Kinver Edge

Kinver Edge

Kinver as seen from Holy Austin Rock Houses
Highest point
Elevation 164 m (538 ft)
Listing None
Coordinates 52°09′14″N 2°05′25″W / 52.154°N 2.0904°W / 52.154; -2.0904Coordinates: 52°09′14″N 2°05′25″W / 52.154°N 2.0904°W / 52.154; -2.0904
Geography
Kinver Edge

Location in Staffordshire

Location Staffordshire, England
OS grid SO829824
Topo map OS Landranger 102

Kinver Edge is a high heath and woodland escarpment just west of Kinver, about four miles west of Stourbridge, and four miles north of Kidderminster, and is on the border between Worcestershire and Staffordshire, England. It is now owned by the National Trust.

History

Kinver Edge is a remnant of the Mercian forest, although much planting dates from post-1945. There are two Iron Age hillforts on Kinver Edge the larger one Kinver Edge Hillfort, is at the northern end, while the other is at the southern end, on a promontory known as Drakelow Hill.

The area has been a popular local tourist destination since Edwardian times, when an electric tramway, the Kinver Light Railway, connected Kinver to the Birmingham tram system.

Holy Austin Rock Houses

Kinver Edge is home to the last troglodyte dwellings occupied in England, with a set of complete cave-houses excavated into the local sandstone. One of the rocks, "Holy Austin", was a hermitage until the Reformation. The Holy Austin rock houses were inhabited until the 1960s. They are now owned by the National Trust and are open for tour. One house has been restored to a Victorian appearance, and the Martindale Caves show what life was like in the 1930s.

The cottage gardens and an orchard are being replanted and restored.

Geography

Kinver Edge is situated to the east of the Severn Valley, and is in the South Staffordshire/Wyre Forest Districts. It is situated in green belt land, and is at the very edge of the urban metropolitan West Midlands. Kinver Edge rises to 164 metres above sea level at the summit, and provides views to the Clent Hills, Shatterford Hill, Dudley, Wenlock Edge, Malvern Hills and the Shropshire Hills. The rock houses are in kinver edge

The Edge is topped with Bunter pebbles, and is subject to erosion.

The heathland and woodland on Kinver Edge are inhabited by wildlife, including adder and common lizard present on the heaths, and common buzzard, Eurasian jay, great spotted woodpecker, badger, red fox, and many other bird species present in the woods. The area around the summit is mainly heathland, with birch, oak and sweet chestnut trees in the woods at the northern end. Kingsford, Worcestershire Country Park is on the southern end of the edge, and entirely in Worcestershire. It is made up of coniferous plantation woodlands.

Contemporary uses

The primary economic activity is tourism and estate management. The Staffordshire Way long-distance footpath passes over the summit. The Country Park is used for mountain biking.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 2/2/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.