Waymarker 1 The Lost Pool

From this way marker, you can see the lost pool – though reeds and plants may obscure it in high summer!  The pool often dried out in past years, but has actually been here for over a hundred years.  You can rest on the bench in front of the dead hedge, just a short walk along the path from the painted bus stop.  The dead hedge was constructed as a barrier to the wild, bramble covered area behind, and adds to the habitat for mammals such as hedgehogs, and birds.

This area used to be the cobbled farmyard of Potters Bank Farm – behind farm buildings facing the main road. Many cobbles were dug up during the laying of the path and when installing the way marker and fence.

The bank behind the pool is called Plantation Mound as it was planted with Scots Pine trees in 1930s.  Two large sycamore trees used to overhang the pond and drop leaves, which did not easily decompose, so left a sludge in the pool bottom – since the trees were cut down, we have seen much more wildlife in the pond, including smooth newts and visiting ducks, and have surveyed the moths late at night.

From this point, you can walk to the canal – though there are a few gentle steps – the path had to be diverted after a possible mine shaft was identified under the original path during preparation for the legal status as a Local Nature Reserve.

If you are happy climbing more steps, you can get anywhere else on the site; the pit mounds were created on land which was already very high, so the nature of the site makes slopes and some steps inevitable to see the whole area. 

However, you can access the whole site without steps by going up Shepherds Lane or School Lane.  Wheelchair users may need assistance with some sloping paths, but from the very top of the site, there are views to the Wrekin and right over to the Welsh mountains.  There are maps of the site at each entrance.