Millions of years of history underfoot at Dudley nature reserve
Visitors to a beauty spot in Brierley Hill may not be aware that they will be walking across millions of years of history.
About 315 million years ago, the area where Dudley now stands lay at the southern edge of a vast tropical river delta swamp resembling today’s Mississippi delta. And it was there that the sediments deposited in the swamps formed the coal seams that fuelled the Industrial Revolution.
Surges of ash and lava erupted from a volcano, similar to those in Iceland today.
In July 2005, Barrow Hill Local Nature Reserve was declared a Local Nature Reserve to preserve wildlife and geology of a special interest and to allow people to come into contact with and study nature.
Barrow Hill is one of the most significant and well-loved areas of green space in the area. It supports the largest and most diverse area of grassland, ancient woodland, ponds with populations of Great Crested Newt and other important habitats and species.
In managing it, the challenge is to ensure that the wilderness quality that makes it such an attractive site is retained, while at the same time, there is proper provision for access for all people to this very pleasant green space.
The area offers plenty for family outings and with yet another bank holiday coming up, another opportunity to keep children occupied.
It is linked to both the Fens Pools area and the Staffordshire countryside via the Pensnett Railway Walk and is located just off the A4101 High Street, next to Russells Hall Hospital.
