Wyrley, who I believe own much of the common between Brownhills and Lime Lane.
This one’s a bit of a faff to try the Land Registry, so if anyone knows that would be a real help cheers.
Thanks to Luke for a really interesting question – if you can help, please do. Either comment here or mail me: BorwnhillsBob at Googlemail dot com. Thanks.
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To think it’s owned by Wallace Estates
Certainly seems that way – Bob
When I was a teenager in the early 30s we knew the place as the little copy, the other side of the railway was known as the big copy.,no one worried who owned it everybody used it to walk in there, and nobody ever said anything. Dr Clamp once fenced part of the common off to use it for shooting ,but was soon told to remove it as it was for anyone to wander over it as they pleased. As I think you know most of the ground in this area was or is owned by the Wallace estate.
isint this where orignaly DR BRADFORD lived years ago then brownhills council used it then if my memory servs me wright wasnt it a social club as geogh said we used to call it the little coppy so it could have been owned by the old brownhills council after DR BRADFORD pased on
Dr Bradford lived the far side of the railway bridge and his house backed on to the “big copy”. There was small spoil heap in the top left hand corner of the “little copy” suggesting that at one time someone mined the area for coal.
Almost certainly Little Wyrley Estate. The contact used to be Hamish Wallace, but it may have been passed on by now I suspect it may not be registered with the Land Registry.
Andy Dennis
re the small spoil heap as i recall GEORGE JONES began a period of opoening several ginny pits one in particular was on the left hand side going toward the rising sun the one i recalled THE BOSTID ONION in my poem the BONKIES he also revived another small pit at the rear left of the SUN sorry again if this is codswollop to some but it keeps the old grey matter going to we ode uns thanks god bless for what you do for us
I was just reading a article from Luke Statham from 2017,about Birch Coppice and who owned the land,I was just wondering if he ever found out who owned it?as my Grandfather Samuel Remesis Homes,of the Croft, ChesterRoad, the brother of George Jones was a Managing Director of Pot Clays before he passed away in 1940 and they used to mine there..I just find the history so interesting
Sorry not Homes!?Jones….