There is a wealth of history in the areas surrounding our wonderful Bartley Reservoir.

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Bromwich Wood is ancient woodland with oaks, ash, and alder. n the spring, you can see flowering plants that are typical of ancient woodland such as bluebells, which is why you may also know it as Bluebell Wood. The wood shelters the scarce Wood Horsetail, a living fossil whose ancestors have been on earth since the time of the dinosaurs.

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St Leonard's 15th-century church has an unbroken line of priests from 1236 to the present day. It was mentioned in historic documents from 1216. The yew trees in the churchyard are thought to be around 300 to 400 years old.

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Frankley Hall stood from at least 1601 not far from St Leonard's church. It was burned to the ground in 1645 by Prince Rupert and his cavaliers during the civil war. The hall itself stood on the site of an earlier moated building. Part of the moat still exists, filled with water. 

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There are many pathways around the reservoir and its surrounding green areas.  These public footpaths are our ancestor's heritage to us. They walked the same pathways we walk today. 'Once a pathway always a pathway.'

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With all this history around us, we deserve folklore - to remind us of those who have been before, of what has been before, and to entertain us with stories that stretch the imagination.

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This is why we have created fake folklore for the reservoir and its green spaces. Some tales are firmly rooted in history, others not. Can you tell which is which? We've included some information on the history of the area to help you work it out.

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Download the map. Scan the QR codes as you walk around the resa. Listen to our folk tales and watch the videos while you wander through these areas of natural beauty, our little haven on the edge of the city.

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