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25. Railway Bridge over the Canal.
(Grade 2 listed)
The main railway bridge built in the 1850s
is of brick construction but faced
with large sandstone blocks, except for brickwork
within the complicated
roof of the skewed bridge. The high concrete
south-west retaining wall
and buttresses to the north-east retaining wall
were added following a
partial collapse in the 1930s.
C. Buildings within the Cannock Chase Area 0f Outstanding
Natural Beauty
26.The Holly Bush Colliery Road.
(Grade 2 listed 5-7-1972)
The end of an era came to the Holly Bush Inn in February 1965 when it
ceased to be a drinking establishment after laying claim to being the
only thatched pub for miles around. Drinks probably started to be sold
from the 300 to 400 year old building in about 1800 when deep coal
mining was bringing workers to the area, and its fate was sealed when
the last of the nearby collieries, Brereton Colliery, closed in 1960. It
is
marked “Holly Bush” on a Rugeley parish map of 1815. Old photographs
show that the timber framing was plastered over for a time and the
thatched roof had alterations over the years. The thatch was replaced
by tiles in 1969 during the 30 years it was the home of antiques dealer
Mrs. Kathleen Leadbeater, and the Holly Bush is remembered for the
many summer bank holiday outdoor antiques fairs she held there in the
1970s and 1980s. In 2002-3 a new owner extended and extensively renovated
the 2-storey building, including the replacement of decayed
timber-framing, and reinstated thatch on the roof.
27. The Glen
 The Glen is an
impressively situated good-sized 2-storey house with
well-proportioned front windows, in large grounds. Its elevated position
gives distant views over Brereton Hayes Wood. It was the home of
Brereton Colliery officials for many years, being occupied by heads of
engineering from at least the 1890s until the 1940s, and later it was the
manager's home until 1957. Its age is unknown, but old maps suggest it
may have originated from one of several one-time cottages in the
locality.
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