Lost chapels and elusive cave houses.
I’m using the last of my annual leave this week and wanted a good explore. I had been watching YouTube videos of people exploring around the Kinver area and came across a place named The Million Wood, just adjacent to Enville and with in its closely packed wood lay a strange cave house.
I parked by Stourton Junction and crossed the busy A458 before heading North on the canal
I bimbled along at a steady pace stopping to snap pictures along the way, it had started to drizzle a little but I shrugged it off and continued my canter.
To my left, the River Stour burble along quietly, meandering around its long formed bends, as sandstone cliffs held the right, tree roots and vines hung carelessly over the side creating a secret and forgotten place and near a little bend in the canal a set of doors hid a little stretch of forgotten canal , named the Devil's Den,
The little cut out here is said to date from the 18th century, built-in return for allowing the canal's construction through the Foley estate, a secret boat house, now it is home to protected bats and closed off to prevent damage, there has been some consternation from canal and history enthusiast who say that the canal trust and waterways has not been keen to have any public access and that history is being lost.
I plod on reaching the little bridge of Prestwood, no 34 out of 104 and take a left off the canal, heading across Gothersley Lane and joining a rather brick strewn bridle way. Joining the track passing many horses I caught sight of something, now I say something as it appeared to be dog sized, beige/brown in color and moved very quietly, it vanished and I was left wondering what it was, perhaps a local deer?
Next passing Gothersley Hall, built-in 1935 once home to non other than Roy Wood. Following the track I entered The Million, a large sprawling mixed plantation woodland, Consisting of mainly Pine cash crop.
Stock image, Roy Wood outside Gothersley Hall
From maps dating 1937 it retains this name thought to be named due to the amount of trees, in a map dated 1815 it is not shown, instead going by the name worrall Clump?
Old map of the area.
The Million appears in its current name around 1902 as a plantation, to throw an even stranger mix in, across from where the Fox Inn now sits, this area was known as Van Diemens Land, quite what the original name for Tasmania has to do with this corner of Kinver I can't say??
I ran around for some 40 minutes here, the rain was now torrential and making the going tough, I wandered through the wood, my bum taking an unscheduled sit of two occasions, I donned my waterproof's and carried on passing the scouts training Centre, it reminded me of a horror camp ground, where tails of hapless scouts being brutally murdered by an escaped convict, today in the quiet and wet solitude it definitely invoked those feelings.
Onto the Enville estate we trod, I passed through sheep fields, they were more bolder here and one took a particular dislike to my pup, we made a hasty retreat before crossing a few more fields and onto Priest Wood.
The origins of its name are a little confusing but seems to date from the family De Prestwood or "by the priest wood" from which Prestwood surname takes its origins. But there is also some suggestions of it being linked to Lady Wulfrun the Anglo Saxon noble woman and landowner through out Mercia.
This little chapel here is hidden away amongst the gnarled Yews, built-in 1753 in a gothic style it was never consecrated and thus referred to as a sham chapel. It was a place for picnics and get togethers. Thought to be designed by William Shenstone and named in his honor after his death it sits beautifully amongst the ancient wood, overlooking the valley and hall.
Enville Hall was held by the Grey's from around the 1600s and claimed the Earl of Stamford title in 1720, it has been passed on only through inheritance ever since. The grounds were extensively landscape and became the talk of Victorian England as a place to be seen. There are many follies and items to see here and if you can find them, worth a little look.
Enville Hall
After my trek here, I retraced my steps running back through The Million, another snippet of interesting info, in maps from 1889 there is a circular race course adjacent to the main road, it is still visible albeit now a forest track, stopping to snap more pictures as I went. I was able to catch glimpse of both Munjact Deer and a couple of Roe Deer, the Muntjac being the earlier animal I had seen.
My original reason from the run today seemed to evade me, I had learned of other bloggers who had located a cave house, or set of room carved into the local sandstone, hidden away in the now private part of The Million, I have only seen one video of this particular spot and seems to be a selection of rooms with vents in the ceiling. Maybe one day I will return and try to find this elusive little bit of history. There is scan information about it, which seems a shame to be hidden away on private land with an over zealous land owner.
