Peter Walker
gone but not forgotten
As a child in the 1930s, one of my greatest pleasures was exploring Birmingham, and it still is, mainly because it's nearly 50 years since I moved to London, but I always enjoy my 'sentimental journeys', which are bound to include a bit of discovery.
Last week when I was in Brum I walked from Five Ways down Calthorpe Road to Edgbaston Church and on along Priory Road to Bristol Road. I'd never been in Edgbaston old church, which happily was open, and contained a lot of historical treasures, although sadly there was no little potted history leaflet or booklet which I would gladly have bought. The history is bound up with the Calthorpe or Gough family, who were lords of the manor for centuries. Calthorpe Estate was the only Birmingham estate that allowed only high-class development on its land, and the result is there for all to see. To be fair, I should perhaps say that Lord Calthorpe was not quite a 'Not in my back yard' man, as some of the development on the fringes of his extensive property was a bit tatty, but he did donate a public park on the very edge of his patch, near Balsall Heath.
After doing the old church I carried on down Priory Road and found out the Martineau Gardens, as they were called for a time. This attractive site must have been the garden of a large Victorian villa which was demolished in the 50s or 60s, and the Corporation leased the grounds for educational purposes from the Calthorpe for 30 years until 1997, when it was taken over by a voluntary group called 'Metamorphosis at the Martineau Gardens'. They are continuing to run the site as an ecological study area, and there is a wealth of wild life there (less than 2 miles from the city centre).
I recommend you to get there if you can, or visit www.martineau-gardens.org.uk.
Peter
Last week when I was in Brum I walked from Five Ways down Calthorpe Road to Edgbaston Church and on along Priory Road to Bristol Road. I'd never been in Edgbaston old church, which happily was open, and contained a lot of historical treasures, although sadly there was no little potted history leaflet or booklet which I would gladly have bought. The history is bound up with the Calthorpe or Gough family, who were lords of the manor for centuries. Calthorpe Estate was the only Birmingham estate that allowed only high-class development on its land, and the result is there for all to see. To be fair, I should perhaps say that Lord Calthorpe was not quite a 'Not in my back yard' man, as some of the development on the fringes of his extensive property was a bit tatty, but he did donate a public park on the very edge of his patch, near Balsall Heath.
After doing the old church I carried on down Priory Road and found out the Martineau Gardens, as they were called for a time. This attractive site must have been the garden of a large Victorian villa which was demolished in the 50s or 60s, and the Corporation leased the grounds for educational purposes from the Calthorpe for 30 years until 1997, when it was taken over by a voluntary group called 'Metamorphosis at the Martineau Gardens'. They are continuing to run the site as an ecological study area, and there is a wealth of wild life there (less than 2 miles from the city centre).
I recommend you to get there if you can, or visit www.martineau-gardens.org.uk.
Peter
