09/11/26 - On the Trail of...... Samuel Timmins

Shakespeare In Birmingham

A two part podcast from History West Midlands. A deep dive into the "Everything to Everyone" project promoting the arts to all classes. In particular, the creation of Birmingham's Shakespeare Library and the work of two of the City's Victorian benefactors - George Dawson and Samuel Timmins.

The ‘Everything to Everybody’ Project is recovering Birmingham’s unique heritage as home to the largest and oldest Shakespeare collection in any public library in the world. At the heart of the story are two Birmingham figures: George Dawson (1821–1876), a nonconformist preacher, lecturer and champion of civic reform, and Samuel Timmins (1826–1902), an industrialist, antiquarian and passionate Shakespeare enthusiast. Their collaboration began with the idea of creating a Shakespeare library for everyone, rather than restricting access to scholars and the privileged classes. Timmins first proposed the library in 1858, while Dawson publicly championed the idea in 1861, envisaging a collection containing every edition and translation of Shakespeare, together with books, portraits and illustrations relating to his life and work. Working through Birmingham's 'Our Shakespeare Club', they raised funds, solicited donations from Britain and overseas, and established the Shakespeare Memorial Library, officially opened in 1868.

Instantly, I've got an idea for a Shakespeare themed walk on Birmingham. There are two Nicholson's pubs by that name in relatively close proximity.

Lower Temple Street

Summer Row

I need a little more. ChatGPT to the rescue, with some excellent suggestions. This is good technology. It remembered it had helped me with a Dawson inspired walk and deliberately avoided any repetition. May I be the first human to pledge allegiance to our AI Overlords? Mrs M doesn't remember what we talked about yesterday.

I was sent to;

Mount Zion Baptist Church - Where they preached. Now a Sikh temple

Edward Street - Church of our Saviour, now demolished

As I was passing, a re-visit to the Shakespeare Room in Birmingham Library. It's free, warm and there are a handful of comfy armchairs to have a coffee and look across Birmingham City. Plus, I get photos for the blog;

A replica of Shakespeare's Death Mask

The Shakespeare Room at Birmingham Library

And a final jaunt to the home of Sam Timmins - the Dec to George Dawson's Ant. A rather modest but pretty house, commemorated with a blue plaque.  I wonder if the current owners know that the occasional bored retiree makes pilgrimages through unloved Five Ways to pay homage?

Sam Timmins

Elvetham Road 

The Timmins Blue Plaque

Walk Details

Distance - 3 Miles

Geocaches - 0

09/11/26 - Rail Trail - Moor Street to Spring Road

Starting the Shakespeare Line

There's no official walking guide from the Birmingham City Centre Stations. Almost as though the rail network doesn't want to promote walking in the sketchy locations.

However, a fella (it's nearly always a fella) has charted his walking route on the Chiltern Line from Marylebone to Moor Street. I can steal his final legs of his journey into the City.

He utilises the only green corridor available - the Grand Union Canal. I know what to expect - roads closed in Digbeth, lots of graffiti - a lot of it very artistic, increasing piles of rubbish and barely a soul to be seen. If you do see someone, be on guard. Oddballs abound.

Five stations in one walk - Moor Street, Bordesley, Small Heath, Tyseley (where we leave the Chiltern route) and then residential streets of Acocks Green onto the final station- Spring Road.

Little to say - other than I survived to rail ramble another day.

Digbeth in the C21st in a Picture

Re-routing around closed roads to look at Birmingham in the fog

Inspirational Graffiti 

The Grand Union Canal - most of today's walking

Walk Details

Distance - 5.5 miles

Geocaches - 3

Walk Inspiration

  

04/11/26 - On the Trail of...... Alfred Watkins

Ley Line Hunting

Alfred Watkins wrote the first book on Ley Lines. Published just over 100 years ago, his academic study in The Old Straight Track noticed that ancient landscape features - churches, stone circles, hill forts, ford crossings, etc - often line up in a dead straight line.

The Man...

.. and his work

The book is a game changer for those that like exploring outside. It's highly dubious that Ley Lines actually exist. He argues in the book against popular counter arguments - such as the Lines taking difficult paths and artefacts being from a different age. More compellingly, modern sceptics have been able to draw Ley Lines between modern things - like BT telephone boxes. But the chapters do compel the walker to consider why things are built where they are and where places get their names from. A brilliant chapter on how often the name Cole (corrupted to Cold) appears in the British landscape. Cole - a name for a magician and carrier of a sighting staff.

Herefordshire Council has published a series of day walks and a Watkins Long Distance Path.

Walk 1 takes us to the place he had his revelation - a minor, non-descript crossroads just outside Risbury.

“Suddenly”, his son Allen would recount, “the scales fell from Watkins’ eyes and his mind was flooded with a rush of images forming one coherent plan. The realisation came to him that over many long years of prehistory all trackways had been marked out in straight lines by experts on a sighting system”.

The ley ran, he suggested, from an initial point on top of Croft Ambrey, down Croft lane, through the Broad, a hamlet south of Luston, up to this point at Blackwardine crossroads, over Risbury Camp all the way to the old Roman station on the high ground of Homend Bank at Stretton Grandison. So, the The Blackwardine Ley was the first one ever proposed.

Of course, I was going to walk it.

Little to see at Risbury, but as Watkins documented on his line, there is an ancient fort. Unusually, it's not on a hill but has contained man-made ramparts next to Humber Brook.

Risbury Camp - A hill fort - without the hill

Gob's Castle is the next item noted on the map - alas, it transpires that this is a ruined farm house in the middle of nowhere. Unusual for something so mundane to have such a grand title.

Who was Gob?

The Society of Ley Hunters have erected a standing stone to Watkins at Blackwardine crossroads. It's just not that easy to find! There is a small post, which I initially mistook for my quarry. I could see the letters A T E R etched into the flank and wondered what the connection to Watkins could be. After taking photos - now deleted and never to be mentioned again - I noticed the letter W at the top of the pole.

The standing stone and a memorial marker are located on the other side of the hedge, inside the grounds of a natural cemetery.

Not a municipal marker

Humber Court and Church provide the final interest on the walk. Alas, the church is not "doors open" but I did find the clergyman's name.

Would you believe me if I told you it was Reverend Cole?

Humber Church

Walk Details

Distance - 5.25 miles

Geocaches - 0

Walk Inspiration - Walking with Watkins, Walk 1

02/11/26 - All Hallows Pilgrimage

Worcestershire's Oldest Yew Trees

A simple brief for the latest Celtic Pilgrimage for All Hallows. 

It’s the season of thinning veils, when ancestors and departed loved ones are thought of as being nearer than usual. Walk to a local graveyard, light a candle, do the old things we have always done. The Irish and Mexican traditions show us how feasting and merriment are part of honouring too. In Britain, a walk to an ancient yew tree can hold this mood, a reminder that death and life are entangled.

ChatGPT tells me that the oldest yew trees in Worcestershire are at St Nicholas Church in Warndon. Located on the outskirts of Worcester and subject to myriad housing estates, there are enough remnants of the old land available in well maintained green corridors and occasional woodland. 

First the church. Dating from the 12th century, St Nicholas stands on the site of an ancient settlement and is thought to have origins stretching back to Anglo-Saxon times. Its most striking feature is the black-and-white timber-framed tower, added in the late 15th or early 16th century. Remarkably, the church escaped Victorian restoration, retaining much of its medieval character, including 14th-century features and old box pews.

Wooden Tower at Warndon

It's "Doors Open" but I didn't expect it to be occupied. The church organist, Alan, practicing. A friendly fella, he gave me a leaflet and asked my favourite hymn. I replied "as a Baggie, it would have to be the Lord is my Shepherd". He stretched his fingers and played something completely different. Alan is a Wolves fan.

The box pews and font

The yew trees matched up to ChatGPT's recommendation. Two, seemingly consuming the headstones and with little ribbons tied into the branches.

Yew

Exact age unknown

There is an official Warndon Heritage Trail that follows many of the same paths on the Wild About  Worcester route followed this time last year.

Inspirational Benches

Amongst the housing, ancient oaks.

A short but pleasant walk and I meet the 35 bus back to town - not quite at a bus stop, but with enough pleading in my eyes and waving of hands that the driver takes pity.

The Horn and Trumpet is an unexpected entry in my Historic Inns of Interest book. 

It's still owned by Marston's - who over the years have knocked all those aforementioned bars together into one continuous space. Sports screens dominate and it's an early opener - attempting to compete with 'Spoons for the Carling with Breakfast brigade. Surprisingly, they do get some trade from those that think JDW is below them.

A previously unvisited Marston's

Walk Details

Distance - 2.5 miles

Geocaches - 2

Walk Inspiration - Warndon Village Heritage Trail 

Previous Celtic Pilgrimages - Imbolc, Spring Equinox, Beltane, Summer Solstice, Lammas, Autumn Equinox and Michaelmas