Blackbrook Zoological Park

15 minutes drive from Leek town centre you will not only find the sign towards Alton Towers but also 'Blackbrook Zoological Park'.

Blackbrook Zoological ParkWinkhill Leek,
Staffordshire, ST13 7QR Set in the Staffordshire Moorlands, this park is home to
a large and varied collection of rare and endangered species from exotic birds
to tropical fish. A wonderful place for children to learn about various species
and holds a farm with its collection of miniature donkeys, Zebu cattle, rabbits,
chipmunks and much more.Information: 01538 308293 / Open: Mon-Sun / Cost: from
£4 up

We visited today to see all these different animals and endangered species in a large vast of wetlands, it was a great day out for myself, my partner, and our youngest, our 3 year old daughter.

There was lots to see here, I personally enjoyed the meerkats and the penguins as well as the tamarin monkeys and getting a slight splash from the large fish (including a massive, 2ft long Katfish).

Then and Now

Previously you saw the old and new pictures of Leekbrook Junction, I cannot really put any dates on the photos but the up to date one is July 2008.



To see it in its larger and more detailed form click on this large view link!

Welcoming comments from anybody that can put dates on any of these and has any other information regarding any part of Leekbrook. Click on the comments option below! (Thank you in advance).

Rocks

What about rocks?

How many rocks have you spotted around the Staffordshire Moorlands other than the Roaches ?

Well as you wander around some parts of Leekbrook and Cheddleton you will actually notice a fair few rocky sites, within the fields across the railway tracks at Leekbrook Junction there are a few stones lying around, and I am not talking rocks that make up dry stone walling (although there are those as well). On the entrance to St Edwards housing estate, which lies between Cheddleton and Leekbrook, off the Cheadle Road, there are rocks, opposite one entrance, the Leekbrook entrance, there is a very rocky area, as seen below.

Apart from Lud's church and the Roaches, and Hen cloud, there are more rocks around the Staffordshire moorlands than some of us realise. Was Leek a town cut out of stone originally? hmmm!

The sun shines the exploring begins...

I had totally intended to take EJ to the other park at St Edwards Park (housing estate up the road from where we live) but somebody has blocked the way between the Churnet Valley rail track at Leekbrook Junction and the woods, but I would not be won over by this blockage, somebody else had seemingly had a go at getting through before us, and flattened/broken down the barbwire and post, so I carefully lifted EJ over the barb wire, stepped through it carefully myself and off we went, through the lovely wooded area, one of my favourite walking paths of Leekbrook.

We came across lots of nature here ...

Once ventured into the Woods between Leekbrook and the St Edwards Housing estate (it thereby stands on the old Cheddleton Mental Hospital Grounds) I just wanted to take a photo of the trees in their splendour as due to the access renovations to the access of St Edwards Housing estate at the Leekbrook End, some of the trees have been cut down, which is a shame actually...

Here is evidence that new trees have been planted, hopefully this is to replace the view that have been taken down at the top of the woods, near to Cheadle Road...


On walking through the woods between the Leekbrook Line and the old houses below the new St Edwards Housing estate you will find a gap in the trees to look over the fields, over splendiforous countryside. If you were to climb over this gate and over the fields, go to your left and follow the path, you would end up at the Cauldon Canal.



Also, I took advantage of my macro facility on my camera again and captured some lovely colourful and floral images of nature found on our doorstep (in the woods).
The scottish thistle!


I believe this is called 'Crowsfoot' or something similar.

Hawthorn I believe although It could be a home to some gorgeous blackberries come around August time.

There are two places we have yet to explore and these are within Cheddleton...

St Edwards the Confessor

AND Cheddleton Flint Mill.

I will take the children towards these two architectural and historical beauties in our area as the Summer holidays begin! (If I dont go on my own on the masters bicicyle)!

We have the luxury of Beautiful Scenery on our Doorstep

We are so lucky that we have such beauty on our doorsteps, here in Leek, the surrounding areas, the Queen of the Moorlands.

As a family we took our opportunity in todays Sunshine, to explore Tittesworth Reservoir, the children love to play and kick a ball on the wide area of grass beyond the cafe or the younger one, playing in the sand or just generally clambering about on the mass of play equipment, however the play equipment, the grass (and the dog show that was held at Tittesworth today) is only part of the idyllic beauty of Tittesworth, there is also the reservoir itself and the surrounding grasslands, trees, woods, and of course the many different species of ducks.

One part of Staffordshire moorlands we wished to view today but without correct shoe wear or a map to behold we did not get to Lud's church, we will get there eventually! However, I took the opportunity whilst at Tittesworth to capture the wonderfulness of Tittesworths nature.


Edited and framed in a sepia image, here are the 'The Roaches', brilliantly captured I must boast, by myself from what would have been over a thousand yards away from the rocks themselves.

Above and below, the splendour of a landscape capture of Tittesworth reservoir.


(and again at an angled perspective)

Another beautiful feature (as mentioned above), is the variety of ducks which fly into Tittesworth. Today we have seen, regular white english geese, your average english duck (hen/female), and also about One swan (which was being fed by some visitors further up the bank from where I captured the above photos).
Here are some lovely captures of the ducks we saw today (desperately wanting my 'dutch chocolate' ice cream but were getting none of it).



One of my friends said today... in view of one of these captures of Canadian Geese...
"Ah yes. All Canadians go abroad for the summer, even the winged ones!" (Thanks Shauna)

And to end the day, well actually yesterday, which showed we would have a lovely sunny, warmish day today, was red skies. I managed to capture this "red sky at night.." over Leekbrook on Saturday evening (12th July 2008) before spending lots of time on websites and blog editing.

Skies O'er Leekbrook - Saturday 12th July 2008

Anybody remember Leekbrook Junction as a station?

Well here you go...

This is a rather strange photograph to see really! The hill at the back is still there but between that and the fence by the platform, there are lots of trees! TO the right where the telegraph poles are lined, that is again, trees which line the estate of where we live. As you can see from the photo below, there are the trees on the right, the platform is there on teh left yet fully grassed (still is) and yet there is a metal fence up the top left corner near the junction box where we walk around to continue up the disused railway line.

Many of the tracks are still here today (2008), its a shame as they are all covered in bushes and mini tree saplings now (need a good tidy-up on them tracks so people can walk easier). It is believed, or should I say rumoured, that the CVR wishes to extend this part of the Churnet Valley railway, back up towards where Leek station used to be located, where the cattle market and morrisons is today. I am not sure how true the rumour is, but if the disused tracks are to be maintained and reacknowledged for the engines to 'again' go towards what used to be their main station in Leek, then it could take between 5 and 10 years to establish and regain the working order.

I so hope the rumour is true, I would love to see the trains going past our estate, not just stopping and I would also love it to be a getting on and off point, as Leekbrook junction used to be.



and what does it look like now?
here are more trees to the right (behind this being the 'Cheddleton Way' Wainhomes housing estate where we live)
Here you can see on the upper left, the Leekbrook Junction platform, obviously nobody can stand on it as they would have used to due to all the grass and foliage now but lets hope the rumours are true and the Churnet Valley Railway and Network Rail can bring the rest of the lines up yonder back to life in the next 5 to 10 years.

On taking my daughter to one of the two park areas on St Edward Park housing estate today I met a lady and her grandchild also playing there, She said she was one of the many passengers who travelled on the very last train which travelled through from Oulton all the way into Leek, she also met her husband on that very train as he was a fireman on the train, they met on what is now the Morrisons deli counter! how romantic?

If you read this, to the lady in question, please feel free to comment more and tell us your tale of meeting your Husband.

The World War and Leek Residents

Did you know that many of Leeks residents were involved in fighting for our country in the First and Second world wars? Well there were 101 Soldiers, Seamen and Airmen from Leek whom lost their lives to the 2nd world war!

There are many books about the Leek-onians that were sadly taken from us during WWI and WWII such as....

Roll of Honour - Slippery Slope to War

Written and Researched by C.W.SheldonPublished by Three Counties Publishing (Books) Ltd Retail: £15.95

Roll of Honour - First Leek Casualties

Written and Researched by C.W.SheldonPublished by Three Counties Publishing (Books) Ltd Retail: £15.95

Roll of Honour - The Battle of the Somme

Written and Researched by C.W.SheldonPublished by Three Counties Publishing (Books) Ltd Retail: £15.95

In Name Only - The Battle of Britain

Written and Researched by C.W.SheldonPublished by Three Counties Publishing (Books) Ltd Retail: £13.95

In Name Only - The Blitz

Written and Researched by C.W.SheldonPublished by Three Counties Publishing (Books) Ltd Retail: £13.95

.................................................................................................................

Leek people who lost their lives in WW2

Douglas Charles Carding - Leek

Gilbert Wardle - Leek

Kenneth George Bishop - Leek

Sidney Collier - Leek

Ronald Bostock - Leek

Sidney Poole - Leek

John Shaw Allsop - Leek

Jack Trafford - Leek

Horace Lovatt - Leek

Ronald Sheldon - Leek

Leslie Sheldon - Leek

Ambrose William Johnson - Leek

George Norman Hill - Leek

Charles Lockett - Leek

Tom Lewis - Leek

George Edmund Percival - Leek

Thomas Edward Lucas - Leek

James Coates - Leek

Victor Mee - Leek

Edmund James - Leek

Frederick John Rogers - Leek

Charles Johnson - Leek

Norman Sigley - Leek

Herbert George Hall - Leek

frank Morley - Leek

Leslie Whittaker - Leek

John William Brunt - Leek

Jack Shutt - Leek

James Hannan Charnock - Leek

Harold Beech - Leek

Harry Bould - Leek

Joshua Herbert Hilton - Leek

John William Malkin - Leek

Frank Notley - Leek

Frederick Rogers - Leek

Leslie Maydew - Leek

Keith Wilson Smith - Leek

Peter Kenyon Green - Leek

Albert Grindey - Leek

Ernest Jones Mart - Leek

Harry Mellor - Leek

Basil Cope - Leek

Frederick Bostock - Leek

Michael Roy Stafford - Leek

Arthur Ball - Leek

Basil walmsley - Leek

Norman Sherratt - Leek

William Pickford - Leek

John Stanley Tipper - Leek

Harry Cook - Leek

James Beech - Leek

James Sidney Gordon - Leek

Alfred Derrick Critchlow - Leek

Ronald Poultney - Leek

Ronald Herbert Ager - Leek

Norman Yates Tatton - Leek

Rowland Hickin - Leek

Geoffrey Wood - Leek

Charles Tipper Hudson - Leek

Douglas Hancock - Leek

Gilbert Brereton - Leek

Harry Mellor - Leek

Charles Abbott Ball - Leek

Edgar Lovatt - Leek

Edward John Cooley - Leek

Harry Ratcliffe - Leek

Harry French Hooley - Leek

Stanley Biddulph - Leek

Frank Smith - Leek

Basil Bailey - Leek

John Fowler - Leek

Jack Renshaw - Leek

Derek Lawson dean - Leek

John Clark - Leek

Richard Kenneth Shaw - Leek

George Kirkland - Leek

Harvey Lomas - Leek

Arthur Ernest Pope - Leek

John Carter - Leek

Derek John Povey - Leek

Alfred Ward - Leek

George Woodcock - Leek

Leonard James Plant - Leek

Kenneth Baxter - Leek

Howard Gordon Emmerson - Leek

George Bailey - Leek

Arthur Lockett - Leek

Fred Poole - Leek

Norman Botham - Leek

James Arnol Cope - Leek

Clifford Harold Talbot - Leek

Frank Hammersley - Leek

Keith Norman Hodgkinson - Leek

Herbert Hambleton - Leek

Eric Peacock - Leek

Joseph Stonier - Leek

Harry Rowley - Leek

Harry Mear - Leek

Harold Tatton - Leek

Edward Alexander Belfield - Leek

The Many villages, Hamlets and their history...

A few weeks ago we went to Ladderedge Nature Reserve, however, on the way there we were supposed to be originally going to find 'Lud's Church', We turned left after the Roaches, towards Gradbach, unsure where we actually went wrong, we never did find Lud's church, sadly not enough research from myself meant I was actually looking for a church of some kind and not a rock formation....

"Gradbach is a tiny hamlet on the River Dane, and a well-known beauty spot which attracts many visitors. The hamlet is centred around a fine stone-built mill which was built in 1785 for the spinning of silk. Though the mill was water-powered and therefore cheap to run, this was too remote a site for an enterprise like this and the mill closed as early as 1885. It is now a Youth Hostel.Besides the valley of the Dane, the attractions of the area are the fine moorland walks and the unusual formation known as Lud's Church.
Shuttlingsloe from AllgreaveAllgreave is a tiny farming hamlet clustered around the A54 where it makes a steep descent to cross Clough Brook, below Wildboarclough. On the main road there is a pub called the the Rose and Crown."

Resource: http://www.cressbrook.co.uk/scripts/towns/villages.php

So maybe next time, after doing more research we can park up the car and go walking to find said Lud's Church, not only that, but a map would be handy (yes we still haven't equipped ourselves with a map).

Don't you think that it is just more fun to keep walking and see where you end up?

What about Cheddleton? Have you ever ventured there? Here you will find a couple of shops, 'Bargain Booze', 'One-Stop', 'Peak Pharmacy', 'Veterinary Surgery', 'Cheddleton Dental Surgery' and a total of 3 public houses... 'The Boat Inn', 'The Red Lion', and 'The Black Lion', as well as 'Gastro's' Latin American restaurant (situated by the canal where the Cheddleton canal wharf was once sited).

Did you know there was a flint mill in Cheddleton? Well there is, Follow the road from Leek, through Leekbrook and towards Cheddleton, down the Cheadle Road, as you near the dip in the road, look to your right where the canal is, there is a small drive there that leads you down to the Flint mill. Somewhere I/We, have not yet ventured yet are planning to when the weather is much better than it is now!

"Cheddleton lies 5km south of Leek, where the A520 road crosses the River Churnet, which has cut a deep-sided valley in the soft sandstone here. The village is rather spoilt by the main road, which is busy and noisy, and by the industrial estate which sits alongside the river, but the surrounding countryside along the Churnet Valley is mostly very pretty.There has been a settlement here since at least Saxon times, since the river was an obvious source of both water and water power. One of the flint mills (which are now a museum) was originally a corn mill and dates from the 14th century.
On the Caldon CanalCheddleton began to expand with the construction of the Caldon Canal, in 1779. This was originally built to bring limestone from the quarry at Cauldon and linked Stoke on Trent (where it joined the Trent and Mersey canal) with Froghall, lower down the Churnet Valley. The canal brought improved communications and hence industry (such as flint-milling) to the area. The construction of the North Staffordshire railway in 1849 brought further industry to the area, which has remained to this day.The Caldon Canal is now a popular route for tourists, and Cheddleton Station is the main centre for the Churnet Valley Railway, a popular tourist attraction."

Resource: http://www.cressbrook.co.uk/scripts/towns/villages.php

Other villages situated around Leek are...

Butterton

Elkstone

Gradbach

Ipstones

Onecote

Rudyard

Upper Hulme

Wincle

Danebridge

Swythamley

So that is at least 9 out of 10 places I have to visit and photograph to blog which I haven't yet visited.



The map of where we live... See the red road between Cheddleton and Leek, where the blue river goes in around a U shape is where we live! If you look further up you will see the Roaches, that is where I intend to take the family and find "Lud's Church".

Macro shots of findings around Leek and Leekbrook

When it is a nice sunny day (I say when, because they are few and far between at the minute), our daughter and I take our walk to town via the Leekbrook Line. It is a very picturesque track walk and if you are quiet you get to see many forms of nature, not only butterflies but we have seen the odd large rabbit (and sometimes the white bob-tail end of one) and snails kissing (I'll get to that in a bit). Yet as you walk along the line (overgrown as it is at present) you also get to see ducks flying over head, herons, and we get around 5 buzzards in our area.

I would like to now post the nature part of Leekbrook and Leek, I will also add that we heard a Pheasant makign its mating calls back on the 1st July, on our way to town, we had passed the side of Leek golf club as we came out of the long Leekbrook tunnel and we just couldnt see it, we heard its noise several times during our walk to town (before it was sounded out by the noises of cattle and sheep at Leek cattle market).

So here are some photos (and bitty blog bits) of our explorations in the sunshine.... our daughter pointed these snails out to me on a walk one day a fair few weeks ago, I couldnt help but take a picture of what looked like "kissing snails", I used selective coouring on the shells as the colouring was so beautiful.

now our daughter was tracing her stick along the lines on this graffiti (not that I like graffitti anywhere but on special canvasses and NOT painted on old tunnels like this) but I couldnt resist this capture of her, making it look like she was the one doing the tagging!

the capture of Leekbrook Tunnel here is wicked, the shadows of the trees and bushes, and the darkness within the tunnel is captured beautifully in my opinion yet I did take the photo so of course I am biased.

Any volunteers to trim these bushes? we ventured down them on 1st July and it was like walking through "a jungle mummy" as our 3 year old politely puts it.
The gorse bushes in full bloom (on macro feature) These flowers have now gone (they were out in May) but im sure they will be back in full bloom next year.
This was taken at the start of the train line by the Leekbrook Junction control box, I was only testing my macro feature out on my new camera at the time and it came out like this, so I was pretty impressed to say the least, another example of the nature we have on our doorstep.

The Age of Steam

I cannot really express how lovely it is to benefit from the age of steam on our doorstep. The Churnet Valley Railway journeys from Cheddleton to Consall Forge, onto Froghall and Kingsley and then back again via the latter stations and towards Leekbrook Junction almost every weekend during nearly every month of the year. The ironic factor of this is that my better half, Phil is by far, not a train spotter, however, this has become due to years of being drove from one station to another by his father, train spotting! Not only does my partners father love his trains but so does my partners step father, brother and nephew, LOVE locomotives! So us living by the Leekbrook Junction is very ironic.

I do love the steam trains and I think the CVR volunteers have gathered this as they will generally see me snapping away with my camera either at Leekbrook OR at the Cheddleton station. I assure you this is more a love of photography and editing that just of steam trains and the love of the family whom do love trains that I take the photographs for (I even make them into gift cards for family and friends, friends of friends etc to purchase).
I took this on the 29th June (2008) and edited it as I just feel any age of steam photos should be shown more antique and textured than more of a modern day capture.
One of those images that looks so much better in large format, one of my ultimate faves of the regular BR80098 - taken at Leekbrook Junction (29/06/2008)
Leekbrook Junction 29th June 2008. Again another of my favourites, I edited the texture and the colouring to make it look olde world.

I dont often get chance to capture the engine travelling from one end of the carriages to the other as I am normally stood at the other side of the track from this, and further down track near home.