From this waymarker you can see to the north of Telford – you might spot the Lilleshall Monument – erected to Earl Gower in 1822, who was also Duke of Sutherland – owner of the Lilleshall estate who also owned the Manor of Ketley and the land you are standing on, and most of the land making up this view. Most of the older cottages in Red Lake and Potters Bank were owned by the Lilleshall estate. The estate gained its wealth from mining and ironworking – Paddock Mound is a remnant of the 18C and 19C history of the Ketley Manor portion of their estate. There is a surface depression in the ground on the other side of the path near this waymarker. This is where the ground has settled after an old mine shaft was capped in 1992. The cap is very secure, and the depression holds water most of the winter.
The banks on both side of the mound have heather growing on them. This is now a rare acid habitat, so we are constantly making efforts to help the heather to spread, by cutting back the gorse, strong grasses, hawthorn and some lower branches of oak tree. We will actually plant gorse in the depression just above this waymarker, which is over the capped mineshaft. The wildflowers are beginning to spread into the rest of the grasland here.
The waymarker is located just a short way up the path from the top iron gates marked Ketley Paddock Mound, and past the main wooden noticeboard – where you can find details of recent news and planned working parties. From the top gate you can also walk safely down alongside Shepherds Lane, on our newly made footpath, which was diverted from running across the horse paddock – creating a clear, dry and safe route enabling walkers to navigate the whole of Paddock Mound.
This path leads up to the highest point of the mound. You can access the whole site except the canal path without steps. Otherwise, you can access the canal from the entrance by the painted bus stop – just up the road from the car park by TACT. There are maps of the site at each entrance. You can find out more about how to access the whole site here.
The Friends of Ketley Paddock Mound 