The Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron is in the right place, given the dale’s place in history. The remains of Abraham Darby’s furnace are still there too – was this truly the hub of the industrial revolution?
![Success to the Brave Coal Miner's [sic]](https://i0.wp.com/geoffspages.blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/11-6.jpg?w=257&h=243&ssl=1 "Success to the Brave Coal Miner's [sic]")
Author: geoffspages
Wittick…
It’s spelt “Wightwick”… We’re visiting this National Trust property on the edge of Wolverhampton, home of the Mander family, with “Arts and Crafts” interiors. Quite a place!
Not so commonly spotted
There were hundreds, maybe thousands, of common spotted orchids in the scrubby woodland near Benthall Hall last year – and the year before. Perhaps they’ve been and gone again. There were lots this evening – possibly more widely scattered, but none of those big clumps of fine healthy specimens.
See Orchids Galore and Common Spotted for previous years…
Finding the Pyramids
A fine June afternoon – bright sunshine, white puffy clouds (and the chance of a shower? No, surely not?). It’s a sausage-shaped walk, where our outward route, below the crest of the Wenlock Edge, is only 100 yards or so from our return – but also lower by a similar extent. The path through the trees is very pleasant, with the sun at our backs, but the return along the ridge is more open – and here are the pyramids! They’re orchids, dozens of them, scattered here and there in the dry grass beside the path. With plentiful pink and white wild rose, honeysuckle and (as we used to call them) “dog daisies”, it’s a colourful part of the world.
View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=359215&Y=298296&A=Y&Z=120
Visitors welcome
It’s probably indicative of poor gardening – if we’d looked after the grass (I can’t describe it as a lawn) at the back of our house, this wouldn’t have happened, I’m sure. Once again, we have a crop of common spotted orchids – twenty flower heads in total, from perhaps seven or eight plants. The tallest are just-about past it, others are just coming into bloom. They’re welcome visitors (even if they are a b***** to mow around!).
On the Chase in June
We’re heading for Cannock Chase – the weather forecast says it should stay dry (it did), while showers would affect western Shropshire in the afternoon (they did). It’s not a great day, photographically – the clouds are heavy and ominous, and there’s no real sunshine – but it’s very enjoyable to explore the heathland, which varies in appearance and feel as we make our way around. A fairly long one today – just short of 10 miles – so we’ve earned our tea and cake at the visitor centre…
View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=399085&Y=317611&A=Y&Z=120
Stokesay
There are some possibly-heavy showers about: a visit to Stokesay Castle will be pleasant if it stays dry, and will provide welcome shelter if it rains (it didn’t!). The nearby church is worth a visit too.
Stokesay Castle (English Heritage)
Last steam from somewhere…
Ironbridge? Coalbrookdale? Will there really be no more? Who knows? In the meantime, have a look at “Last steam from Coalbrookdale” on Geoff’s Rail Diaries – more pictures of yesterday’s two trips down – and up – the former power station line from Madeley Junction.
A Castle in Coalbrookdale
No. 7029 “Clun Castle” was in action today, on a couple of shuttles between Wellington and Coalbrookdale. It was advertised as the last steam to (or was it “from”?) Ironbridge – but that was over 50 years ago. We’re not complaining – it’s good to see a train of any kind on the line which used to serve the now-defunct power station. It was very dull for the first run, but the sun did its best for the second. Here’s a sample – more to come on “Geoff’s Rail Diaries“…
Bears and the Mynd
If you go down to the woods today, you’re sure of a big surprise…
That may be true, for the unsuspecting, but I must admit that I’d hoped we might find them… They’re in the trees beside the Long Mynd Hotel, and rather fine they are too. We’re taking a walk on the Mynd, from a different starting point – the little car park at the top of Cunnery Road, and making a small ursine detour before tackling the steep path up the Ashlet hillside. We’ll walk towards the Boiling Well, before cutting across to the top of the Light Spout valley, to return to the start past the waterfall, down the Carding Mill valley and through Rectory Woods. A very pleasant outing, perfect for this cold (is this really June?), windy but dry afternoon.
View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=343480&Y=294411&A=Y&Z=120
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