New facilities at well-loved Walsall beauty spot
Date Published : 01 December 2008
Visitors to iconic Walsall nature reserve Barr Beacon can now enjoy new picnic facilities thanks to grant funding.
Walsall Council’s countryside services have been working in partnership with The Rotary Club of Aldridge and The Barr Beacon Trust, which owns the landmark site.
The new facilities have been installed through a £24,000 grant funded project on behalf of the Ibstock Cory Environmental Trust (ICET) through the Landfill Communities Fund, secured in November 2007.
Aside from the £1,200 spent on picnic tables and new rubbish bins, the grant will also cover the cost of cleaning the war memorial, a panoramic disc for the monument, a new nature trail leaflet and wildlife habitat improvement work.
Councillor Adrian Andrew, chairman of the Barr Beacon Trust said: “The new facilities will make this important and beautiful nature reserve an even more enjoyable place for people to visit.”
Angela Haymonds, ICET secretary said:”ICET is really pleased to be able to support such an outstanding project – both literally and metaphorically! The improvements will open up access to the general public, making the site an even more interesting and enjoyable place to visit – just the type of project that ICET is seeking to fund in the Walsall area.”
Chris Blakemore, chairman of Aldridge Rotary Club, who applied for the funds, said: “We are delighted to be involved in such a worthwhile project to improve facilities for visitors of this picturesque and well loved site.”
Barr Beacon is the highest point within the Walsall borough, standing 228m above sea level and lying 5km (3miles) east of Walsall town centre. The site is a well-known landmark and focal point throughout the West Midlands, providing fabulous views of the surrounding land. It is a sandstone ridge that in the 18th Century was covered in heathland and used for sheep grazing.