Walk No 3: Starting from Banners Gate
Suggested route about 2.5 miles (approx. 1.5 hours)
To download a copy of the route map - please click here or on the image of the map below
From the car park, walk along the surfaced track alongside the wood. This is Westwood Coppice, which was planted in the 18th century and surrounded by a bank and ditch which you can see next to the track. Continue straight on beyond the corner of the wood up to the cinder track (Lord Donegal’s Ride) and turn left along it.
Marker no 3.1 is alongside the track, next to the slight but prominent grass-covered bank that is the Roman road
The Roman road consists of a raised carriageway or agger of compacted gravel, slight ditches along each side of it dug to mark the route for the road builders and many pits on each side of the road where gravel was quarried to make the agger.
Continue along the cinder track almost to the entrance to the Park, turn right into the woods near the fenced sub-station and walk towards the Park boundary fence.
Marker no 3.2 is just off the path, inside the wood
The ditch and bank boundary of the deer park, created in the 12th century by King Henry I. Originally the bank rose over 2 metres above the bottom of the ditch and was topped by a paling fence to stop the deer escaping. You can see the ditch and bank along the whole of the Park boundary from Four Oaks Gate to Banners Gate.
Return to the cinder track and walk back along it, continuing until you see a tree-covered mound on your left.
Marker no 3.3 is near the path
The concrete-lined trench sheltered the soldiers who manned the targets of a 19th century military rifle range in the Longmoor Valley, and the mound behind it stopped stray bullets. The track alongside was created by the Earl of Donegal (who lived at Fisherwick near Lichfield) in the 18th century as a route for fox hunters riding into the Park.
Continue along the cinder track over the bridge across the stream and turn right before the slope, to follow a path.
Marker no 3.4 is just off the path
The trench beyond the marker was a military practice trench dug in a zig zag shape so that there was no direct line of fire along the trench. Longmoor Valley was used for military training during the 19th century and again during the First World War.
Return to the path and continue along it for a short distance.
Marker no 3.5 is just off the path at a point where you can see the well over the slope
Rowton’s Well is a natural spring surrounded by a stone wall. Its water was believed to have curative powers and was used in Birmingham Eye Hospital. Peat was dug for fuel in the 18th century from The Old Peat Pit on the other side of the stream.
Return to the path and continue along it.
Marker no 3.6 is on the edge of the path
The low mound on the edge of boggy ground is a burnt mound formed about 3000 years ago from discarded heat shattered stones. The stones were heated by fire then water was poured on them to produce steam for a “sauna”. The mound is crossed by a later bank and ditch.
Continue along the path to reach Longmoor Pool
Marker no 3.7 is on the edge of the tarmac road
Longmoor Pool was created in 1733, probably for fishing and duck shooting, and a mill was built in 1754. The hollow behind the marker was a quarry where material was dug out to construct the pool’s dam.
Walk along the tarmac road along the dam and continue back to Banners Gate.
