Address plaques and nameplates for Terraces, Villas, Places etc

[Richard Dye]

Not sure if this is the right place: I lived on Radnor Rd in Handsworth, #11 for over 15 years. I rode my bike and walked that road so many times. I had two friends that lived at 27 & 29 so I was around there most days. Looking at the map (a few minutes ago to confirm), now there is a Radnor House at number 31. It wasn’t called that when I left in 1962, I knew and visited the people there. How does that work, is it self selection?
Thank you.

 

[John L]

Went back to 2012 to find the clearest plaque.
View attachment 189562

Thanks for doing that. I had forgotten that option, I wish it would go back another 40-50 years though!

 

[pjmburns]

Not sure if this is the right place: I lived on Radnor Rd in Handsworth, #11 for over 15 years. I rode my bike and walked that road so many times. I had two friends that lived at 27 & 29 so I was around there most days. Looking at the map (a few minutes ago to confirm), now there is a Radnor House at number 31. It wasn’t called that when I left in 1962, I knew and visited the people there. How does that work, is it self selection?
Thank you.

Apparently:

If your house already has a number in the postal address, but NOT a name, then you can add a house name without officially contacting the local council. But, in order to avoid confusion, it's would be sensible to register your house name with the local council.

However another site suggests it needs to be more formal

 

[Richard Dye]

Apparently:

If your house already has a number in the postal address, but NOT a name, then you can add a house name without officially contacting the local council. But, in order to avoid confusion, it's would be sensible to register your house name with the local council.

However another site suggests it needs to be more formal

Thank you Janice.

 

[Astoness]

"Slade Villas" was on a plaque above our shop on Slade Road, Erdington (331 Slade Road). I'm unable to find a photograph that shows it, but it is still there on street view.

I did however, find that Slade Road was described as "one of the most notorious roads in the city" last year by Birmingham Live and as as being "dangerous drug-ridden" by the Express. That is not how I remember it!

sadly john nothing is as we remember

lyn

 

[Dinger]

The plaques on the terraces and individual houses along Tiverton Road, Selly Oak indicate different phases of house building. Very helpful that dates are included on some plaques. (Please note the house numbers given are to provide the nearest location of the plaque) :

Pevensey Villas, 1904, 275 Tiverton Road
Thorning Villas, 305 Tiverton Road
Springfield Villas 1899, 309 Tiverton Road
Amethyst Villa 1901, 349 Tiverton Road
Somerset Villa 1901, 349 Tiverton Road
Lovington Villa 1901, 347 Tiverton Road
Pevensey Villas, 1904, 275 Tiverton Road

Some more plaques for Tiverton Road, Selly Oak. - This long road certainly has some remarkable examples of stonework on door lintels and above alley arches. Sad to see so many of the buildings in a poor state of repair, but the area is in the low-cost "student let" area.

15-17 Braknall Place, (indistinct) 1878 - Note the "Blue Plaque" on this building is a "funny" mock one of no historical interest.
20-22 Oak Place
32-34 Upton Villas
60-62 Tiverton Villas
72-74 - Unfortunately scrapped clean.
82-84 Brighton Villas 1880
123-125 Lily Place
160-162 Norwood Villas
161-163 Stratford Villas
187-189 Doncaster Villas
296-298 Florence Villas
338-340 Lurgan Villas

 

[Vivienne14]

Lovely examples Dinger. You have to wonder if the one without engraving ever was engraved with a name. Maybe the road name and numbering had been decided by the time building work had been completed.

 

[Dinger]

Lovely examples Dinger. You have to wonder if the one without engraving ever was engraved with a name. Maybe the road name and numbering had been decided by the time building work had been completed.

Certainly Possible Viv. I wonder if the people who moved into a house first had a "say" in what name it would be given, or just had to accept what the builder called it?

 

[Vivienne14]

Yes. It's difficult to find any detailed information about how these plaques/nameplates came about. I could be wrong, but I get the sense that there were no common conventions.

 

[Vivienne14]

A lot of nameplates in Church Street, Lozells. Note, the street house numbers are approximate as a guide to the location of the plaque. The position quoted is often to get a clearer view of the plaque.

Sydney Place, 47 Church Street
Silverdale Place 1882, 57 Church Street
Atherstone Place, 63 Church Street
Vine Place, 69 Church Street
Ely Place 1879, 71 Church Street
Maud Place 1880, 71 Church Street
Winter Place, 74 Church Street
St Edwards Place ? (1879 ?) 77 Church Street
(......ance ?) Place 1879, 77 Church Street (not the same plaque as the previous one)
Howard Place, 78 Church Street
Essex Place, 82 Church Street
Holly Place 1879, 91 Church Street
Claremiont Place 1880, 97 Church Street
Arthur Place, 100 Church Street
Grove Place, 112 Church Street
Boughton Place, 117 Church Street
Carth Place, 123 Church Street

 

[Dinger]

The Back Streets of Kings Heath seem to be full of houses with Plaques - One special street to point out is Woodville Road - The side of the street with the odd-numbered houses has elaborately carved lintels with names above every single front door (nos 3-65). Here's just one example of a pair of lintels.

 

[mikejee]

That's over 100 items. Have put them all in an excel, spreadsheet

 

[Astoness]

viv i dont know how to grab these plaques off st view but there are some interesting ones all the way down lozells st on the left hand side ...lyn

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.com

 

[Dinger]

viv i dont know how to grab these plaques off st view but there are some interesting ones all the way down lozells st on the left hand side ...lyn

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.com

Cheers, Viv, I'll get these - They include a name plaque with a date of 1872 on it - Which is the earliest one to be logged so far I think.

 

[Dinger]

Thanks for the heads-up on this street Lyn. It seems to be the best street so far for all the plaques on one side of the street remaining, with no breaks. And the dates are very early -and clearly show the buildings seem to have started being built in the middle of the row and moved outwards. Note that two of the "blocks" are for sets of 4 houses (24-38 and 32-38) whereas all the rest are for sets of two houses. It also seems that at this time and place the fashion was to call most of them "place" rather than "villas"

24-30 Lozells Street, Bala Place 1874
32-38 Lozells Street, Penarth Place 1873
40-42 Lozells Street, Newton Villas 1874
44-46 Lozells Street, Drakelow Villas 1874
48-50 Lozells Street, John Place 1872
52-54 Lozells Street, Providence Place
56-58 Lozells Street, Southwold Place
60-62 Lozells Street, Park Place 1872
64-66 Lozells Street, Emma Place 1872
68-70 Lozells Street, Zion Place 1874
72-74 Lozells Street, Snowdrop Place 1875
76-78 Lozells Street, Catherine Place 1875
80-82 Lozells Street, Lozells Place 1876
84-86 Lozells Street, Laurel Place 1876
88-90 Lozells Street, Holly Place 1876
92-94 Lozells Street, Trafalgar Place - Note the ancient "Squarial" Satellite dish - truly historic!
96-98 Lozells Street, Somerset Place
100-102 Lozells Street, Linton Place 1877
104-106 Lozells Street, Bolton Place
108-110 Lozells Street, Eaton Place

 

[Dinger]

Berners Street, which backs onto Lozells Street has some interesting groupings - Three buildings on this street have plaques that either never had a name carved on them, or they have been since scrapped off or plastered over. These are the remaining plaques - Note the Terraces of multiple houses. Does anyone have any idea why the numbers on the buildings of Berners Street starts at 1 then 3 (new buildings) and then jumps to 155? - Did Berners Street once extend further South?

173-179 Berners Street, Cleobury Terrace
181-191 Berners Street, Granville Terrace
193-195 Berners Street, Ness Cottages
233 Berners Street, Ash Tree Place

 

[mikejee]

I assume that "40-42 Lozells Street, Newton Villas 1974" should read 1874?

 

[Vivienne14]

Love the Woodville Street ones Dinger. Giving your house a single name probably hinted at living in a stately home, although they're in a terrace of several similar houses !

You mentioned early plaques. The earliest I've come across so far (1862,1863 and 1865) are these, all in Albert Road, Handsworth.


Albert Place 1862, 151 Albert Road
Ernest House 1863, 59 Albert Road
Moorcroft Place 1865, 180 Albert Road


One very unusually named plaque is this one:

Salathiel, 215 Albert Road

Also in Albert Road are some more ornate plaques. At a glance I thought some might have mini gargoyles on the bottom corners, but not sure. In contrast, there's a very plain plaque (Elgin Villas) which looks similar to victorian metal road signs


Albany Villas, 218 Albert Road
Lorne Villas, 224 Albert Road
Wolesley Villas, 224 Albert Road
Seymour Villas, 230 Albert Road
Grove Villas, 232 Albert Road
Sandhurst Villas, 240 Albert Road
Elgin Villas, 303 Albert Road

Numbers given for addresses are those nearest to the plaque and where a clear view is possible on Streetview

 

[A Sparks]

Salathiel is a Biblical name (just looked it up!)

 

[mikejee]

Love the Woodville Street ones Dinger. Giving your house a single name probably hinted at living in a stately home, although they're in a terrace of several similar houses !

You mentioned early plaques. The earliest I've come across so far (1862,1863 and 1865) are these, all in Albert Road


Albert Place 1862, 151 Albert Road
Ernest House 1863, 59 Albert Road
Moorcroft Place 1865, 180 Albert Road


One very unusually named plaque is this one:

Salathiel, 215 Albert Road

Also in Albert Road are some more ornate plaques. At a glance I thought some might have mini gargoyles on the bottom corners, but not sure. In contrast, there's a very plain plaque (Elgin Villas) which looks similar to victorian metal road signs


Albany Villas, 218 Albert Road
Lorne Villas, 224 Albert Road
Wolesley Villas, 224 Albert Road
Seymour Village, 230 Albert Road
Grove Villas, 232 Albert Road
Sandhurst Villas, 240 Albert Road
Elgin Villas, 303 Albert Road

Is that Village, or should it be Villas?

 

[Vivienne14]

Typo Mike. Shall edit post. Thanks.

 

[Dinger]

Edmund Road, Saltley.

3-5 Edmund Road, Dora Villas
6-8 Edmund Road, Wynn House - Building looks to have once been one house.
10-12 Edmund Road, Edmond House - Building looks to have once been one house. Note "Edmond" is spelt differently to the road name.
14-16 Edmund Road, Burcote Villas
18-20 Edmund Road, Worfield Villas
22-24 Edmund Road, Leonard Villas
26-28 Edmund Road, Ellesmere Villas
39 Edmund Road, - Just the initials "S.H." and date "1901"
85 Edmund Road, Bath House - date 1900
87-89 Edmund Road, Somerset Villas

 

[Astoness]

i wonder what the letters S H signifies

lyn

 

[Dinger]

i wonder what the letters S H signifies

lyn

The Birmingham home of a retired Sherlock Holmes? - Or maybe just someone who thought "This'll puzzle them in a hundred years time!"

 

[pjmburns]

College Road Moseley has this over number 87


number 69

 

[Dinger]

A cluster of buildings on the Washford Heath Road in Saltley has some interesting plaques - Some with very early dates.
On the one side is a complex of buildings much knocked about over the years - It ends up merging with the Saltley Inn.

37 Washwood Heath Road, Yiewsley Cottage, 1860
39 Washwood Heath Road, Albert Cottage, 1858
41 Washwood Heath Road, Victoria Cottage, 1858
43 Washwood Heath Road, Clyde Cottage, 1860
45 Washwood Heath Road, Havelock Cottage, 1860

On the other side of the road are these...

50 Washwood Heath Road, Vales Wood
52 Washwood Heath Road, Glen Villas

The layout of the building suggests that No 50 is two houses knocked into one and it is the one half of that building that was put up at the same time as No 52 to be the two houses that formed "Glen Villas".

 

[A Sparks]

i wonder what the letters S H signifies

lyn

Might it have been something like Saltley Housing or the initials of the company who built the houses?

 

[pjmburns]

same road but number 67

 

[Dinger]

College Road Moseley has this over number 87
View attachment 189775

number 69
View attachment 189783

"Glenaverlin" - What a lovely sounding place! - But I can't find anywhere in the world with that name. - Nearest I've found is Glengavlen in Ireland.

 

[Vivienne14]

Digger, that takes us back to 1858 for these plaques so far. I don't yet have a feel for whether any undated plaques are earlier. It's impossible to tell, but I suppose we'd need to find out dates of the commencement and completion of houses/roads to work that out.

Good point ASparks. I think Saltley Housing is quite likely. This one too is simply initials, J.R. Place. It's in Angelsey Street. But I have no idea who this might refer to. Presumably, it's someone or something local.