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Walkers enjoy stunning views across the Clents and Clees to Wales at the Coombeswood Stour Valley Viewpoint. Both footpaths providing access to this viewpoint, including the one pictured, are now threatened by Dudley MBC with diversion and closure.

Fri 29th Jan: Last Minute Online Footpath Objections

Sun 18th January: Footpaths Readathon - Free Radio-Play Style Sound Preview

Sat 17th January 2010: Footpaths Readathon - How To Donate

1. Printable Paths Objection Guide Page 1 of 2
2. Printable Paths Objection Guide Page 2 of 2 

• Continuous use: the paths to be closed are very well used paths each well over 20 years old. Both a wealth of residents' written testimony and Dudley recognise these as public rights of way. 
• Access to viewpoint: the two paths under threat provide access to Halesowen's finest viewpoint, with views across Clent, Shropshire and through to Wales, together with views North and South across the green Coombeswood hillside itself and on into Leasowes. Access to this - the Coombeswood Landscape Heritage Area's most important viewpoint - is essential to recreation and enjoyment of the Landscape Heritage Area in total. If acess is lost, this priceless resource is gone forever.
• Loss of leisure: the threatened paths are regularly used by hundreds of residents for a variety of leisure purposes including enjoyment of views, exercise, sports and wildlife appreciation.

L-R: Walker Sue Westbury, Simon Roberts as the villainous Mr Furnival, walker Sue Yeadon, Georgia Clare as Evelyn Picture: courtesy of Mike Clare

A Halesowen green group is holding a sponsored book reading marathon in order to hightlight footpaths threatened with closure. Friends of Coombeswood will give a public reading of Cold Harbour, a novel by celebrated author Francis Brett Young in its entirety in a marathon 8 hour session in Halesowen's Church Hall on Saturday 23rd January, beginning at 9.00am. The 65,000 word novel will be read in character by group members wearing authentic period constume; all sponsorship proceeds are to be donated to Mary Stevens Hospice. The pupose of the reading - entrance to which will be free - is to raise awareness of a Dudley Council threat to close and divert two Coombeswood Green Wedge footpaths which have provided access to stunning landscape heritage views across Shropshire and into Wales for generations of local residents. The deadline for objection letters to the closure and diversion orders is 1st February. Phone 07974881906 for a free objector's information leaflet, alternatively visit the website at www.coombeswood.info. Information on sponsoring the reading can also be obtained from the same sources. Group member Simon Roberts stated: "The very good reason that we have chosen a book by Halesowen author Francis Brett Young is that he was a leading figure in the green movement before the fact. He was a member of both the fledgling Ramblers Association and of CPRE, and his book are filled with wonderful descriptions of the landscape, people and wildlife of the countryside between Halesowen and the Welsh Marches. If alive today, Mr Young would certainly be behind us; should Dudley Council be allowed to carry out their threat unopposed, the inevitable result would be the effective loss of Halesowen's finest viewpoint. The novel we will be reading is called Cold Harbour. It is a superb novel of supernatural horror set in a thinly disguised Halesowen; anyone who loves this area and loves a chilling ghost story at Christmas is invited to join us in celebrating Halesowen and its greatest literary figure on 23rd January while pulling together to help protect the Coombeswood Landscape Heritage Area from those whose interest in our local environment and heritage starts and ends on a balance sheet. Dudley council has already encouraged developers to do their worst to this town: now it is time to remind ourselves of, to enjoy and to protect the real Halesowen, both for ourselves and for future generations".

1. Coombeswood in 2009 was the last remaining site in the whole of the urban Black Country where Skylarks still breed, and the nearest colony to Birmingham City Centre.
2. There is strong evidence of a very large local reduction in numbers during the preceeding 3/4 years, and this is in addition to a national 53% drop from the early 1970s to the mid 2000s.
3. Consideration should now be given to the whole of Coombeswood being afforded some measure of urgent protection for 2010 for the preservation of this last remaining local colony of an iconic and much loved bird.