Ruyton Memorial Hall at 7pm
My apologies for sending this out so late, I have only just heard about this important meeting fromsomone on the mailing list - not Gareth Parry
Shropshire Wildlife Trust is running the ‘Magnificent Severn’ project, which aims to help restore the ecology of some rivers in the Severn Catchment, including the River Perry. I have been working with the Wildlife Trust on this project, and we would like to set up community river monitoring points along the river. The Wildlife Trust is keen to gather local opinions on their plan to restore the Perry. There is a public consultation this Wednesday at Ruyton XI Towns Memorial Hall between 7 and 9pm. It has been advertised locally, but I am passing on this invite in-case you are not aware.
Here is a little bit of history which might be of interest to anyone living in Ruyton, but particularly those who live near the River Perry.
In November 1775 a group of local landowners, led by Rowland Hunt of Boreatton Hall, agreed to present a petition in Parliament that a Bill should be passed for the draining, dividing and enclosing of Baggymoor and other wastes and common land along the River Perry. An Act was eventually passed to this effect and in 1783 the river was straightened to some extent, cleared of shoals and obstructions. Wykey Weir, Ruyton Mill and Platt Mill were partly removed and drains, water courses, sluices and bridges were constructed in an effort to acquire a fall of water sufficient to drain the wetland to the north........
By 1861 the land was again liable to flooding, apparentlty due to land owners not being able to agree whose job it was to maintain the drains and sluices.
In the second Baggymoor Drainage Act of 1861 Wykey Mill, Ruyton Mill and Platt Mill were removed completely, the river altered, deepened, widened and straightened between Rednal Mill Bridge and the Platt Bridge and a completely new cut or channel was made in the valley between Boreatton Park and Park House, now Packwood School. The drains, channels and sluices were to be maintained by the owners of the land in which they were situated.
In the mid 1980s many millions of £s were spent by Severn Trent River Board to dredge and deepen the River from New Mills to Rednal Bridge - to drain Baggymoor so more crops could be grown there instead of the wetlands.
When the sun is low in the west I can see traces of those ditches and drains from my kitchen window.
I have observed and recorded the changes in the ebb and flow of the Perry since 1969 and I can see how the river is well on the way to restoring itself without any help from us.
Please do your best to be at the meeting tomorrow night in the Memorial Hall.
Yoland
-- Yoland Brown Brownhill House B&B, Ruyton XI Towns, nr. Shrewsbury SY4 1LR ShACC - Shropshire Alternative Car Club www.eleventowns.co.uk www.eleventowns.com www.ShACC-uk.org Tel: 01939 261 121 Fax: 01939 260626
