結石の天然記念物・トップ12

great place for a walk

Incredibly muddy - wear wellies!

Worth a visit not only at sunset!

Trig Point Kinver Edge

The Four Stones were erected by Lord Lyttelton of Hagley Hall in the 18th century. Brilliant views over nearby Walton Hill and further towards the Cotswolds, Shropshire Hills and the Welsh Borders.

Geological overview Just south of Stourport a magnificent river cliff of fine grained red sandstone is seen. Although mainly homogenous in terms of geology, there are white streaks and thin bands of coarse material running throughout the section. The soft sandstone of Redstone Rock is easily carved and there is evidence of human-made habitation in the cliff face since Stone Age times. The caves that can be seen today were mostly made in the 12th century, when a hermitage was established there, conveniently located for the hermits to be on hand to offer blessings and prayers for passers-by in return for alms. It was said to house up to 500 men, who may have also manned the ferry crossing, which was there due to the presence of a ford until the river was dredged. The caves were later used as domestic dwellings and were inhabited almost continuously until the mid twentieth century. Source: Geopark.org

The Four Stones is a striking monument at the top of the Clent Hills. While they look prehistoric, they were erected around 1763 at the behest of an eccentric landowner. Nevertheless, the characterful stones are supposedly aligned with the solstice sunset and offer a magnificent view at all times of the year.

This area of the Wyre Forest Site of Special Scientific Interest belongs to John Ruskin's charity, the Guild of St George and is managed by the Wyre Community Land Trust. We are managing this area to support a mixture of high forest and heathland, which are valuable habitats for bats, birds and other species. In large areas of the woodland, the trees. are relatively young, and mainly comprise oak with bracken and bramble. This lack of diversity is a result of changes in woodland management following World War 1. when much of the woodland was no longer coppiced because of a collapse in the charcoal industry. In order to improve the habitat diversity, some trees have been removed to give those remaining more space to grow into large mature trees. The trees that are felled are extracted and processed at the Wyre Community land Trust's woodyard and sawmill at St George's Farm and used to make a variety of timber products and firewood. Volunteers have helped plant trees to ensure the forest has a diverse mixture of tree species that is more resilient to pests, disease and the effects of climate change.