Barrow Hill in Pensnett is a fascinating local nature reserve run by Dudley council.
The former claypit at Tansey Green is outside the bounds of the reserve, and is now a privately-run fishing pool. The world’s earliest known three-dimensional fossils of conifers were found here. They were originally buried under ash from eruptions of the Barrow Hill volcano three hundred million year or so ago.
The fossil-containing layers on the site have now been re-covered with spoil from the claypit for preservation. Some of the excavated fossils can be seen in Dudley museum.
A stretch of the Pensnett railway walk, once the course of one of the many railway lines which criss-crossed the area serving the numerous mines and quarries. A stretch of the railway walk forms the western edge of the LNR.
The chimney is all that is left of one of the mines which used to be active in the area which is now the LNR. The distant view shows the land beyond, which continues to be working farmland to the present day.
2 replies on “Views on Barrow Hill LNR”
for what this chimney is used? i am amazed that who had build that. any way is looking nice
The coal-fired engine which powered the winding gear for the mine’s lift.
The coal to run the engine will have come from the mine itself. The clay to make the bricks will probably have been dug somewhere within the area which is now included in the Nature Reserve.