It certainly looked like spring as we pursued our May explorations of Broseley’s lanes and jitties – but then looks can deceive. The trees in these photos may be bursting with greenery, the hawthorns hanging in blossom, and the cottage gardens bright with late spring flowers: Welsh poppies, columbines, clematis and wisteria, but this past month has been COLD. Even on the sunniest days we have had winds that feel as if they have just blown over an ice field. In fact, come the first of June, we switched the central heating back on for a spell.
Still, we’ve not let draughty climes stop our walks. We’ve made some special finds too, in particular the Haycop Nature Reserve, a wooded ridge a short walk from the High Street. It was once a coal mine (1760-1860), the coal extracted from it coked and used for firing two nearby blast furnaces. Later it was used to fire local brick kilns.
The mine shafts were capped in the 1970s and the ground reverted to grazing land. Then in 2007, the Haycop Conservation Group began restoring the natural habitat, including the pond that had once been the holding pool for pithead winding gear. This week when we visited the flags were definitely ‘flying’:
*
The 9-acre site is a warren of trails through mature woodland, meadow and heath, the main paths smartly sign-posted at intervals, and provided with information boards highlighting the local wildlife, including several varieties of butterflies, moths and dragonflies and some 58 bird species, among them sparrowhawks and nuthatches. From the top of the ridge there is a fine view of the parish church, All Saints, built in 1745 and an excellent example of the perpendicular:
*
Looking at these views now, it’s hard to envisage Broseley in its industrial heyday (17th to early 19th century), the fumes from steam engines, furnaces, kilns and coking ovens, the clatter of waggons on the network of wooden railways, the carts pushed by humans, hauling coal, bricks and iron through the town to the River Severn.
One of Broseley’s famous industrialist residents was John ‘Iron Mad’ Wilkinson, who pioneered the use of cast iron, including the first iron boat, and the accurate boring of cannon. By way of thwarting any attempts of industrial espionage, his two furnace sites were in secluded spots just outside Broseley at Willey, on land owned by the lord of the manor. From 1763 he lived in the town, not far from the church, leasing a rather grand house called ‘The Lawns’. Nearby was a building wherein he operated a mint, producing his own token currency, a common practice among ironmasters to keep their workforce in thrall.
The Lawns was first leased by John Wilkinson in 1763. Later it was the home of porcelain manufacturer, John Rose, who founded the nearby Coalport China Works
*
John Wilkinson’s mint, next door to The Lawns.
*
This town boundary sign takes a bit of spotting; the hawthorn hedge is definitely winning.
*
And now for a few ‘hanging’ roofscapes in and around the Broseley Wood jitties:
Speeds Lane – John Wilkinson’s personal railway apparently ran down here to the River Severn – the waggons loaded with iron from his Willey Furnaces
*
And to finish – another visit to the Quarry Road duck and hen ‘farm’:
The Changing Seasons: May 2023
Kindly hosted by Brian and Ju-Lyn. Please go and see May in their respective home territories – Australia and Singapore.
We have two weeks of 20c weather and no rain! Feels like summer to me.
🙂
Nice to look around the new home patch with you, Tish. I thought you had a warm spell last week but it must have passed you by. Maybe next week?
The weather forecast keeps telling us it’s going to be warm, but they fail to factor in the wind cooling effect. Also our house is in a very windy spot. Poor plants are being blown out of their pots.
Ah, I know all about windy spots…
😕💗
What a wonderful adventure Tish despite the cold. Lovely photos and great information. Thanks for joining in The Changing Seasons 😀😀
Many thanks for hosting, Brian 🙂
Thank you Tish for this excellent post. We have had the same weather as you…and even now with very warm afternoon I am sleeping under two duvets…which I rather like:). With three bank holidays this month I am totally confused with my dates. I am off to Wales on Monday – it will be very interesting to see how things are there. Janet:)x
Have a lovely time in your favourite place!
Heating back on here too!
Certainly looks a lovely place, better weather and you will have more fun exploring.
Who doesn’t have their own railway?? 😉. Thanks for braving the cold to bring us some spring beauty, Tish. It’s cool here too, only in the 90’s F. 😁
I like your cool, Janet 🙂
🥳
Thanks for my Virtual Tour around your new patch, Tish! Hope the weather warms up for you soon….
We’ve had some excellent sunshine, but…
What a lovely look at your new hood. Nice to find a nature area close by. Whitcliffe was my go to place when we lived in Ludlow, and your roof shot very much reminds me of the views over the town. We’ve not done too badly here with sun and warmth, though the breeze has had a cold edge. No rain and a hosepipe ban is a problem though with annuals to grow.
Whitcliffe is a lovely spot, and as you say, good to have it so close to the town. (which reminds me, not been to Ludlow for a while). I’m amazed at all the woodland within Broseley’s town boundary. In fact G and got ourselves lost in one of them last week, despite us knowing that there was a factory unit on one side, and a housing estate on the other. Paths all over the place, including wooded precipices that looked like something out of Conan Doyle’s Lost World.
On paper (screen?) it’s been spring, but our shivering bodies have told a different story (like you, we made June 1st a Put on Your Heating day). Thanks for taking us on your exploratory adventure.
I was beginning to think we were being weak and feeble whingeing at the icy wind in the garden, so it’s good to hear we’re not the only ones. Supposed to be warmer today onwards, though the NE ‘breeze’ is still on the charts.
What a lovely area to explore Tish, I find your descriptions of the past history very interesting, and the landscape is so green and lush looking.
It is a fascinating town. Apart from the old parts, it does also have its housing estates of all eras, but in between there are woods and farm meadows, some of these possibly surviving simply because tin the past they have been coal/clay/ironstone mines and so unsuitable for development. An interesting irony.
Looking good at the moment! Let’s get out and enjoy …
We’re going, we’re going….
Getting a bit nippy up here in Joey’s, even though the sun is shining.
Looks like a beautiful old place for a gander and meander….
Geese too!
😉
Lots of good wandering places, Ark. It’s warmer this morning. The wind has calmed down somewhat, and the plants less blustered in their pots. About to plant out some French beans in a big tub.
Chilly, maybe. But quite pleasant to look at.
Appreciate so much your beautiful exploration; so many stunning and exciting views. I am glad to hear that the nippy weather did not stop you from walking and exploring. My Aunt in London reported some crazy weather as well, and last I heard, it was hot! hot! hot! Wonder if warmed up for you too.
We did have a week of summer days in June, but back to cool and windiness since, though with one hottish day promised tomorrow!