Chimneys, walls, churches, bridges.

notes on a walk around Springfield 29/07/08

Starting to walk at Field street. To my left in the distance , the spires of St Peter’s, to my right between two relatively new small redbrick houses in the cul de sac, a chimney probably a mile away to the North East, around the corner past St Stephens – roof fixing in progress, then the closed butcher's, blue floral patterns and the M&B Freemasons Arms, red bricks and cream lintels. Then up Water Street past uPVC doors, brimming plastic plant pots, to the left the weather faded blue rails of the Community Centre and the main brewery gates straight ahead, framed by the wrought centrepoint iron work ‘SPRNGFIELD BREW’ remaining. Quiet. Eleven- thirty am, the odd car, no pedestrians, background whirring breezy hum. Down Cambridge Street, right – the corner tree lined empty green - raised earth at the edges and untreated wooden chamfered bollards. Opposite the brewery wall recesses alternate blue/black red arches and crossed patterns of buff and blue/black side on and brick end facings. The old cask wash through the top gates, the new road tarmac layed out over the old yard, and past two small workshop chimneys in the foreground framing the taller one at the rear. Wall now on right and left of the road , higher and less ornate. Old workshop grille smears and vent stains. The Mitchells and Butler’s flaking black and white sign repeated around the corner. Out on to the Cannock road, looking over to the boarded up ‘Waggon and Horses’. Quickly into the petrol station to buy a chicken sandwich, money passed under the protective glass screen. Back toward the city and looking east down the railside brewery wall ‘painted august 1959’ in small letters and overlayed pride of ‘ the Midlands’ over ‘Wolverhampton’. Over the riveted bridge watching the ‘Freightliner’ head out and down the gap and steps to the Birmingham Main Line . Heavy drizzle now and looking back over to the white brewery lettering in full view from the towpath. Opposite bank concrete tables then reeds and open views of forklifts milling about. Under the black dripping railway bridge, old worn rope notches and the railway now on my left, red pavoirs and quadrant, bloke catching perch on a spinner, “decent size n’all” through No.2 lock, Carvers advertising cookers in large red letters on the canal wall on a plastic sheet. Under Little’s Lane’s bridge. Heavy clanks of the train slowing to my left, up WOLVERHAMPTON TOP LOCKS, the chubb buildings straight ahead and past the British Waterways depot, on the Wednesfield road now under the bridge- faded paint yellow with red and blue diamonds. Heavy drips, black wet floor. To the right the low level redevelopment and in the distance the Royal Mail office clad in grey panels and red edging. Down Chewell Street drilling and spray jetting, rolling and flattening. Left on to Grimstone past Banks’s depot and noticing the black tiled Grimstone Street sign embedded in the Butler’s brewery wall opposite. Then boarded old office windows and the open structure rusted RSJ’s near to the old malt hoist . The familiar dark lime green of drain piping, the mash tun floor skeleton, valves and wheels. The curved wall, gaps showing the white wall tiles of the copperhouse and back to Cambridge street vents, flues and recessed decorative wall arches.