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View Full Version : Crows Rock, Kinver, West Mids Oct '08



boxfrenzy
26-10-2008, 10:57 PM
These are the remains of a number of dwellings carved out of the soft sandstone rock at least 300 years ago. Vales Rock (the lower section, presumably named after the family,) and Crows Rock, the upper tier were last inhabited in the 1930's by a besom maker. This is a lovely place to go even with kids and it is places like this to play in that got me interested in ruined buildings at an early age.
All that remains of the front of one of the houses. It joins on to the sandstone outcrop to the left of the picture.
http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii273/thedownings10/Picture041-6.jpg

When I first came here in the late 1970's as a wee nipper, this place was shuttered and access was off. Today no doors or windows remain.
http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii273/thedownings10/Picture018-10.jpg

These rock houses were warm in the winter, and cool in the summer.
http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii273/thedownings10/Picture027-7.jpg

Loads of people love to scratch their name in the rock. When does it go from being wrong to being interesting to see? W Jones scratched his name in the same year as the Titanic sank.
http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii273/thedownings10/Picture019-9.jpg

When your neighbours moved out, families would often carve out a tunnel or door and extend through. That's my mom, outside the window. Nice to see your parents climbing over No Entry, Dangerous Structure fences. Gives hope for us all.
http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii273/thedownings10/Picture032-7.jpg

Water came from here. Today it is dry. This could be one reason why the rock houses became uninhabited, as the pumping station in nearby Kinver was opened a few years earlier, lowering the water table. Hard to believe these were dug out by hand.
http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii273/thedownings10/Picture030-9.jpg

Residents from the early 1900's. (not there today)
http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii273/thedownings10/crowsrockcrop2Small.jpg

Forget IKEA, simply carve out cupboards and shelves
http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii273/thedownings10/mysignature004Small.jpg

Looking outside
http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii273/thedownings10/Picture024-8.jpg

Spotted this little fella hopping past
http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii273/thedownings10/Picture033-8.jpg

As they once were
http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii273/thedownings10/crowsrockcropSmall.jpg

Remains of the ruined houses at Crow's Rock
http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii273/thedownings10/Picture039-5.jpg