There is a ford on Green Road in Hall Green where the River Cole crosses it in the Shire Country Park. On foot you would pass it at the shallow ends from the Sarehole Mill Recreation Ground into the Greet Mill Meadow. There is a bridge for pedestrians, dog walkers and cyclists to use. Cars drive through the river. Sometimes gets flooded in heavy rain.

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The ford on Green Road in the Shire Country Park


The ford on Green Road in the Shire Country Park


There is a ford on Green Road in Hall Green where the River Cole crosses it in the Shire Country Park. On foot you would pass it at the shallow ends from the Sarehole Mill Recreation Ground into the Greet Mill Meadow. There is a bridge for pedestrians, dog walkers and cyclists to use. Cars drive through the river. Sometimes gets flooded in heavy rain.


On the Millstream Way in the Shire Country Park is a ford at Green Road in Hall Green, Birmingham. The River Cole flows through the road, and usually cars drive through it when the water levels are low. There is a footbridge for pedestrians to use, also for dog walkers and cyclists. People with wellies walk into the river as there is a path into the Sarehole Mill Recreation Ground. For other people who don't want their clothes and shoes to get wet, there is the dry path. One end of the ford is near the Greet Mill Meadow, a walk which leads to the Stratford Road at the Sparkhill / Springfield border.

2009

The first time I walked into the Shire Country Park was in April 2009, when I started taking photos around Birmingham. I got these photos of the River Cole at the Green Road ford. There is a measuring stick showing how high the water is getting.

dndimg alt="Green Road ford" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Green Rd ford SCP (Apr 2009) (1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

The footbridge is on the left on Green Road, close to the Greet Mill Meadow entrance.

dndimg alt="Green Road ford" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Green Rd ford SCP (Apr 2009) (2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

The River Cole flows into Green Road from the Greet Mill Meadow and continues onto Sarehole Mill and Cole Bank Road.

dndimg alt="Green Road ford" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Green Rd ford SCP (Apr 2009) (3).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

2018

The next time I walked to the ford at Green Road was during March 2018. This was after the recent rain or snow, so I expected the river level of the Cole to be higher. After all there is always news about a car getting stuck in the river, or under the bridge! This is on the Sarehole Mill Recreation Ground side.

dndimg alt="Green Road ford" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Green Rd ford SCP (March 2018) (1).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

The stick was showing it was only 1 foot high at this point (the water level of the River Cole).

dndimg alt="Green Road ford" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Green Rd ford SCP (March 2018) (2).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

There was some men standing on the bridge, but other than that the River Cole seemed shallow and passable at the time.

dndimg alt="Green Road ford" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Green Rd ford SCP (March 2018) (3).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

In the middle of Green Road, you can see how shallow the River Cole was, but best to get onto the pavement before a car comes

dndimg alt="Green Road ford" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Green Road Hall Green flooded ford.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

Personally I would think it would be best to drive on Cole Bank Road or Stratford Road, rather than take your car through the ford, especially if the river level is too high.

dndimg alt="Green Road ford" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Green Rd ford SCP (March 2018) (4).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

The other side of the River Cole in the Greet Mill Meadow, looked quite high on this side, compared to on the road side.

dndimg alt="Green Road ford" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Green Rd ford SCP (March 2018) (5).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

Saw one car going through, but I didn't get it going through the ford. I think I next walked back to Cole Bank Road along Sarehole Road at the time.

dndimg alt="Green Road ford" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Green Rd ford SCP (March 2018) (6).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

2020

In February 2020, after popping down to Sarehole Mill for the Bakehouse open day during Storm Dennis, I walked into the Sarehole Mill Recreation Ground, while it was wet and raining and headed to check out the ford on Green Road.

dndimg alt="Green Road ford" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Green Rd ford SCP (Feb 2020) (1).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

The ford wasn't as flooded as I expected it to be, but was too unsafe for cars to drive through it that day.

dndimg alt="Green Road ford" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Green Rd ford SCP (Feb 2020) (2).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

From this side on the footbridge, the water levels were looking a bit high.

dndimg alt="Green Road ford" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Green Rd ford SCP (Feb 2020) (3).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

The view of the River Cole towards the Sarehole Mill Recreation Ground. Definetely not worth driving your car into this during a storm!

dndimg alt="Green Road ford" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Green Rd ford SCP (Feb 2020) (4).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

The Ford warning sign said: CAUTION DO NOT CROSS.

dndimg alt="Green Road ford" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Green Rd ford SCP (Feb 2020) (5).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

A close up of the Ford sign with CAUTION DO NOT CROSS.

dndimg alt="Green Road ford" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Green Rd ford SCP (Feb 2020) (6).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

I also saw a man walking his dog while he stopped to let his dog have a drink in the Cole. After this, I walked back to Cole Bank Road along Sarehole Road.

dndimg alt="Green Road ford" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Green Rd ford SCP (Feb 2020) (7).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

Now on lockdown in April 2020. We walked from the Sarehole Mill Car Park, and we found this path between the River Cole and Coldbath Brook. It leads towards the ford on Green Road.

dndimg alt="Green Road ford" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Green Road ford SCP (April 2020) (1)(1).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

You can see the footbridge on Green Road, but without wellies, and not wanting to get my shoes or jeans wet, turned back and got onto the main path in the Sarehole Mill Recreation Ground Instead (via the Sarehole Mill Car Park).

dndimg alt="Green Road ford" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Green Road ford SCP (April 2020) (2) (3000x2250).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

For the first time, I managed to get a photo of a car driving through the ford on Green Road, giving off a bit of a splash!

dndimg alt="Green Road ford" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Green Road ford SCP (April 2020) (3).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

Also saw a cyclist on Green Road, and near Sarehole Road. I would assume that he went into the Greet Mill Meadow.

dndimg alt="Green Road ford" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Green Road ford SCP (April 2020) (4).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

Saw this sign, Try your brakes. We headed up Green Road to Wake Green Road to get into the Moseley Bog for a daily walk on lockdown.

dndimg alt="Green Road ford" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Green Road ford SCP (April 2020) (5).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

One last look at the ford. It was registering as about half a foot, or less.

dndimg alt="Green Road ford" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Green Road ford SCP (April 2020) (6).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

One month on as lockdown restrictions have been eased. It's now May 2020. And we had come back from a walk in the Greet Mill Meadow. Caught this car driving through the ford on Green Road, with a spectacular splash through the River Cole! Just had to go back into the Sarehole Mill Recreation Ground and we would be back in Sarehole Mill Car Park.

dndimg alt="Green Road ford" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Green Rd ford SCP (May 2020).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

Over the coming months there will be more posts from around the Shire Country Park, so watch this space. Also check out the gallery for the photos.

Photos taken by Elliott Brown.

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