When you find the giant dragonfly, take the steps up the mound to enjoy heavenly views westward over Telford, particularly St. Georges to the south and Donnington to the north. The Wrekin and The Ercall hills are to the west and some of the lesser hills such as Haughmond near Shrewsbury, Hawstone Hill, Chetwynd Park near Newport and Lilleshall Hill can also be seen from this vantage point.
Barnyard Colliery Pit Mound :
A mineshaft was sunk on land to the north of the present day Barnyard Pitmound, first shown on maps dated 1837. These workings were deeper than those to the south at Lodgebank, and involved the use of a winding engine to lift materials and workers up and down.
The Barnyard Colliery closed around 1880, and the shafts on top of the mound were capped and made safe in the mid 1980s. There is little evidence on the ground of any workings which were located on the eastern side of the present day mound.
Three other mines, Barn Colliery, Meadow Colliery and Old Meadow Pits, also operated around the same time but only the substantial spoil mound of Barnyard Colliery, and part of the Barn Colliery spoil mound (on the other side of the old railway line) remain.
The Barnyard Colliery pitmound is unusual in that it remains as grassland on the top, whereas many of the other pitmounds are now woodland, or sometimes heathland. This is a result of many years of grazing and gradual improvement for livestock. The steep sides of the mound are not presently grazed and are gradually developing into woodland and scrub.
Furher information and maps of the Granville can be found at www.shropshirewildlifetrust.org.uk
Cache contains a First to Find Pin.