Sandwell Park Colliery Trail

Start at the Swan Pool Car Park and walk up to pool past the bath building of Sandwell Park Colliery. The building is now used by the Sandwell Valley Sailing Club and is the only structure from the colliery site that still stands.

Turn right and walk along the path next to the northern bank. This is the site of the Sandwell Saw Mill. The path then curves round to the left, you are now walking along the trackbed of the tramway used to transport coal from the Jubilee Pit of the Sandwell Park Colliery. If you walk onto the grass and look behind, you can see the embankment that was constructed for the tramway.

Walk south and enjoy the scenic view of Swan Pool and its birds. This area is known by the locals as the ‘Wasson’. When you reach a junction, continue straight. This area was known as ‘Warley Fields’. Continue along the path and then you will see a surviving footbridge that crosses the tramway trackbed on the left.

Walk around the bridge and you can get another great view of this little gem.

If you look closely at the ground, you can see the remains of loose stone and cast-iron bracings next to the tramway trackbed.

It’s difficult to continue along the track bed; however, there is a path that runs alongside. Keep following it south and you’ll eventually see remains of the iron fencing that existed either side of the tramway, most likely to stop the theft of coal.

Continue onwards and you’ll reach the remains of the another small footbridge, the way is now blocked by a fallen tree. Keep heading south and you’ll see more remains of iron fencing before reaching a path junction alongside an embankment for the nearby priory pool. This is where remains of the track bed start to become much more difficult to identify. It’s best to turn right, then left, which takes you back onto the main concrete path. At the end of the path, you’ll come to a T-junction, which marks where another footbridge would have existed over the tramway.

Because we cannot follow the tramway any further, at the T-junction, turn left and continue walking till you reach the remains of Sandwell Priory and the Sand Well, which is the how the borough got its name when formed in 1974.

Keep walking straight until you reach a road crossing on Park Lane. Before the crossing, turn left and continue on the path. Turn right at the end, then follow the path left. You will end up back at Swan Pool. Turn right and you are back at the sailing club building and the car park where you started.

Yes, the following remains are not part of the trail; however, we have provided details so visitors can find out more about what’s left of the colliery.

The track at the T-junction before Sandwell Priory did continue south where it joined another line from the main Sandwell Park Colliery pit, which connected to railway sidings and a coal wharf on the BCN Old Main Line canal. A billboard next to the canal marks the location of the concrete bunkers that were used to load narrowboats with coal. This spot is some distance away next to Summit Bridge.

The land has been heavily developed over the years, with the construction of the M5 J1 roundabout, various dual carriageways, and new industrial estates, not to mention the Sandwell Park Golf Club. This development has wiped out all remains of the tramway. In this photo, you can see the tramway as it approaches the Sandwell Hall Arch Lodge and continuing through Sandwell Valley towards the huge tip of the colliery.

You can approach the site of the main pit from Colliery Road off the A41. The road bridge over the railway line still exists, this would have been the main entrance to the colliery.

Head down the road and look through the metal fence at the end. There’s hardly any sign that this site was once a busting colliery.

There is a path to the right that leads down to the former Great Western Railway, which is now the Midland Metro. The brick abutments are the only remains left of the railway sidings that once existed next to the line.

It will take you roughly one hour to walk this trail. If you wish to make the most of this area, consider visiting Sandwell Park Farm and Dartmouth Park which you can access via the footbridges over the M5 motorway.

There are plenty of spots for a picnic. Our favourite would have to be the south-east shore of Swan Pool. It is a grassy bank and offers stunning views of the pool and its birds. Bear in mind this is a popular spot during hot days. If you prefer somewhere that’s a little more open, try the showgrounds in front of Sandwell Park Farm.

Swan Pool is a haven for wild birds, expect to see:

• Canada geese
• Mallards
• Coots
• Moorhens
• Mute swans
• Tufted ducks
• Lesser black-backed gulls
• Pochards
• Teals
• Shovelers
• Cormorants
• Great crested grebes
• Black-headed gulls
• Grey herons

If you intend to feed the birds, please feed them responsibly. You may also spot grey squirrels and robins. The fields are usually full of cattle and sheep.

It’s convenient to travel by car to this trail been as it starts in a car park. If you are travelling by bus, get off at the stops on the Newton Road by the Sandwell Valley Crematorium, then walk down Forge Lane and its continuation as Park Lane. It will take you roughly 20 minutes.