Kinver Edge

Infobox Mountain
Name=Kinver Edge
Elevation = 164 m (538 ft)
Location = Staffordshire, ENG
Grid_ref_UK=SO829824
Listing = None|

Kinver Edge is a high heath and woodland escarpment just west of Kinver, about four miles west of Stourbridge, and four miles north of Kidderminster, and is on the border between Worcestershire and Staffordshire, England. It is now owned by the National Trust.

History

Kinver Edge is a remnant of the Mercian forest, although much planting dates from post-1945. At its summit is an Iron Age hillfort.

Kinver Edge is home to the last troglodyte dwellings occupied in England, with a set of complete cave-houses excavated into the local sandstone. One of the rocks, "Holy Austin", was a hermitage until the Restoration. The Holy Austin rock houses were inhabited until the 1950s. They are now owned by the National Trust. The cottage gardens and an orchard are being replanted and restored.

The area has been a popular local tourist destination since Edwardian times, when an electric tramway connected Kinver to the Birmingham tram system. It has been plausibly suggested that these cave-houses and their small gardens were the inspiration for Hobbiton in the writings of J. R. R. Tolkien, who grew up and spent his young adulthood in nearby Birmingham and Staffordshire.

Geography

Kinver Edge is situated to the east of the Severn Valley, and is in the South Staffordshire/Wyre Forest Districts. It is situated in Green Belt land, and is at the very edge of the Urban Metropolitan West Midlands. Kinver Edge rises to 164 metres above sea level at the summit, and provides excellent views to the Clent Hills, Shatterford Hill, Dudley, Wenlock Edge, Malvern Hills and the Shropshire Hills.

The Edge is topped with Bunter pebbles, and has recently been found to be eroding badly.

The heathland and woodland on Kinver Edge are a haven for the local wildlife, with Adder and Common Lizard present on the heaths, and Common Buzzard, Eurasian Jay, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Badger, Red Fox, and many other bird species present in the woods.The area around the summit is mainly Heathland, with Birch, Oak and Sweet Chestnut trees in the woods at the northern end. Kingsford, Worcestershire Country Park is on the southern end of the edge, and entirely in Worcestershire. It is made up of Coniferous plantation woodlands.

Contemporary uses

The primary economic activity is tourism and estate management. The Staffordshire Way long-distance footpath passes over the summit. The Country Park is popular for mountain biking.

External links

* [http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-kinveredge/ Kinver Edge information at the National Trust]
* [http://www.stourbridge.com/htm/kinver.htm Internet Guide to Stourbridge Kinver Page]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/factual/opencountry_20060603.shtml BBC Radio 4 documentary about Kinver Edge (listen online)]