Road across the popular Greenway?

This is the Greenway, the former Stafford to Wellington (Shropshire) railway line. It runs west from near Stafford town centre.

Looking west towards Derrington

Sadly it seems that the ongoing Burleyfields development is going to encroach here. It is hard to get up to date local authority plans as the last one seems to be from 2015. I’ve already commented on concerns about drainage and flooding.  Although attenuation or balancing lakes are being added the water runs off the gentle slopes here at pace. The developers are addressing this by cutting channels in the mud and adding straw bales at intervals in an attempt to reduce the runoff of sludge and sediment.  When they leave the problem will remain especially as they’re artificially raising levels so new builds are just out of the flood plain.

Road here?

Unless plans have changed a new road will cross this Greenway which is a shame considering this is a bridlepath and walking and cycling route. The above pic shows the view north where the Burleyfields development will connect with many more houses behind Doxey Church. Hedges have been cut back in readiness.

View towards Burleyfields

Instead of cutting this popular route with a road access should be from the Doxey Road instead. I think this is a mistake by planners adding to other problems.

The plans are here but already differ from what has been built. https://www.staffordbc.gov.uk/sites/default/files/cme/DocMan1/Planning%20Policy/Plan%20for%20Stafford%20Borough/Burleyfields-Masterplan.pdf

There are other designs but they’re clearly labelled as sketches for reference only.

A school is planned which would be good news but it’s difficult to see exactly where.

Beacon Hill at Easter

We walked Beacon Hill again on Good Friday. It’s a great place to walk with views across the Trent and Sow valleys. Spring is here and the lambs too. The top of the hill is wooded, partially hiding a tiny cave or at least shelter in the sandstone.

I wrote a short story set on Beacon Hill here a few years ago.

Happiness!

Yesterday we were in Liverpool and went to see Happiness! the Ken Dodd exhibition.

It was a fantastic collection of theatre programmes, costumes, awards, photos, short films and puppets.

Sadly I never saw Ken Dodd perform but my parents were huge fans so I grew up in a house where he was talked about and I saw those TV Audience With…. shows. I also lived in Liverpool in the 1990s just a few miles from the celebrated streets of Knotty Ash.

Much of his legend is the longevity of his career and universal success and indeed his marathon performances. Also the crazy world he created with many agreeing he formed a unique bridge with the days of music hall theatre. There was the infamous trial with Inland Revenue and his famous props such as the tickling stick.

Entrance to the exhibition

A young Squire of Knotty Ash

What really came across was Doddy’s love of spreading joy. He adored what he did. He put a smile on people’s faces and never set out to hurt.

Dicky Mint

A costume made from numerous cats!

The costume was made from cats (not really) ‘but definitely toms by the smell of it.’ It’s a fascinating snapshot into another time when hundreds of young hopefuls queued outside the city’s Royal Court theatre hoping for a Diddy Men role.

Comic featuring the Diddy Men

Ken Dodd is spoken of with high regard.

A young comedian bumped into Doddy at Tesco. He gave him advice about the business and comfort when he learned the younger man’s granddad was ill.

Always happy to help numerous charities his fortune is still working wonders in ‘Mirthyside’ and beyond.

So, do what makes you happy.  Smile. Develop those chuckle muscles.

The exhibition runs (now extended) till July. It’s ticketed entry for £5.

https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/whatson/museum-of-liverpool/exhibition/happiness

Wetlands Rising – Loynton Moss

We had a walk around Loynton Moss this morning. I’ve written about this popular spot before, but I can’t remember the water level being this high and I’ve been walking here on and off for 20 years. Unlike Stafford town centre (previous blogs) this is a wetland habitat so the rising water levels aren’t an issue.

There is a photo in this blog from 2013 where I comment waters have risen but in the images taken today they are so much higher. For years this has been a soggy reedbed but perhaps the lake will return?

Loynton Moss is a hollow of wetland formed by the retreating Ice Age. It lies around 8 miles west of Stafford immediately alongside the Shropshire Union Canal. Back in the 1920s the waters stretched as far as the tree line and there was a boating lake. There are photos of Bertie Wooster lookalikes in boats. Perhaps those days are returning.

More info is available from Staffordshire Wildlife Trust who manage the site.

Doxey boating lake

Waters are at last receding here but the ground is so wet that any heavy rain leads to further flooding.

The lake below formed in what was a low-lying but generally drained field in late September and has never really gone away. It’s 15 to 20 metres wide and around 60 metres long.

It’s runoff from the building site. They’re pumping this out of their site.

According to the planning notice nearby (it’s difficult to be precise) it seems this lake may lie where a primary school for up to 400 places is planned.

Doxey Lake

Rainwater has always gathered in the gully but I’ve not seen the water levels we are experiencing now. It’s not just lower ground that’s affected. The house below is part of the new development and has been sold. However the land beneath the bridle path to the left of the pic shows flooding. This is 15 metres or so above the flood plain but the soil is heavy clay and so much foliage has been stripped away so it has created an entirely predictable problem.

Flooded part of the new development

I’m recording this as sadly the building on the flood plain and directly above it irresponsibly continues.

View from the ancient bridleway

Update: 12 February 2024

A balancing lake has now been added at the top of the bank on Burleyfields Lane, next to the bridlepath. It’s around a metre or more deep and already full. It’s pictured below.