Robinswood, Saintbridge, Barnwood 11th March 2010

 Following on from previous weeks stupid venture into the hills, this entry fits altogether gentler criteria.  I make no apologies, the places on this blog are a shameless trip down memory lane for me.  Having just turned 40, a little nostalgia is in order.  Not to mention some flat riding.

11th March was actually a commute to and from work.  Direct route this would be about 5 miles each way so we aren't going to cover much mileage.  I headed to work along Reservoir road where we used to live and turned via Matson into Saintbridge where my brother and I went to secondary school.  Not far from the school is my first stop.  The balancing pond.  Or when were kids, it was always referred to as 'the reservoir' or, more often 'the resy'.  We were firmly of the belief that despite being best part of a kilometre away, it gave reservoir road its name.  It didn't of course.  More of that later.  It did however, provide one of the places that I would spend all day, get soaking wet and filthy dirty before going home and being in trouble for being late.  The other, being where Reservoir road did get its name from - more about that later.  I digress, the balancing pond is a well presented area now surrounded by Abbeydale estate, or Heron as people of a certain age will remember it.  It hasn't changed much except that there are speed traps for oiks on bikes now and I'm sure the duck population is more interesting, as evidenced by the Canada geese.

A quick journey then through Coney Hill for no other reason than my photographic pit-stop meant I was well on course for being late for work.  Which brings me to my next picture.  The office I work in is right on the main road and in the middle of what is now a large housing estate.  On the opposite corner, almost ignored, is a war memorial.






Not much riding for the next few hours, time to work instead, boo hiss.

The route home sees me heading towards Barnwood where the first stop is the Norman parish church of St Lawrence with additional building for community activities built right up to the start of this decade.  As I arrive, the lady vicar is bidding farewell to a significant group of primary school children and their teachers.  I wheel my bike into churchyard and wait for them to disperse before approaching the vicar and confirming the group were indeed from Barnwood primary, the school I attended from approx. 1976 to 1979.  I remember these visits and feel slightly warm and fuzzy that things haven't changed.


A couple of points of interest on the outside and in the churchyard are a couple of sarcophagi dating back to the 18th century and more carved graffiti.  Although the graffiti artist in this case was good enough to date his work.


St Lawrence Church is located on the west side of Church Lane.  Right opposite is Barnwood Park and Arboretum.  Originally part of the landscaped grounds of the old Barnwood House Hospital where poet Ivor Gurney was once a resident.  When I was a kid, this was 'just' a park.  It has had some work done to it and is now a buzzing nature reserve and arboretum.

Curiously, slap bang in the middle of the park is a church.  Or rather was a church, it is now a gym.  A quick trawl through the internet, I can find no evidence of it as an active church although a nagging feeling tells me it may have been St Lukes, anyone who has information to support or on the contrary, feel free to post. I am in two minds about this new use of the church.  Whilst the original builders would have built with a passion and to the glory of God, at least the building has some use.  I do remember it being in a very sorry state and a magnet for the local winos, and, after all, if you want to go to church there is a lively active parish church on the other side of the road.  Oh, and the graffiti here is decidedly 21st century.

Continuing south, I quickly arrive again at Coney Hill and the parish church of St Oswald.  I must admit, I didn't realise this even existed before today, it sits behind the crematorium.  And I know absolutely nothing about it.  Even the building is quite non-descript.  I guess it is from early-ish 20th century which would tie in with Coney Hill becoming a district and parish in its own right.  Here is a picture, make your own mind up before I go and find out.  Unless of course you are the vicar there and feel like dropping me a line.  It would be appreciated.

So back on to Reservoir Road where we started the day.  And I did promise you the source of the name of the road and the other place in my childhood where I would spend the day getting dirty.  Reservoir road runs gradually uphill to the entrance to the country park on Robinswood Hill.  As a kid, it was normal to spend the entire day on the hill, jumping down or climbing up the quarry, fishing for sticklebacks in the ponds and getting home wet, muddy and late.  Going back even further than my childhood, the local religious orders tapped into the natural springs to provide a water supply.  Now, as a reminder, behind the Wildlife trust building is Well Cross which, rather self explanatory, is or rather was, a well in the shape of a cross.

Some years later, with a greater need for water, two reservoirs were formed at the foot of the hill, these were full until the 1940s and gave Reservoir Road its name.  They have since been filled in.  One now forms the car park and wildlife trust area. The other, in the 80s was  turned into a BMX track.  Now it is more of a lumpy hole in the ground.

Total distance - 20Km

Average Speed - 24 KM/h

Weather - about 12C, Dry, Southerly wind.