Janette Sykes finds Georgian gems, an ancient forest and much more in the Midlands’ Black Country
Gazing at the rather puzzlingly low-profile photograph spotted in The Queens Head pub in Wolverley, I was transported back in time to my misspent youth.
Suddenly, it was the 1970s and I was being bewitched by the flowing golden locks and the very distinctive voice of Robert Plant, lead singer with Led Zeppelin.
There he was, at the height of the group’s fame, with only his trademark tresses and the rather restrained caption ‘R Plant’ to distinguish him from fellow players in the pub football team.
I have to admit, it took me a moment or two to return to the present and the real, rather more cerebral, reason we had chosen to take a short break in this pretty Worcestershire village.
Trip to the theatre
After many years, my husband and I decided on a return visit to the revamped Royal Shakespeare Company theatre at Stratford-upon-Avon, and Wolverley seemed the ideal base for a springtime getaway, with the bonus of exploring the gentle countryside in an area just south of Birmingham that we had never visited.
‘Centrally located’ is a cliché usually employed only by estate agents, but in this case, it was true. Convenient, too, only a few hours’ drive away from our home in the Derbyshire Peak District.
The village is close to the urban sprawl of the West Midlands, but remarkably, very tranquil, and our campsite was metres away from the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal.
There was a designated dog-walk on site, but the towpath was a welcome addition for our lively Dalmatian, Zara, who charmed her way into the affections of passing narrowboat enthusiasts.
Canalside walking
On our first day, we decided to follow the route of the towpath for the pleasant canalside walk to Kidderminster, a town once renowned for the manufacture of fine carpets.
Our trail started just across the way from the traditional pub The Lock, a stone’s throw from the campsite, and afforded plenty of opportunity for Zara to run around and explore.
We were surprised by how tame the resident herons were, and how close we could approach to capture them on camera.
However, it wasn’t long before we worked out why – those canny birds were waiting for the boats to pass by, so they would disturb the water and bring the fish to the surface, all ready to be snatched u
