Sutton Coldfield Local History Research Group

This article by Roger Lea, was first published in The Birmingham Historian (Number 9) in 1993. This was the twice-yearly news journal of the Birmingham and District Association of Local History Societies and was then edited by George Demidowicz.

Albert Wood, tenant of Midland Lodge in Sutton Park from 1892 to 1917, was a typical Victorian lower middle-class gentleman who had many interests. He was a chemist by training but from childhood took an interest in horticulture and natural history. These interests included ferns and alpine plants as well as birds and molluscs. He was also a founder member of The Vesey Club and counted Benjamin Stone, Sutton Coldfield’s first mayor, as one of his friends. He wrote this article for the 1900 edition of a guidebook of the Town which briefly presents his research of the snails and molluscs that inhabited Sutton Coldfield at the turn of the 19th century.

Did you know that Birmingham was for three centuries Britain’s most historically important centre for printing outside London. Also, 19th century Birmingham came to be regarded as the most artistic town in England. This is the background history to an account of three local men, one a highly regarded illuminating artist, one a printer and author, and one an artist, designer and naturalist who together produced a commemorative illuminated book for the 1911 Coronation of King George V and Queen Mary. As if this were not enough, we are presented with a potted history of the While family of Sutton Coldfield and their association with While Road.

Manley Hall, formerly Thickbroom Hall, Weeford, was begun in 1831.  Its style of architecture was Elizabethan with Gothic overtones in the way of turrets, battlements, decorative chimneys, pinnacles and even a viewing tower.  A succession of "Manleys" lived there until the early 1920s when it became a boys' school.  It was finally demolished around 1961.

Part 1: During the early summer of 1921, when Sutton Coldlfield, like the rest of the British Isles, experienced very hot weather. There had been very little rainfall for some time resulting in the ground being extremely dry and the heathland of Sutton Park being susceptible to random outbreaks of fire. The Borough Council's Park and Estates Committee initially took the view that the fires were started deliberately but later their attitude changed when they realised that the extent and frequency of the fires was largely due to natural causes. Outbreaks of fires in Sutton Park were first reported as occurring on 17th and 25th June.1921. Part 2: In complete contrast to the drought and subsequent widespread fires of 1921 described in Part 1, a sudden cloudburst occurred two years later on Saturday, July 14, 1923 producing excessive rainfall in Sutton Park. The Borough Council were once again faced with a natural disaster and its consequential effects.

Enclosure of common land came to Sutton Coldfield around 1824, somewhat later than in most other places in the Country.  At that time, the town was almost surrounded by common land and Roger Lea's article will use maps to identify and give the background to such areas known as Four Oaks Common, The Northern Commons, The North-Eastern Commons, High Heath, Lindridge Field,  Reddicap Heath, Walmley, The Coldfield and Ley Hill Common.  This is a 'must read' for local history researchers and may also be found in Sutton Library under Reference BCOLQ942.496SUT. Janet Jordan November 2019

Although it is nearly 30 year since this research reached Sutton's Library shelves, the facts haven't changed and Four Oaks in 1824 is just as fascinating today as it was then - perhaps even more so, as our knowledge of that area has widened over the years.

What do you remember of the interesting Murals that appeared on the walls of the Inner Ring Road and Underpasses of Birmingham in the 70s, 80s and 90s? Here, Keith Jordan has given a detailed account of their creation and the reason for their demise.

It is now too late to take this piece of research any further, which is why it is so important to seize the day and record details of old properties that look ready for demolition!  Did we miss the opportunity of proving that Waterworks Cottage in Coleshill Road was one of the fifty one built by Bishop Vesey in the early 1500s?  In 2001, when this article was written, this old cottage is said to have had a spiral staircase and bore a similarity with a cottage at Moor Hall that required dispensation before being demolished.  So, we shall probably never know, as it has now been replaced by a new house. Janet JordanJuly 2019

This comprehensive history of Midland Lodge and its architecture, liberally illustrated, was written originally to support an application to the Planning Committee of Birmingham City Council for Local Listing of the building. The article was previously published in Volume 13: Spring 2017 of the SCLHRG’s Proceedings and has now been brought up to-date. A later article, “Two Remarkable Tenants – Midland Lodge” was published on our website in November 2017. The two articles are meant to compliment one another.