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Lickey Hills

Hi John, I do believe there is a Weoley Castle thread, some where?, if not why not open one!, where all us old weoley castle men and women can talk of the old times. Not keeping to bad, thanks for asking. paul
 
I've now done the Lickey Hills walk from Barnt Green Station towards Rose Hill via Pinfields Wood, Lickey Warren, the Visitor Centre, then down Drovers Way. Very exhausting heading up the steep paths!



Some parts are lined with bluebells



Plenty of benches if you need to sit down



Or somewhere to have a picnic



There's a sculpture trail, although I only saw this one on the main path to the visitor centre



Tall trees



Visitor Centre near Warren Lane



Community Orchard planted in 2012 - 2014 off Drovers Way



Drovers Way down to Rose Hill



 
Thanks for posting, great shots well thought out, many happy memories, went first when about 5 years old around 1952, and many times after. Paul
 
No problem. I didn't want go back the way I came, so ended up walking down Barnt Green Road and Kendal End Road towards Barnt Green Station. If you don't get the train, you can walk back up to the Birmingham border and get the bus (it was the 98 several years ago).
 
Got to visit the Lickeys last Sunday after the meet at The Bull. Sad to see so many trees cut down but apparently necessary to try to protect the heathland from the disease phytophthora ramorum.
 
Just read through the postings on this thread, and some lovely stories, and photographs. During the war years, I was boarded out at Blackwell, and would often take the opportunity to walk through the Lickey Woods, and in spite of being in the middle of an horrific war, it was always so peaceful, and some days I could walk without seeing hardly a soul, except a couple of friends, and an adult that accompanied us.

At that time I was around eleven years of age, and on one of our trips it was not so peaceful.
A friend, and myself, were running through the fern, and the bracken, when the ground gave way underneath us, my friend falling in first, right into a wasps nest. The lady that was with us, we called her Finky, was Austrian, and a nurse. Dear Finky did no more than also jump into the nest, in an attempt to to save us from further pain. We all received masses of wasp stings, our arms and legs became swollen, and wasps were being pulled out of our trousers, and shirts. Absolutely true.
We were rushed back to the school, into the school surgery, and treated by the doctor, who had been alerted. We all survived, but I have never forgotten the episode.

On a separate issue, in my teenage years, I often returned to the Lickey Hills for a tram ride, and a day out.
A few years back I returned to Birmingham, and drove along the Bristol Road, noting that the tram central reservation areas are still there, but out of use, the road looking more like a normal dual carriageway. With all the current plans to reduce gas emissions, surely they could be brought back into use with a new tram type route?

Eddie
 
Think it's unlikely that the Midland Metro will get a line down there (don't think there are plans for that here). You now either have bus routes or the Cross City Line, one entrance is near Barnt Green Station. You could start a walk at Longbridge Station. Or get off the train at Longbridge and get a bus down.





I think a tram line might get built to at least as far as Edgbaston Cricket Ground.
 
It would be an interesting project, though.....just think, an extension from the tram lines in Stephenson Street up Navigation Street and hence to the Bristol Road? Not unthinkable (especially with this 20mph speed limit that seems to be spreading like an insidious disease.....:mad:)

Who would you lobby to get this off the ground?
 
The extension is currently planned to go up Broad Street then to Five Ways at the bottom of the Hagley Road. Took them 4 years to build the section from Snow Hill to New Street stations.

The Cross City trains (Class 323) are pretty fast, although most trains terminate at Longbridge, others do go onto Redditch.
 
The no 98 and 47 buses get close to the border. But you have to get off and walk.

The 98 turns from Lickey Road up Leach Green Lane.

98 bus route.jpg
The 47 you get off at the terminus on Groveley Lane near Rednal.

47 bus route.jpg
 
4604717595_fabd84efbf_b.jpg
Like many other members Mom and Dad would take us on the tram to The Lickies but later in life I drove a bus like the two above when I worked at Selly Oak garage for awhile.
 
BOK 8?V bus was a WMPTE bus which is outside my archive and interest.
The older 269 GON was a former BCT bus which was new in 1963 and withdrawn somewhere between 1977 - 1980. A Daimler Fleetline with Park Royal (Southall) body which was part of a 300 bus order (the largest single order placed with Daimler outside London) with bodywork split between Park Royal and MCCW (Saltley): there were some differences in appearance between builders and dates of entry into service.
 
The 98 dropped me off on Lickey Road in Cofton Hackett. I then walked up Rose Hill and Monument Lane to return to Beacon Hill.

The Duck Pond seen on Rose Hill.



Beacon Hill



 
You guys forgot to mention the huge toilet building (that's now a restaurant) or Fletchers Copper Coin amusements where I spent way to much time my friends pop owned the place now he does, I lived right there the Lickey Hills were our play ground up there in the winter snow sleding we even played crown green bowls in summer.
I lived on Edgewood road the one before Leech Green Lane
 
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I did not realize what a treat a trip to the Lickey Hills was for some folks, sure I remember lots of folks up there in the summer but it never occurred to me how far some people travelled and from where.

Now as I am older I understand why we ended up there or why my mom and pop moved there, they where from the Nechells green and Aston area, Rednal Rubery must have seemed like being out in the country in fact all my other relatives live over the other side of Brum.

As a kid I just like other kids took the hills for granted after all it was our back yard, when I look at some of the pictures on the forum I can see how a tram ride to the Lickey Hills was like getting transported to another world l
 
Yes, Bob. the Lickeys were always a treat and I only ever once went out there after the trams finished. After we moved to Kings Heath in 1950, then it was fishing with Dad on the canal up near Alcester Lanes End until we suddenly lost him two years later. He never lived to get a pension and basically died on the job at 69, but needs must, but happy memories.

Maurice
 
The Lickeys - Birmingham's Bank Holiday Playground. :laughing: In the days before widespead car ownership of course.
Folk enjoyed their day out at the Lickeys as far as I saw; I wonder how many new friendships - or eventual marriages - resulted from a day trip to the Lickeys? In the days of the tram it was so easy to get there - one ran every thirty seconds I believe on those days.
It was always said that tramcars were not as flexible to operate as buses, maybe so, but BCT pulled out all the stops when drafting in trams from other areas for the Famous Lickey Day Bank Holiday services.
 
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