Merrions Wood Local Nature Reserve
Merrions Wood Local Nature Reserve is a wonderful oak and beech woodland 5km (3 miles) south east of Walsall town centre. Around 7 (17 acres) hectares in size, Merrions Wood Local Nature Reserve not only contains trees, but also a pond, adding to the variety of wildlife you can find here.
Once part of the Great Barr Hall estate, the site is now owned by the Merrions Wood Local Nature Reserve Trust and managed by Countryside Services. It forms the western part of the Great Barr Conservation area and is designated as a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation.
History
If you visit Merrions Wood Local Nature Reserve in early May, you'll see a carpet of flowering bluebells covering the woodland floor. These are a sign of ancient woodland, possible dating back as far as the 12th century.
In the 14th century the site was a deer park. It was around this time that the Scott family settled into the area. They were to have a major influence on the development of Merrions Wood Local Nature Reserve and the Great Barr Hall estate. After the deer park was abandoned, much of the area became farmland.
By counting the growth rings of dead oak trunks in Merrions Wood Local Nature Reserve, we can estimate that they were planted around 1770. The beech trees were added around 1795 when it is believed Humphrey Repton ( a pupil of Capability Brown) was commissioned to landscape some of the estate of the then owner Joseph Scott.
The horse chestnut avenue is also typical of Repton's designs. Their ring counts suggest that they were planted around 1810. It was about this time that the Scott family diverted Skip Lane, bringing the wood to its present size.
Great Barr Hall
The Hall was originally known as the Netherhouse and was part of a mixed farm. In 1777, Joseph Scott has it rebuilt in a Gothic style. Te work left him bankrupt and in 1786 the Hall was mortgaged to gunmaker and banker Samuel Galton Jnr. It was during this tenure that the lunar society met at the Hall. Its members included prominent industrialist and scientists of the time such as Josiah Wedgewood, James Watt and Matthew Bolton. In order to reduce the risk of attack from highway robbers, the society's meeting were held on moonlit nights, hence the name.
Following an inheritance Joseph Scott was able to regain possession of the Hall in 1791. He and his descendants continued renovation work, particularly ornamenting the grounds.
The Scott family ownership continued until the death of Lady Mildred Scott in 1909, after which the Hall and estate were sold off to a variety of buyers.
The Friends of Merrions Wood
Run by Walsall Council’s countryside services, the Friends of Merrions Wood is open to anyone who is interested in getting involved with the care, protection, enjoyment and development of Merrions Wood in Great Barr, Walsall. The group meet every other month throughout the year for walks, events, discussions and practical conservation activities in the reserve.
Merrions Wood is a 17 acre wildlife haven which contains a wonderful oak and beech woodland, a pond and is full of wonderful flora such as the carpet of bluebells that covers the woodland floor each May. The site was part of the Great Barr Hall Estate in the 1700’s, so has an extremely diverse and interesting historical past.
The woodland was designated the ninth Local Nature Reserve in Walsall in November 2004 due to its nature conservation and value to local people for recreation and environmental education. It contains ancient woodland and areas of ancient ridge and furrow lines, which provides evidence of medieval farming.
If you would like to be involved, please contact Diana West, Senior Countryside Ranger, Walsall Countryside Services on 01922 459813 for more information on the programme of activities planned for the Friends of Group through the year, and how to join in with them.
How to find Merrions Wood Local Nature Reserve
The main entrances into Merrions Wood Local Nature Reserve are off Chapel Lane, Great Barr, and also off Birmingham Road (A34), Walsall, where there is some parking space. By bus: 51, from Walsall to Birmingham.