Three months ago we
got a Labrador called Tommy, he was just short of two years old but pretty much
still like a puppy. Shortly afterwards we moved into our house in Loggerheads,
Market Drayton (not Loggerheads North Wales – that’s the next house!). We have
been walking in the local woods, called Burntwood, it is a paradise for Tommy,
full of tree hurdles from the storms, interesting smalls to sniff and a giant
pool for swimming. For us there are some beautiful trees and loads of
rhododendrons; I can’t wait for them to flower. We’ve also spotted some
oddities; someone keeps remaking a green man face with leaves, sticks and mud,
in the same place every time and there are a very intriguing trio of pumps
hanging high in a tree with ‘April 13’ inked on the soles, as well as a play
ground gone to ruin.
When we finally got the Internet sorted in the house I did a quick search and discovered that Loggerheads is built around an old Tuberculosis Sanatorium that was near the woods. Thought to have fresh air good for healing the patients, people were brought out here and made to sit out in the healthy air even in the winter. I’m sure this must have done more harm than good but I do like the idea of the woods being full of wooden huts with patients sitting in a beds dotted around the trees.
When you walk around
the woods there are still some signs of the Sanatorium and what seem like some
once manicured areas of trees and walls. I was still intrigued by all of these
things so contacted the Forestry Commission who manage the woods. Roger, a very
straight talking man from the Forestry Commission came around to tell me
everything he knows about Burntwood. It turns out he knows quite a lot as he
has been working in the area for 15 years. I can’t remember all of it but the
areas I was interested in were part of the Sanatorium, they have been left to
overgrow. He also told me that parts of the wood are Sites of Special
Scientific Interest (SSSI), the areas are Ancient Woodland, which means they
have had native trees growing in them since before 1600 AD and are therefore
considered completely natural and not planted. In these areas are Birch, Oak
and Holly trees. Apparently living in the heath areas of the woodland are some
rare butterflies and moths too, the Argent and Sable moth is a black and white
moth that flies in the daytime and the Welsh Clearwing is a very odd looking
butterfly. The Clearwing is only found in Wales, Ireland and, as the UK Mothswebsite states, ‘it has been rediscovered in quite good
numbers at a location in Staffordshire.’ Location undisclosed but it has to be
Burntwood.
On my few walks in the woods since the
meeting I’ve enjoyed locating the SSSI areas and imagining what it would be
like with the Sanatorium up and running. I’m also looking forward to trying to
spot some of these odd looking moths and butterflies. I’ll see if I can spot
the mystery green man creator too! As for Tommy, the woods continue to be a
paradise of flying sticks, rabbits to chase and fallen trees to kangaroo hop
over.
