Upper Arley Circular Walk Track 1 Welcome to the Upper Arley Circular audio trail. This is one of a series of audio trails delivered by Worcestershire County Council Countryside Service. You will hear some short instructional tracks giving the directions of the walk, along with some longer tracks interpreting what you can see along the way. You can either listen while you walk or stop to listen at the start of each new track. This Audio Trail is devised to be used on its own, if you are refering to the Upper Arley Circular Walk leaflet please note that the reference points differ to those on this audio trail. Whilst on the walk please be sure to close any gates you have opened behind you and keep any dogs under close control. This 4 mile walk takes a circular route down river, through woodland and open country back to your starting point. Depending upon your speed of walking it could take between two and a half and four hours. This particular walk is way marked with a ferry man logo. Your walk starts in the delightful riverside village of Arley, in the heart of the Worcestershire countryside. When you are ready to begin, make your way past the bridge on the village side of the river, and head south down the riverside path, with the river on your right hand side. This first section of this walk is along part of the Severn Way a long distance regional route following the length of the river from source to sea. Head off along the path for the first 1 kilometre or so. Down to your right hand side you will see glimpses of the river through the trees as the path skirts the fringes of Eyemore Wood, consisting of an oak over-storey with a mixture of native trees and shrubs. The River Severn is Britain's longest river, stretching 210 miles from its source 2000ft up at Plynlimon in the mountains of mid Wales, to the point at which it empties out into the Bristol Channel. It passes through the Welsh county of Powys and the English counties of Shropshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire. Follow the path until the Victoria Bridge comes into view, then press Track 2. Track 2 You should now be looking at the iconic local landmark that is the Victoria Bridge. This railway bridge was erected in 1861 having been forged by the John Powell engineering company in nearby Coalbrookdale Gorge at what is today Ironbridge. It is an early example of a single span iron bridge of the type that allowed the expansion of the railway network in the late 1800s. At the time of its opening it was the widest single span bridge in the world at 200ft. Today it carries the Severn Valley Railway, transporting passengers between Bridgnorth and Kidderminster. You may just catch a steam train passing across it. From here the path passes beneath the bridge and then swings left, revealing views across the countryside on the other side of the river. Follow the path through a stand of tall poplar trees and on until you pass through a gate and onto the grassy banks of the Trimpley Reservoir, then press track 3. Track 3 You should now be entering a large area of grassland with the river on your right and the grassy banks of the Reservoir up to your left. Trimpley Reservoir was built in 1968 to supplement the supply of water from the Elan Valley to Birmingham. There is an informative interpretation panel at this point with information about the history of the site. Between the base of the embankment and the terrace of land just above the footpath is the site of an ancient ditched enclosure that dates from the medieval period, although possibly has origins in a much earlier Romano-British period. The site is marked on old maps as a 'moat'. However, the size and shape of the enclosure suggest it may have been a small riverside settlement or stock enclosure located near one of the many droveways that once forded the River Severn. There is now very little visible evidence on the surface, however, at certain times of the year it is possible to see the shape of the rectangular ditch marked out by different vegetation patterns. The ditch contains wetter, more nutrient-rich soil, which provides a different habitat and plant community compared with that of the surrounding ground. Walk up onto the terrace and see if you are lucky and can see the ditch. It is, perhaps, by a twist of good luck that the reservoir was not built over the site. From here proceed along the path at the foot of the bank. On the opposite side of the river the ground rises steeply, clothed by the tall trees of Seckley Wood. Still on the riverside path, pass the red brick pumping station with its green doors and proceed to the other interpretation panel at the end of the grassed area, then press track 4. Track 4 At this point we leave the river behind. Do not go through the footpath gate but head left up the bank. However, before departing if you look back across the river you can see the point at which the Elan Valley pipeline passes over the River Severn on its 118 km journey from mid Wales to Birmingham, supplying the conurbation with Welsh water. Head up the bank until you come to edge of the smaller of the two reservoirs, "Lower Pool", then press track 5. Track 5 The reservoirs sometimes provide a useful haven for migratory birds in spring and autumn. Even the occasional osprey has been seen here, stopping off on its way from Scotland to Africa. Of the many resident species, herons are likely to be seen at any time and cormorants frequent the site too, along with various ducks and assorted waterfowl. Follow the path right along the edge of the reservoir, passing a nice stand of Scot's pine trees on your right with their characteristic salmon pink bark. Keep to the edge of the reservoir until you have the railway on your right hand side. Proceed until you come to a way mark post between a pair of large oak trees, then press track 6. Track 6 At this point you leave the reservoirs behind and cross over the railway line at the designated crossing, being careful to look out for trains on the Severn Valley Railway. Originally built between 1858 and 1862 the line connected Hartelbury near Droitwich with Shrewsbury - a distance of some 40 miles. Even in its heyday the line was never a commercial success, relying mainly on colliery and agricultural haulage and small numbers of passengers. However, it did have a strategic importance in the Second World War as a way of by-passing the Black Country and its bomb damage. The line was axed in the 1960's as part of the now notorious Beeching cuts. Today, just a 16 mile stretch between Bridgnorth and Kidderminster remains as a heritage railway and tourist attraction. Opening in the 1970's it relies on hundreds of volunteers who freely give of their time and expertise to keep the line and its trains alive. It is an extremely popular local attraction drawing some 250,000 visitors a year. Once across the railway line, follow the rough cobbled path up the slope, bearing left onto a gravelled forest road, then press track 7. Track 7 You are now in the depths of Eyemore Wood, an extensive area of mixed broadleaf and coniferous forestry. On the promontory of high ground rising up to your right is the site of another Romano-British enclosure. This site is very similar in size and form to the example down at the Reservoir. However, in this case the site has survived as a large platform, demarcated by an earthwork embankment. The function of a site like this is always clouded in mystery, although it is likely to have been a small native-British settlement possibly accommodating an extended family group, and was one of several other, similar sites located in and around Wyre Forest area. The surrounding landscape would have been largely devoid of trees during the Romano-British period and would instead have been much more open heathland. The local population, based in their isolated settlements, would have grazed animals on the heathland. The occupants of the site on the promontory would have enjoyed extensive views across the Severn Valley. Proceed up the forest track and upon reaching the road, press track 8. Track 8 You should have just passed through a footpath gate. From here, pass over the tarmac road and continue along the gravelled forest track, always keeping straight ahead. Again this will take you through some fine stands of forestry. Look carefully at the ground either side of the track along this section and you will see low, circular embankments of soil surrounding shallow pits. These are the remains of 17th or 18th century coal mining pits. Unlike the deep cast mines that we associate with modern coal mining, these pits were small and relatively shallow because they represent small-scale mining of coal measures that are close to the surface. Sometimes called ‘bell pits,’ a narrow shaft was excavated into the top of the coal seam. The coal was then mined out until the excavation became too hazardous to continue, when the pit was abandoned, leaving a large chamber at the base of the shaft. The bank visible around the pit is the remains of soil overlying the coal that was initially removed from the pit.