There is many satellite parks within the Shire Country Park. One of the most popular for walks or cycle rides is the Trittiford Mill Pool in Yardley Wood. Trittiford Park has been built up since the late 1920s. The pool is fed by a millrace cut from the River Cole approx 20 yards south of Slade Lane. The park covers 15.34 acres of which 8 acres is covered by the pool itself.

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The Trittiford Mill Pool in the Shire Country Park


The Trittiford Mill Pool in the Shire Country Park


There is many satellite parks within the Shire Country Park. One of the most popular for walks or cycle rides is the Trittiford Mill Pool in Yardley Wood. Trittiford Park has been built up since the late 1920s. The pool is fed by a millrace cut from the River Cole approx 20 yards south of Slade Lane. The park covers 15.34 acres of which 8 acres is covered by the pool itself.


Trittiford Mill Pool, Shire Country Park

The Shire Country Park covers a four mile section of the River Cole Valley, Chinn Brook Valley, Moseley Bog and other satellite parks. The unique landscape is managed by the Birmingham Park Ranger Service and other local volunteers.

The parkland around Trittiford Park has been developed since the late 1920s. The River Cole nearby feeds the pool via a millrace close to Slade Lane. It is part of a vital chain of habitats that runs along the Cole Valley and is a S.I.N.C. Site of importance to Nature Conservation.

The Trittiford Mill Pool was created to supply water to Titterford Mill, which is known to have existed since 1779. The mill used to be at Trittiford Road where there are now buildings at Mill Gardens. The mill was advertised in 1784 as a new water corn mill. By the mid 19th century a steam engine was added. The mill was demolished after a fire in 1926.

The pool is home to a variety of wetland wildlife, including the Moorhen, Mute Swan, Black-Headed Gull and Pochard. Grey Heron can be regularly seen here.

Beyond the Trittiford Mill Pool to the south is the Scribers Lane Site of importance to Nature Conservation (usually just called Scribers Lane). The Dingles is to the north, and Chinn Brook Meadows to the west. It is in Yardley Wood.

The parkland is surrounded by Highfield Road to the north, Priory Road to the west, and Scribers Lane to the south.

I have been visiting the Trittiford Mill Pool multiple times over the years starting on Christmas Day 2013.

2013

Early on the morning of the 25th December 2013, sometime after 10am in the morning, we went for our first walk around the Trittiford Mill Pool.

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Approaching the mill pool from the entrance near Highfield Road and Priory Road in Yardley Wood.

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It was quite early in the morning so was a lot of bright sunlight over the mill pool.

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Saw a Coot swimming in the mill pool.

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The tarmac path was a bit old at this point. It would be replaced in the years to come.

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This was still quite near the beginning of the walk around the pool in a clockwise direction.

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Most trees without leaves apart from the evergreen ones.

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The trees made nice reflections in the pool.

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Sunlight was still a bit too bright.

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Now saw a gull in the pool.

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Swans and ducks.

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Lots of gulls perched on this branch in the mill pool.

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Quite a lot of Canada Geese here.

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A lady in a Christmas hat as they fed the swans, geese and ducks. Was a lot of "Merry Christmas" greetings around the pool that morning.

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All the swans, geese and ducks on the bank of the pool as they were eating bread. Please do not feed the birds bread. It is not good for them.

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More Canada Geese and gulls around.

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At the end of the fist walk, the way in or out near the bollards from Priory Road.

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One of the signs that Welcomes you to the Shire Country Park and the Trittiford Mill Pool. It appears to be in the Selly Oak District at the time.

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2016

The second walk into the Trittiford Mill Pool was during May 2016. It was the May Day Bank Holiday walk in the Shire Country Park, starting at the Sarehole Mill car park via John Morris Jones Walkway, The Dingles, Trittiford Mill Pool and Scribers Lane and back. At the time the Council was having new paths and wooden fences installed.

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A new wooden fence near the new path. At a section where water from the River Cole goes into the Mill Pool.

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There was containers with graffiti on them and bags of building materials.

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The grass was looking like they had just relaid it or something.

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Fresh new tarmac paths to walk over the new bridge.

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Another Coot in the mill pool.

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First time seeing a Great Cormorant, perched on a tree branch.

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Near the end of the Mill Pool a new footbridge going over the link from the pool into the River Cole.

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Beyond here, the River Cole splits into two as it goes into the Scribers Lane S.I.N.C. area.

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Back in the Trittiford Mill Pool saw this Greylag Goose.

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More Greylag Geese plus Canada Geese and some ducks.

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Another walk in December 2016. The new footpaths were now complete. Nearby is a small field where horse riders can go around with their horses. This area is off Brookwood Avenue in Yardley Wood.

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Wasn't much leaves on the trees, so could see a lady riding her horse around.

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This time I spotted a Little Egret perched on a branch.

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The usual Canada Geese swimming around the mill pool.

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A gull in flight and other gulls around. One also perched at the bottom of a branch.

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2017

The snow of December 2017. This was during the none stop snowfall of the 10th December 2017. Was was so cold and freezing that day!

Snow on the River Cole as I approached the Mill Pool from Highfield Road.

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A winter wonderland in Yardley Wood.

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Even the fingerpost was covered in snow. Directions to The Dingles and Scribers Lane.

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Snow every where, only a quick look, as the snow was so thick.

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Still there was some people around the mill pool.

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Saw this dog near the mill pool which was frozen over.

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There were birds in the pool but was a bit hard to see in these blizzard conditions at the time.

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This was the only time I've seen this area covered in snow.

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There's not been December snowfall since.

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2020

My first lockdown through here was in March 2020 as social distancing measures had started. Got on from Scribers Lane near the River Cole.

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Shadows on the footbridge as I only did half of the mill pool this time around.

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Was a blue sky, trees hadn't quite yet regrown their leaves.

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Saw another Little Egret as I headed towards the main part of the Mill Pool.

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Lots of people ahead, hopefully socially distancing. It was on the 26th March 2020, so people were still getting used to the lockdown restrictions at the time.

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Saw an island in the middle of the lake where the birds usually are.

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Quite a lot of ducks and Canada Geese close to the path. People walking their dogs, people having a walk. Some sitting on benches.

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I think some ducks were flying over the mill pool there.

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This swan made a nice reflection in the mill pool.

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A man in blue running ahead of me, he would next go into The Dingles, as would I. Although he went well ahead of me at the time.

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Another walk around in May 2020. Starting from the Priory Road entrance. We walked half way around the Mill Pool, then into the Scribers Lane S.I.N.C. before completing the second half, and exiting at Priory Road.

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Saw a few people going around on their bikes.

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Seagulls perched on branches.

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Saw a Coot with her baby Coots. Look how cut they were!

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There was also a Coot nest nearby.

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Later after coming back from Scribers Lane, back on the path towards Priory Road, as other people walked ahead. If we got close, we went onto the grass, trying to be 2 metres apart from them (if possible).

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I also saw this black Great Cormorant perched on a branch.

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Leaves on the trees fully grown back. May was a dry, hot month.

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After leaving the Trittiford Mill Pool, one last look from Priory Road before going home.

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More posts coming soon from the Shire Country Park, so watch this space!

 

Photos taken by Elliott Brown.

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