Black Country Geopark Walks, Saltwell Wood

The large cross, commissioned by St. Mark’s Church, now marks the summit of the hill. There are panoramic views of the surrounding landscape, including the Staffordshire countryside, The Wrekin, the Clent Hills and the Brown Clee in Shropshire.

The site is a result of fireclay extraction by Royal Doulton, between 1870 and 1940, which has left behind high exposures of sandstone, clay and coal. Previously called Saltwells Clay Field, the Royal Doulton Company bought the site and extracted clay for fine china and sanitary ware for 70 years until the 1930s. The clay was carried out along a tub line to the canal. The pit is now a Site of Special Scientific Interest on account of being the best exposure of the Productive Coal Measures in the South Staffordshire Coalfield. This picture was taken in November too 5. In July 2020 the Black Country successfully secured UNESCO Global Geopark status, alongside 161 Geoparks around the world. A very similar picture appears in the October 2020 edition of the BBC County file Magazine.

The site is a result of fireclay extraction by Royal Doulton, between 1870 and 1940, which has left behind high exposures of sandstone, clay and coal. Previously called Saltwells Clay Field, the Royal Doulton Company bought the site and extracted clay for fine china and sanitary ware for 70 years until the 1930s. The clay was carried out along a tub line to the canal. The pit is now a Site of Special Scientific Interest on account of being the best exposure of the Productive Coal Measures in the South Staffordshire Coalfield.