Scribers Lane Site of Importance to Nature Conservation in the Shire Country Park

Beyond the Trittiford Mill Pool in the Shire Country Park is an area called Scribers Lane. It is designated as a Site of Importance to Nature Conservation (or SINC for short). It runs alongside the River Cole from Scribers Lane near Yardley Wood and Hall Green, and passes through Slade Lane. It ends on the Birmingham / Solihull border at some stepping stones. Two fords also pass through.

Scribers Lane in the Shire Country Park

Located near Hall Green and Yardley Wood is the Scribers Lane Site of Importance to Nature Conservation (also called SINC). The site runs alongside the River Cole from Scribers Lane (after the southern end of the Trittiford Mill Pool) then heads south towards Slade Lane. The site continues beyond that towards some stepping stones on a stream. If you cross over them you leave Birmingham for Solihull at Nethercote Gardens (and you can continue your walk towards Mill Lodge Park).

You can get onto Scribers Lane from Baldwins Lane in Hall Green. One end of Baldwins Lane leads to Slade Lane. The Shakespeare Line runs along the eastern side of the site, with two railway bridges that you can walk under. There are fords on Scribers Lane and Slade Lane.

2016

First walk through of Scribers Lane was during May 2016. During the May Day Bank Holiday (a walk that started from the Sarehole Mill Car Park).

Wetland near the footbridge close to Scribers Lane (what the area was named after).

dndimg alt="Scribers Lane" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Scribers Lane SINC SCP (May 2016) (1).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

A look at the wetland from the footbridge.

dndimg alt="Scribers Lane" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Scribers Lane SINC SCP (May 2016) (2) .jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

There was what looked like a guillotine lock on the River Cole.

dndimg alt="Scribers Lane" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Scribers Lane SINC SCP (May 2016) (3).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

Saw this heron, but the photo was not to clear as my camera focused instead on the branches.

dndimg alt="Scribers Lane" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Scribers Lane SINC SCP (May 2016) (4).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

Gates to the woodland walk.

dndimg alt="Scribers Lane" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Scribers Lane SINC SCP (May 2016) (5).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

View of the River Cole.

dndimg alt="Scribers Lane" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Scribers Lane SINC SCP (May 2016) (6).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

Cut branches to the side of the footpath.

dndimg alt="Scribers Lane" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Scribers Lane SINC SCP (May 2016) (7).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

Some planks of wood on a muddy part of the path.

dndimg alt="Scribers Lane" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Scribers Lane SINC SCP (May 2016) (8).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

Another view of the River Cole.

dndimg alt="Scribers Lane" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Scribers Lane SINC SCP (May 2016) (9).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

Got as far as Slade Lane. The fingerpost was missing the direction signs from here.

dndimg alt="Scribers Lane" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Scribers Lane SINC SCP (May 2016) (10).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

2020

A lockdown walk through Scribers Lane during May 2020. This time went further than last time (as far as the stepping stones).

A look at the River Cole from Scribers Lane.

dndimg alt="Scribers Lane" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Scribers Lane SINC SCP (May 2020) (1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

The footbridge again this time everything around was overgrown, apart from the grass that was cut.

dndimg alt="Scribers Lane" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Scribers Lane SINC SCP (May 2020) (2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Lilies in the River Cole.

dndimg alt="Scribers Lane" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Scribers Lane SINC SCP (May 2020) (3).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

The trees on the other side of the river.

dndimg alt="Scribers Lane" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Scribers Lane SINC SCP (May 2020) (4).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Hard to believe that this is in south Birmingham (but it is).

dndimg alt="Scribers Lane" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Scribers Lane SINC SCP (May 2020) (5).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

On this tree is a rope that kids can swing over.

dndimg alt="Scribers Lane" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Scribers Lane SINC SCP (May 2020) (6).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Getting to the bridge on Slade Lane. Gate to exit to the left.

dndimg alt="Scribers Lane" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Scribers Lane SINC SCP (May 2020) (7).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

This time continued further than last time. The path was dry. May had a heatwave.

dndimg alt="Scribers Lane" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Scribers Lane SINC SCP (May 2020) (8).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Cow parsley growing on both sides of the grass path.

dndimg alt="Scribers Lane" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Scribers Lane SINC SCP (May 2020) (9).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Another view of the River Cole.

dndimg alt="Scribers Lane" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Scribers Lane SINC SCP (May 2020) (10).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Was some nice natural reflections in the River Cole.

dndimg alt="Scribers Lane" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Scribers Lane SINC SCP (May 2020) (11).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Out onto the path to the end of the nature reserve.

dndimg alt="Scribers Lane" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Scribers Lane SINC SCP (May 2020) (13).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

The stepping stones. I did stand on them, but didn't cross over the end of May 2020 (from the Nethercote Gardens side).

dndimg alt="Scribers Lane" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Scribers Lane SINC SCP (May 2020) (14).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Close up look at the stepping stones.

dndimg alt="Scribers Lane" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Scribers Lane SINC SCP (May 2020) (15).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

That time we turned back towards the Trittiford Mill Pool.

dndimg alt="Scribers Lane" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Scribers Lane SINC SCP (May 2020) (16).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Then back onto the normal path between Slade Lane and Scribers Lane. River Cole on the left.

dndimg alt="Scribers Lane" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Scribers Lane SINC SCP (May 2020) (17).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Saw a red ball in the River Cole with a nice reflection.

dndimg alt="Scribers Lane" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Scribers Lane SINC SCP (May 2020) (18).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Pair of sluice gates on the River Cole.

dndimg alt="Scribers Lane" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Scribers Lane SINC SCP (May 2020) (19).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

And the other sluice gate.

dndimg alt="Scribers Lane" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Scribers Lane SINC SCP (May 2020) (20).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Later that month we were back in the Scribers Lane SINC having crossed over the stepping stones (on the walk from Mill Lodge Park).

dndimg alt="Scribers Lane" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Scribers Lane SINC SCP (May 2020) (21).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

The heatwave would last until the end of the month.

dndimg alt="Scribers Lane" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Scribers Lane SINC SCP (May 2020) (22).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Blue sky and a lot of long grass.

dndimg alt="Scribers Lane" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Scribers Lane SINC SCP (May 2020) (23).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Was a lot of long grass next to the main path from Slade Lane to Scribers Lane.

dndimg alt="Scribers Lane" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Scribers Lane SINC SCP (May 2020) (24).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Near the end of Scribers Lane.

dndimg alt="Scribers Lane" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Scribers Lane SINC SCP (May 2020) (25).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

The guillotine lock again. After this we headed back into Scribers Lane to walk back to Mill Lodge Park.

dndimg alt="Scribers Lane" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Scribers Lane SINC SCP (May 2020) (26).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

More views of the River Cole which was quite shallow at the time.

dndimg alt="Scribers Lane" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Scribers Lane SINC SCP (May 2020) (28).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Still cow parsley to see near the River Cole at the time.

dndimg alt="Scribers Lane" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Scribers Lane SINC SCP (May 2020) (29).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

One last look at the Scribers Lane area before crossing back over into Solihull. The suburban area near Shirley and Solihull Lodge.

dndimg alt="Scribers Lane" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Scribers Lane SINC SCP (May 2020) (30).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Next post will be the fords on Scribers Lane and Slade Lane.

 

Photos taken by Elliott Brown.

Follow me on Twitter here ellrbrown.