THE FOREST OF ARDEN AREA
ON THE STRATFORD TO BIRMINGHAM RAILWAY
 Train waiting to depart from Stratford station. | The area to the North of Stratford was formerly the Forest of Arden. Much of the forest was cleared during the Middle Ages, and later, but even today the entire area still has a wooded character.
The Stratford to Birmingham Railway runs Northwards from Stratford through this area. The route of the railway runs close to the old medieval road (now the A34) which joins the main settlements in the region. The railway is a convenient way for visitors to Stratford who don't have a car to see this area, and to visit the interesting villages and small towns along the route. There is a train in each direction every hour, so you can stop at any of the villages, spend an hour (or two) there, and then take the next train to travel further up the line. If you have the convenience of a car, then you can simply drive up the A34 (Stratford to Birmingham Road), and visit these places which lie along the route... |
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On Sundays, during the Summer, there is an additional express service between Stratford and Birmingham, which is hauled by steam locomotives. This service is more expensive than the regular service.
This picture shows the Shakespeare Express, between Stratford and Wilmcote.
More details about the steam service: |  |
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The first stop is Wilmcote. This picture shows Mary Arden's House, which is about 300 yards down the road from Wilmcote Station.
Visiting Mary Arden's House by train is a lot cheaper than using the City Sightseeing bus, though you still need to pay for admission if you want to go inside the grounds.
Lots more pictures here: |  |
| The next stop is Wootton Wawen.
This is the view out of the right-hand window of the train just after leaving Wootton Wawen station. The church in the centre of the picture is The Saxon Sanctuary. The wood on the hill in the distant right is Austy Wood. |  |
 | Wootton is an ancient settlement, and the church here is the oldest church in Warwickshire.
This is the tomb of Francis Smith, inside the Saxon Sanctuary, at Wootton Wawen.
More pictures of Wootton Wawen, the Saxon Sanctuary, and the nearby Stratford Canal: |
 | Farmland North of Wootton Wawen, from the train window. |
 | At the half way point between Stratford and Birmingham, the next stop is the charming town of Henley-in-Arden, the old capital town of the Arden region.
More about Henley: |
 | The next stop is Danzey.
This view out of the left-hand window of the train, shortly after leaving Danzey Station, shows the spire of the church at Tanworth-in-Arden. Tanworth-in-Arden is about a mile's walk from Danzey Station, down a quiet country lane.
More pictures: |
 | This is the view from Tanworth Churchyard, across the Arden countryside, looking back in the direction of the railway, which runs right to left across the picture. |
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Also, shortly after leaving Danzey, and out of the right-hand window, can be seen Umberslade Farm. The farm is open to the public, and has many attractions for children. But it's a long walk from any of the stations, and is best reached with a car. The farm has its own website: Umberslade Farm. |  |
 | Two further stops take us to Earlswood.
This picture is taken from a bridge at Earlswood Station. Here the railway cuts though Clowes Wood. This is an ancient woodland and a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest. The wood is open to the public and there are nature trails through the wood. There are also extensive man-made lakes here. The lakes were built to store water for the Stratford Canal. The railway, the A34 road, and the canal follow a similar route along the entire journey between Stratford and Birmingham. |
 | Five further stops take us to Hall Green.
Although this area is now within the built-up area of Birmingham, the district was formerly countryside. This picture shows the A34 Stratford to Birmingham Road, just outside Hall Green Station. Hall Green is of interest because it is a few hundred yards from the former village of Sarehole, which was the childhood home of J R R Tolkien. |
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To get to Sarehole, you turn left as you come out of Hall Green station and walk back along the A34 for 100 yards, and then turn right down Cole Bank Road, shown here.
Sarehole, and Sarehole Mill are at the bottom of the road, just past the traffic island in the picture. |
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Tolkien's home is a private house and is not open to the public. But you can get a sense of the woodland and mature oaks and water, which surround the house, even today. Things to see include Sarehole Watermill, Tolkien's home, Moseley Bog (a nature reserve behind the house), the River Cole, and the Millstream Way. There are more pictures of all these things here: Sarehole. |
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