Author Topic: River Cole  (Read 23928 times)

planetmalc

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Re: River Cole
« Reply #11 on: June 04, 2014, 03:43:12 PM »
I lived not far from the Cole and used to play in what is today known as The Ackers (an adventure park) where the river flows beneath the Small Heath to Tyseley railway line.      We used to ride our tracker bikes (cowhorn handlebars, ex-cyclo-cross tyres and sprung mattress saddles) along the Cole from Coventry Road (at Hay Mills) northwards as far as Yardley Green Road (Yardley) where the local kids had carved out a dirt track by the side of the Cole and which was a kind of forerunner to today's BMX tracks.     Green Road ford (Hall Green) was a popular place to go during our dinner-breaks when I was at Moseley Grammar School and our school cross-country course ran through the Dingles (between the Sarehole Mill area and Trittiford Park).
 
All these tracks were overgrown and difficult to negotiate (which was part of the fun) when we were kids, but the various councils have since 'sanitized' them for today's users and created a pretty-much continuous walkers/cyclists route from Shirley to Kingshurst and beyond. O0
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Spud

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Re: River Cole
« Reply #12 on: June 04, 2014, 06:27:29 PM »
Townie.
 My recollections of the River Cole are from around the Warwick Rd /Formans rd Greet / Sparkhill area .
As Planetmac said the Cole crosses the Stratford Rd at Springfield and follows Sarehole Rd to the Dingles on to Trittiford Park crossing Scribers Lane ford in Yardley Wood and in the direction of Shirley.
In the Other direction crossing the Warwick Rd in Greet it proceeds through Greet . Crosses the Coventry Road at Hey Barns Rec [fished a few ball out of the Cole here]. On to Bordesley Green East. Station Road Stechford. Through Glebe Farm Rec. Gressel Lane on to Tile Cross. Cooks Lane Chelmsley Wood. Under the M6 and on to Coleshill. That's as far as my A to Z goes.
Further enquiries should be directed to Dr Livingstone. Erors and Omissions excepted
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townie

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Re: River Cole
« Reply #13 on: June 04, 2014, 06:50:20 PM »
Thanks for your round the world adventure with Mr Livingstone Spud, by the way I have been to his house. Just thought I would pop that in. So far without the internet we have gone from shard End through KIngshust, Sparkhill, Yardley Wood, Hall Green. Orton, Coleshill, Greet, Hey Barns,Bordesley Green East, Stechford, Glebe, Tile Cross. Chelmsley Wood,Coleshill. Anymore for anymore. I will put these in order when we have finished. 
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planetmalc

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Re: River Cole
« Reply #14 on: June 05, 2014, 04:24:08 PM »
.......Through Glebe Farm Rec. Gressel Lane on to Tile Cross. Cooks Lane Chelmsley Wood. Under the M6 and on to Coleshill.
 
I was an early user of mountain bikes (had one iin the late 80's) and used it back then to try and get to Coleshill from the Kingshurst/Chelmsley Wood area, but failed when the track I was following just petered out and left me in some farmer's field :o (this was years before the councils had cottoned onto the fact that the riverside tracks could be turned into a public amenity if they were surfaced properly).     I haven't tried to do it since  -  has anyone else had any luck?
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townie

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Re: River Cole
« Reply #15 on: July 20, 2014, 10:21:16 PM »
I have now found out that the River Cole is 25 miles long. I would have though it longer. Well at least I've had fun in it along with many others.
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ajaybee

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Re: River Cole
« Reply #16 on: August 05, 2014, 04:54:28 PM »
first time here.....used to paddle in the river cole in shard end till I saw what was in the water...just downstream from glebe farm sewage works......there used to be prefabs along the road to lea village.  They had to keep windows shut in summer because of the ...Aroma..... When the bailey bridge was there.   We used to listen to the cars going over the bridge,  if they made a loud noise it usually meant dry weather...if a dull sound meant damp weather....it was usually a better weather forcaster than the radio.....

townie

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Re: River Cole
« Reply #17 on: August 05, 2014, 06:44:30 PM »
Yes ajaybee I was there two padding and making rope swings from the cow fields side to the sewage works. My dad had a mate who lived in them prefabs and yes it stunk. I am sure I put a Thread up about the old wooden Bailey Bridge some time ago. 
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Phil Davidson

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Re: River Cole
« Reply #18 on: August 09, 2014, 11:34:49 PM »
We used to ride our tracker bikes (cowhorn handlebars, ex-cyclo-cross tyres and sprung mattress saddles) along the Cole from Coventry Road (at Hay Mills) northwards as far as Yardley Green Road (Yardley) where the local kids had carved out a dirt track by the side of the Cole and which was a kind of forerunner to today's BMX tracks.
I have only just spotted this post, but this certainly brings back memories for me.
I am fairly certain that the track was to the west of the southern end of Aqueduct Road. The River Cole ran to the east of the road, and the bike track gave access to the Stratford Canal.
I went there a lot on my bike, (cow horn handlebars, track tyres and a fixed gear), and I almost always went home with some sort of damage, either to me or to my clothes. I lost count of the number of times I didn't make it to the top, and suffered the pain of the black ash on my knees or back on the way down.
I think that I can put a fairly accurate date as to when I was there most often. For reasons that I could never explain, I remember singing Helen Shapiro's early songs when I went there on my bike. That clearly puts me there in the school holidays of 1961.   

townie

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Re: River Cole
« Reply #19 on: August 11, 2014, 05:01:10 PM »
A little bid of geography for you. Did you know that the River Cole for most of its journey travels Northward.
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planetmalc

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Re: River Cole
« Reply #20 on: August 11, 2014, 05:17:38 PM »
I have only just spotted this post, but this certainly brings back memories for me.
I am fairly certain that the track was to the west of the southern end of Aqueduct Road. The River Cole ran to the east of the road, and the bike track gave access to the Stratford Canal.
 
I'm slightly confused as to the location: are you saying that it was on the north side of Peterbrook Road, rather than being Berry Mound, the multi-ditched Iron Age earthwork that stood on the south side of that road?
 
 
Quote
 
I went there a lot on my bike, (cow horn handlebars, track tyres and a fixed gear)
 
When you say 'fixed', do you mean a single-speed freewheel, i.e. only one gear, or do mean the kind of gear that causes the pedals to revolve whenever the rear wheel is turning?
 
 
Quote
 
 For reasons that I could never explain, I remember singing Helen Shapiro's early songs when I went there on my bike.
 
So you're telling us "You Don't Know"? ;D 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Phil Davidson

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Re: River Cole
« Reply #21 on: August 12, 2014, 01:06:24 AM »
 
I'm slightly confused as to the location: are you saying that it was on the north side of Peterbrook Road, rather than being Berry Mound, the multi-ditched Iron Age earthwork that stood on the south side of that road?
[/font]Yes. If you look at Google Maps, turn off Peterbrook Road onto Aqueduct Road, go under the bridge which carries the canal, and I remember the track as being on the left, immediately after the canal. This place sticks in my memory, because I had two options to get back to Balsall Heath. I either took the straighter route, back up the Yardley Wood Road and Stoney Lane, or I biked it along the canal tow path, and went on the Alcester Road and Moseley Road.
[/font]   
When you say 'fixed', do you mean a single-speed freewheel, i.e. only one gear, or do mean the kind of gear that causes the pedals to revolve whenever the rear wheel is turning?
[/font]
The second option. I seem to remember that with the fixed gear, a rear brake, which I couldn't afford, was not obligatory. Most of my mates at the time had the same set-up. 
[/font] 
So you're telling us "You Don't Know"? ;D
Not fair. I'm left with "Walking Back To Happiness", or "Please Don't Treat Me Like A Child". :D [size=78%] [/size]


 

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