The Darkies was a path that ran from Church Hill in Northfield, across Woodland Road, and down what is now Wychall Road, where it now crosses the railway. That section of Wychall Road is very narrow. A few years ago structural problems with the footbridge resulted in the carriageway being closed to through traffic. What was a busy road became quiet, as did the roads it connected with. Nobody seems to be in any hurry to go back to having lots of motor traffic. The section of Wychall Road not protected by the modal filter still sees much motor traffic and speeding.
